New to Shrimp

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

kribensis12

I know where you live
Joined
Nov 13, 2006
Messages
8,679
Reaction score
593
Location
Peoria, Illinois
Hello friends!

I've been keeping off/on for the past 20 years. Over the years, at different intervals, I've added Ghost shrimp to the equation. Either for the "fun of it" or to provide some cleaning.

With that being said, they always die in the first 4-6 weeks. I get it - they are essentially feeder shrimp and are not likely to be the most healthy or have a long life. What I have observed is that the shrimp darken in color and eventually die - presumably during their molt.

I'm just not sure why that is the case. The water we have is exceedingly hard - more minerals than you can imagine. The TDS of our tap water is almost 500 and our pH is a very stable 8.4.

I'm wondering if anyone has thoughts on how to make my aquariums more shrimp friendly. I'd love to add some more expensive shrimp to my tanks, but I'm afraid that based on my experience that it will end in failure.

FYI - Ammonia is consistently 0, nitrite 0, nitrate <10.
 
Ghost shrimp only live for a year... You might have better luck with amano shrimp? They're really good cleaners and eat just about anything and can live to 3 years I think
 
Hello friends!

I've been keeping off/on for the past 20 years. Over the years, at different intervals, I've added Ghost shrimp to the equation. Either for the "fun of it" or to provide some cleaning.

With that being said, they always die in the first 4-6 weeks. I get it - they are essentially feeder shrimp and are not likely to be the most healthy or have a long life. What I have observed is that the shrimp darken in color and eventually die - presumably during their molt.

I'm just not sure why that is the case. The water we have is exceedingly hard - more minerals than you can imagine. The TDS of our tap water is almost 500 and our pH is a very stable 8.4.

I'm wondering if anyone has thoughts on how to make my aquariums more shrimp friendly. I'd love to add some more expensive shrimp to my tanks, but I'm afraid that based on my experience that it will end in failure.

FYI - Ammonia is consistently 0, nitrite 0, nitrate <10.
Wow, 500 PPM out of the tap? That's practically liquid rock, lol

RCS aren't very expensive, depending on your location, I would try some of those, or amanos, as suggested above
 
Wow, 500 PPM out of the tap? That's practically liquid rock, lol

RCS aren't very expensive, depending on your location, I would try some of those, or amanos, as suggested above

I wish that I was joking about that TDS. In between adding it to the tank and waiting one week for a water change, the TDS jumps to 650. Our municipality states that the water comes out at 7.6 but every water source I have tested in this city shoes 8.4; so they are misguided.

I am willing to try other shrimps, but I am trying to figure out why the ghost shrimp never last. I'm afraid that I would lose the other shrimp if I don't know what's wrong. Any clues why they are dying? It seems odd that the longest I have ever kept them is 4-6 weeks.
 
I wish that I was joking about that TDS. In between adding it to the tank and waiting one week for a water change, the TDS jumps to 650. Our municipality states that the water comes out at 7.6 but every water source I have tested in this city shoes 8.4; so they are misguided.

I am willing to try other shrimps, but I am trying to figure out why the ghost shrimp never last. I'm afraid that I would lose the other shrimp if I don't know what's wrong. Any clues why they are dying? It seems odd that the longest I have ever kept them is 4-6 weeks.
You already answered your own question above; "they are essentially feeder shrimp and are not likely to be the most healthy or have a long life"

They are mass-bred and prone to disease, as well...
 
So I should have no issue keeping shrimp based on the water parameters I gave?

I saw quite a bit of documentation of shrimp dying during the molting process and thought that somehow this was related.
 
So I should have no issue keeping shrimp based on the water parameters I gave?

I saw quite a bit of documentation of shrimp dying during the molting process and thought that somehow this was related.
I think it would be fine, I lose some shrimp when they are new to my tanks, but as they breed and adjust to my params, they do well
 

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Back
Top