Ghost Shrimps Just Die

[justintoxicated]

I don't knwo how long they are supposed to live but it seems that a while after they are carrying young maybe a month or so, they will slowly turn cloudy then just die. I'm not sure what is cauing it but I have lost 2 over the past 4 months, no big deal, but I have a new Flower shrimp and I don't want it to happen to him/her. The other ghost shrimps in the tank seem fine though and are very clear and still growing.

[echoofformless]

Ghost shrimp are bred and sold by the millions and sell for less than a dollar because of it. One should expect to lose them as much as keep them.

The flower/bamboo shrimp on the other hand is a more serious, more hardy character. He or she should do well so long as the conditions meet their needs. Mine just molted in fact; looking swell in his new shell.

[justintoxicated]

Whew Thanks, I love my flowershrimp, I dunno if I got ripped off but he is msall and I paid $6 for him, the owner of a LFS showed me a grown one an dit was about 3 inches and very beautiful. I hope mine changes colors like his.

I was getting the ghost shrimps as feeders for my newts until I setup a fish tank and rescued them. When they would die in the newts tanks as food I woud just shrug but now that they are pets I wanted to know why this would happen from time to time.

Glad to hear I don't have to worry too much then, I'll jsut pickup another for 10 cents, or maybe i'll pick one of 10 and give them rest of them to my newts lol.

[Siklid]

I don't knwo how long they are supposed to live but it seems that a while after they are carrying young maybe a month or so, they will slowly turn cloudy then just die. I'm not sure what is cauing it but I have lost 2 over the past 4 months, no big deal, but I have a new Flower shrimp and I don't want it to happen to him/her. The other ghost shrimps in the tank seem fine though and are very clear and still growing.


could it have been molting ???

i have ghost shrimp going on 5 months and two tank changes and have lost only one out of 5

[echoofformless]

6 bucks is actually a great price for a flower shrimp. I paid twice that much.

Try to give the guy a good current. They like to scavenge the bottom but spend the most time fanning the water column for tasty bits.

[justintoxicated]

Nope Not molting, they have done this several times, I can tell before they are going to die because they become cloudy, but not like they are going to molt...

There is a perfect current form my canister (From strong at the top, bounced off the glass toward the bottme right where the little flower likes to hide under/on the driftwood) quite interesting watching them eat. I did notice 2 of his hands are smaller than the other 2, perhaps he had a ruff start at the LFS, but he seems to be eating and pooping a ton!


hmm I just checked on him and I have never sceen him do this but he is poking out of the tank water hanging on my heaters power cord wth...

[echoofformless]

Hmm, make sure that tank is well covered then. Many inverts are escape artists but aren't slick enough to find their way back in before dying.


And oh yeah, they do poop some serious sh..... don't they?

[graphicdesign_r]

If ghost shrimp keep dying on you there is a reason. I never really lose them much except when they are eaten by other fish or inverts.

They are really susceptible to pollutants, heavy metals (copper is a problematic metal if you have very hard water), and nitrate & ammonia.

If your shrimp are dying en masse, I would make sure there's not a water issue before adding expensive inverts.

[justintoxicated]

If ghost shrimp keep dying on you there is a reason. I never really lose them much except when they are eaten by other fish or inverts.

They are really susceptible to pollutants, heavy metals (copper is a problematic metal if you have very hard water), and nitrate & ammonia.

If your shrimp are dying en masse, I would make sure there's not a water issue before adding expensive inverts.

Well 2 of them have died over 4-5 months, 1 mystery snail as well that was sick. All other snails and shrimp are very healthy, But I would imagine that eventually these remainin ghost shrimp will turn clowdy eventualy and die as well. What is their life expectancy? I don't know how I would go about testing for copper though.

[carttman]

I read somewhere on the Internet that ghost shrimp do better in a brackish water environment. Or you could just add a little aquarium salt to your freshwater set up to help them live longer. I have not done this because I thought the stall would harm my fish. Is there any truth to this?

[justintoxicated]

Interesting I'm actualy setting up a brackish water tank and there is a ghost shrimp in there. He is doing great and molted after I upped the salt level.

[graphicdesign_r]

Two for 4-5 months isn't that bad... Ghost shrimp aren't known for longevity. I thought you were experiencing higher mortality.