Then there were 8 (ghost shrimps)

[Phil Fish]

I have a nice cylinder shaped one gallon glass jar which I turned into a little shrimp tank.
It's got sand, rocks, and live plants. Yesterday I added 9 ghost shrimps figuring a few may not make it. I fed them some flakes and let them do their thing. Sure enough I woke up this morning to two shrimps munching on the carcass of one their now ex-tank mates. I like these guys...they clean up their own dead.

And then there were eight....

 

[Colin_T]

Morbid

How about putting the shrimp in with your Bettas?

 

[Phil Fish]

Morbid

How about putting the shrimp in with your Bettas?

Yes I actually bought 12 ghost shrimp. Three of them are in two of my Betta tanks and doing ok. I called it a suicide mission however the shrimps although appearing to be clumsy swimmers are actually lightening fast if a Betta gets too "friendly"...haha!

Here's the shrimp jar.

A quick video. The guy that's bending his tail...is he eating?

 

[Jeremy180]

Was searching shrimp stocking recommendations, and the only consistent group specific one on a repeatable website is for dwarf shrimp, which is ten per gallon, probably because it's a nice, even number, so the actual limit could be different.
Anyway, going by this, and the fact that the ghost shrimp is roughly double the length, I would say that it has more or less 8 times the mass.

Have seen Amano shrimp, which are about the same size as ghosts, recommended for anything from three per gallon to one per two gallons.

All this leads me to conclude that personally, I would consider over two ghosts per gallon risky for the long term for the health of ghost shrimp.

I know it's admittedly a lot of speculation on my part, but eight per gallon seems a bit high compared to the highest stocking rate I could find for the similarly sized amanos, which was three per gallon.

 

[Phil Fish]

Was searching shrimp stocking recommendations, and the only consistent group specific one on a repeatable website is for dwarf shrimp, which is ten per gallon, probably because it's a nice, even number, so the actual limit could be different.
Anyway, going by this, and the fact that the ghost shrimp is roughly double the length, I would say that it has more or less 8 times the mass.

Have seen Amano shrimp, which are about the same size as ghosts, recommended for anything from three per gallon to one per two gallons.

All this leads me to conclude that personally, I would consider over two ghosts per gallon risky for the long term for the health of ghost shrimp.

I know it's admittedly a lot of speculation on my part, but eight per gallon seems a bit high compared to the highest stocking rate I could find for the similarly sized amanos, which was three per gallon.

Yes I have read basically the same thing regarding dwarf shrimp stocking amounts. Since the ghost shrimp were only 49 cents each I figured I would get a dozen with anticipating a possible 50% mortality rate what with being transported and from transferred etc...

Anyhow yes 8 might be over stocking a one gallon jar but from what I have read 4-5 is is about the limit for that size container. So far only one has died. The remaining shrimp quickly made work of getting rid of the body.

 

[Colin_T]

The ghost/ glass shrimp that is curled is cleaning its pleopods/ swimmerets (the little things under the tail that they use to swim with and carry eggs on).

The shrimp and water looked milky cloudy. If that is the case they need a huge water change. When the shrimp start going a milky colour they are dying (usually from poor water quality). And when the water is looking milky cloudy it needs a massive change and less food.

 

[Phil Fish]

The ghost/ glass shrimp that is curled is cleaning its pleopods/ swimmerets (the little things under the tail that they use to swim with and carry eggs on).

The shrimp and water looked milky cloudy. If that is the case they need a huge water change. When the shrimp start going a milky colour they are dying (usually from poor water quality). And when the water is looking milky cloudy it needs a massive change and less food.

I think I over did it with the flakes. I just did a big water change and it looks better now. I won't feed them for the rest of the week.

 

[Phil Fish]

Ok so I split the shrimps up in different tanks. I put 3 in the 5.5 gallon tank with one Betta and 2 in a 1 gallon bowl with a snail. Now only 3 are left in the 1 gallon glass jar. I also did another 50% water change.

 

[NickAu]

Shrimp need stable water conditions and a very mature tank, large frequent water changes are a no no because it messes with their molting this is why larger tanks are needed.

I am a member of a shrimp keeping site and they suggest no more that 10% a week water change on shrimp tanks, I also know Bee shrimp keepers who never change water they just top up to compensate for evaporation.

That jar is totally unsuitable for shrimp.

 

[Phil Fish]

Well it looks like I didn't lose one after all! It appears that the carcass I thought the shrimp were eating was the parts that resulted in a moulting. I just checked the jar I thought had 3 in it but it actually has 4. All alive! So I still have all 12 I originally started with. Now that they been split up in different tanks they seem to be much less stressed.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Colin_T]

Shrimp need stable water conditions and a very mature tank, large frequent water changes are a no no because it messes with their molting this is why larger tanks are needed.

I am a member of a shrimp keeping site and they suggest no more that 10% a week water change on shrimp tanks, I also know Bee shrimp keepers who never change water they just top up to compensate for evaporation.

Large water changes are essential in keeping the water clean when no filter is available. Obviously a filtered aquarium would be better but there isn't one so it gets water changed instead.

Water changes make no difference to a shrimp moulting.

These are not Bee Shrimp, they are glass shrimp and are quite tough creatures as long as the water is clean.

The people who don't do water changes or only top up or do small water changes on their shrimp tanks are putting their shrimp at risk of disease and poor water quality.

 

[NickAu]

Large water changes are essential in keeping the water clean when no filter is available.

You obviously do not have a clue,

 

[Colin_T]

You obviously do not have a clue,

Obviously not. I will just sit here and keep my 40 years of fish and shrimp keeping to myself.