So are you asking if it's OK to add them? Should be fine. Ghost shrimp are more likely to not be eaten as they are clear, and they are quite large. But angelfish are generally notorious shrimp eaters.
Ghost shrimp, planning to add
planning to add some ghost shrimps. I have a 20 gallon setup, plants are java moss, crystalwort, amazon swords, ludwigia, valls and crypt wendtii. the filter is a powerhead with a tube. its kinda like a overhead filter. substrate is sand. fishes are 2 buenos aires tetras, 2 phantom tetras, 1 angelfish, 1 black moore, 4 platys.
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
The thing I find with the ghosties, at least at my LFS is they don't last long. They are usually over packed when shipped, kept in basic tanks. They're meant for feeders, so lifespan isn't a concern and with how cheap they are, most LFS's don't put a lot of effort into keeping them alive long. Buy lots, some will survive, then buy more and repeat until you have some that made it. lol.
+1 but if they were to survive I'd say the angel poses the greatest threat, could even pose a threat to platies and other fish when grown up.The thing I find with the ghosties, at least at my LFS is they don't last long. They are usually over packed when shipped, kept in basic tanks. They're meant for feeders, so lifespan isn't a concern and with how cheap they are, most LFS's don't put a lot of effort into keeping them alive long. Buy lots, some will survive, then buy more and repeat until you have some that made it. lol.
Gaad! In the store, they are all cramped in one large tank. Not yet sure to buy because of the Angel. It's quite shy actually, hiding in the valls and swords most of the time.
Since they are so cheap, you won't be out a ton of money if (when) your angel eats them all. Just make sure they are actually ghost shrimp and not a macrobrachium species that's been mislabeled. If they've got long arms, don't buy them.
-Lisa
-Lisa
Even if they're shoved into a small space with quite a few others, it's relatively easy to pick out the ones that are healthy versus the ones that are not. If they are clear, or possibly showing dark spots, then they are healthy shrimp. If they are slightly opaque, then they are on their way out.
They're awesome tankmates. They'll fearlessly go after food and it's fun to watch them "jump" when other fish get too close. Best 30 cents you ever spent on a pet.
Dumb question, but why?Just make sure they are actually ghost shrimp and not a macrobrachium species that's been mislabeled. If they've got long arms, don't buy them.
-Lisa
I just bought out my LFS supply hoping to get a breeding colony going and I noticed a big difference in how some of them look, including longer pincer arms. Do I need to sort them out?
~Kelli
Why not Macrobrachium. Is it aggresive?
Dumb question, but why?
I just bought out my LFS supply hoping to get a breeding colony going and I noticed a big difference in how some of them look, including longer pincer arms. Do I need to sort them out?
~Kelli
Macrobrachium are fun shrimp to keep and beautiful, but they need a species tank. They're incredibly aggressive when they get to full size and will eat anything they can get their claws on. They're able to take out fish (particularly long finned fish), shrimp, snails, and other macro shrimp.Why not Macrobrachium. Is it aggresive?
The difficulty is that when they're small they look an awful lot like ghost shrimp, and they live together in the wild where a lot of ghost shrimp are caught for sale.
Check their claws. If the claws are anything other than tiny pincers on the end of the shrimp's arms then it's better to be safe than sorry. If the claws have any real thickness or size, get them out. This site has a nice picture of a female red claw macro with claws that aren't red. The only readily visible way to see that she's not a ghost shrimp is the thickness and size of the arms and claws. Real ghost shrimp arms and claws are very thing and almost completely transparent (though they sometimes have red markings, just to confuse things further.)
Does it can eat my fish. I mean the smallest fish I have is the platy, about 2 inch. And how large does it grow?
If you bought ghost shrimp in the Philippines, it's hard telling exactly what you've got. What we call ghost shrimp and what you call ghost shrimp are likely two entirely different species. The macrobrachium that I'm talking about can eat fairly large fish; they'll fight and kill bettas, for instance. In general, if an invertebrate has claws, it's going to use them.
the one I saw is machrobium lanchesteri.
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
The Planted Tank Forum
A forum community dedicated to Aquatic tank owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about flora, fauna, health, housing, filters, care, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Top Contributors this Month
View All
Kwyet
131 Replies
Creature From The Tank
69 Replies
Goodwood
47 Replies
Recommended Communities
