Keeping ghost shrimp alive

lordroad

Large Fish
Sep 2, 2004
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Shelby, NC
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#1
Has anyone cracked the code on how to keep these cheap little buggers alive past 1 molt? Longest ones I've had lived for a month and a half, both molted, but died most likely from complications stemming from their next molt.

Since then, none live longer than 2 or 3 weeks in my peaceful, planted tetra tanks.

I'd love to try some other shrimp, especially some I could keep in my planted vases, but you can only get the ghosts around here.
 

FroggyFox

Forum Manager
Moderator
May 16, 2003
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42
Colorado
#3
I think a lot has to do with making sure they've got enough hiding spots and enough food...as well as some iodine in the water. Always before when I've kept them they'll only live for awhile and usually either a cichlid will end its life...or the heat. Mine never liked temperatures if they got over 80 or so.
 

Nov 27, 2004
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New Orleans
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#5
i've heard that there is a magical stone that if found and place in ones tank you can actually keep ghost shrimp alive till a second molt...such is only fish keeping legend of course...the only time i tried to keep them i had them for a month and then when the molt hit they just died. fish never harrased them, always got food, just think it is one of those things where under artificial conditions they are really hard to keep alive.
 

Seleya

Superstar Fish
Nov 22, 2004
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Cape Cod, MA
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#6
I've only had ghosts for a few months now (experimenting with inverts) of the 12 I got initially, I have 6 of that crew. I just added another dozen the other day. I have them in a 10 gallon with guppies and they love the livebearer food and daphnia. I love watching them swim upsidedown to eat from the surface. :) I did add ~some~ Instant Ocean to the tank after reading about everyone's problems keeping them and reading that they tended towards brackish -- I figure it might help and doesn't hurt. Don't know if it's truly helping or not yet.
 

derajer

Large Fish
Mar 16, 2005
136
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Ankeny, Iowa
#7
I have had Ghost shrimp for about 6 months now. I still have most of them. I have really hard water, I add flourish, and my tank temp is always at 81 degrees. One thing I have noticed about my shirmp is that they have become very colorful with age, relatively speaking ofcourse. At any rate, I've not had any problems keeping them. I know that they are often eatin after a molt because they are so much more vulnerable, even to neons.
 

quietwhun

Small Fish
Jul 14, 2004
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Jersey
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#10
I started with 8 in my planted 10gallon and I only have 2 left and they have been doing go for about 8 months. I recently bout japonico shrimp (is that the name) and the lasted 1 day, one jumped out of the tank and the other ::shruggin shoulders::. I have kept amino shrimps in the 29gallon and they did great until one day they disappeared.