Questions Answered - Thanks Guys!

[AmyStardust]

Will it be ok to keep ghost shrimp in cold water for a short while?

 

[minxfishy]

Providing it doesnt go below 60 ish.

Ghost Shrimp seem to be tolerant of a wide range of temperatures. They do well in warmer temperatures, though they can survive in waters that are as cold as the upper 50 degree Fahrenheit range. It has been observed that in very warm temperatures, Ghost Shrimp become much more active, and they have been reported to become so aggressive as to attack fish in warm temperatures. In cooler temperatures, they are quite peaceful and it is the Ghost Shrimp who are in danger of fish attacks. Ghost Shrimp should have some plants to hide in, particularly if they are kept with fish that might eat them. Freshwater Ghost Shrimp can tolerate lower pH and salinity levels, although Ghost Shrimp native to brackish areas cannot survive long in aquariums that do not benefit from the addition of iodide salts. Normally, Ghost Shrimp will feed on soft algae in tanks and any fish food that falls to the bottoms of their aquarium. They have been known to do well on flake fish food, as well.

Info: Google.

 

[AmyStardust]

Wow - thanks for all that info!!

I am getting a heater but just wanted to know if they would be destressed if I put them in cold water - I don't want to harm anything!!

Just one more question that's completely off-topic but - How much gravel should I have at the bottom of my tank?? I have it comepletely covered and I don't have real plants but do I need more??

 

[minxfishy]

About 2-3cm depth will be fine for a tank with no plants

Just acclimatise them properly if they are coming from warmer water

 

[AmyStardust]

About 2-3cm depth will be fine for a tank with no plants

Just acclimatise them properly if they are coming from warmer water

Great - thanks for that!!

I have a couple of plastic plants in the water but should I provide more hiding places for the shrimp to hide?

 

[minxfishy]

Are they the only fish in the tank? If so, then they wont need to hide too much, if you have fish in there, then yes, plenty of cover and hidey places for them, Java moss is a good one for shrimp And you dont need to root it, just tie some down on the rocks or wood or something. Doesnt require much light for growth, in fact pretty indistructable.

 

[AmyStardust]

They're gonna be in with 2 Platy's at the mo.... Maybe some tetra's at some point!

 

[minxfishy]

They will need cover then to make them feel safe. Small caves, fake plants etc, doesnt have to be real plants, just as long as there is plenty of them.

 

[AmyStardust]

They will need cover then to make them feel safe. Small caves, fake plants etc, doesnt have to be real plants, just as long as there is plenty of them.

That's awesome - thanks so much for your help!!

One last thing - is 4 or 5 ok to keep together? They don't need to be in huge numbers do they?

 

[minxfishy]

What size is the tank? But yep 4/5 should be fine.

 

[AmyStardust]

What size is the tank? But yep 4/5 should be fine.

17 litres!

 

[Corleone]

It should be good. They are more comfortable in numbers, and aren't at all high on bioload, so you can pack them in like you can't with fish.

 

[AmyStardust]

It should be good. They are more comfortable in numbers, and aren't at all high on bioload, so you can pack them in like you can't with fish.

Awesome!!

Thanks everyone!!!