Ghost shrimp are low maintenance.Translucency is their most recognized trait.You just need to make sure the water's temperature, chemical, pH, and oxygen levels are within a healthy range.They only live for a year, so it's easy to establish a long-term colony.
Step 1: Shrimp can be kept in a 19 to 38 L aquarium.
Pick a tank no bigger than 19 liters for your pets.If you're raising a lot of shrimp, a larger tank is better.The tank should hold 1 gallon of water for every 10 ghost shrimp.You can buy tanks for aquatic pets online or at a pet store.There is a tank with a secure lid.The ghost shrimp can jump out of the water.Shrimp don't do well with most fish species, so keep that in mind if you want to add shrimp to your aquarium.Unless you are raising the shrimp to feed your fish, keep them in a tank with other shrimp, snails, and docile fish.
Step 2: Use a covered intake or install a sponge filter.
A filter is necessary for a healthy aquarium even though ghost shrimp do most of the cleaning.The risk of sucking up shrimp is mitigated by using an internal sponge filter for a smaller tank.A sponge cover over the intake is what you should use for a larger tank.Shrimp will not get sucked into the filter.If you go with an external filter for a larger tank, choose one that can change the amount of water in your tank per hour.Ask an employee at the pet store for recommendations if you're not sure which product to buy.
Step 3: Oxygen can be added to the water with an air pump.
You can find an additional air pump online or at pet stores.Ghost shrimp need high levels of oxygen in order to live.Oxygenate the water by keeping live plants in the tank.
Step 4: Line the tank with sand and gravel.
Purchase aquarium gravel and sand at a pet store.Before adding it to the tank, place the sand and gravel in a sieve and rinse it under running water.Add sand or gravel to the bottom of the tank.Before lining the tank, be sure to rinse away any pollutants that may be present.To avoid damaging the glass, gently add the gravel to the tank.
Step 5: There are hiding spots for aquatic plants.
Live plants will add aesthetic appeal to your aquarium.Purchase aquatic plants at the pet store, and ask a store employee for help choosing species that are safe for shrimp.You could put a cave in your aquarium.Moss can be added to the tank.Moss provides food for your shrimp.
Step 6: The temperature in the tank should be around 75 F.
Ghost shrimp can tolerate water temperatures between 65 and 85 F (18 and 29C), but they do best in water that's between 75 and 24 C.To maintain this temperature, purchase an aquarium heater and monitor the tank's temperature with a thermometer.Look online or at your local pet store for an aquarium heater.The size of your tank is important.A 50 watt heater is the best for a 10 gallon tank.The calculator can be used to determine the wattage for other sizes.
Step 7: The tank can be cycled.
Add some fish food or store-bought ammonia to the tank after filling it with warm tap water.After 3 to 4 days, check the ammonia level in the tank using aquarium water test strips.The ammonia level should be between 2 and 4 parts per million.After 1 to 2 weeks, test for nitrites.After a few days, look for a drop in nitrite levels.nitrate levels should increase when nitrite levels go down.Ammonia and nitrite levels should be stable after 2 to 8 weeks.The tank encourages growth of healthybacteria.They are toxic to ghost shrimp and other aquatic pets.
Step 8: The water and shrimp should be placed in a bowl.
When you are ready to introduce the shrimp to their new home, open the travel bag or container provided by the pet store.The shrimp and water should be poured into a fishbowl or bucket.It should only be half full after adding the water and shrimp.If you want to add more water, choose a large bowl.
Step 9: The water comes into the bowl from the tank.
Next to the tank, place the bowl with the shrimp.You can twist a rubber band around the other end of the flexible tube.Put the rubber band over the bowl with the shrimp and let the water trickle into it.The tube from the tank will be sucked into the bowl.If necessary, tighten the rubber band to slow the water flow.Allow water to trickle into the bowl for 30 minutes to acclimatize the shrimp to their new water's chemistry.
Step 10: The shrimp should be transferred to the tank with a soft mesh net.
After 30 minutes of acclimating the shrimp, gently scoop up a few of them with a soft mesh net.Take the shrimp out of the bowl and transfer them to the tank.If you're adding shrimp to an existing aquarium, don't just dump the water from the bowl into your tank.The water from the pet store may have parasites in it.
Step 11: Offer store-bought food.
Ghost shrimp are not picky eaters.You can buy store-bought shrimp pellets at pet stores.You can give your pets small amounts of vegetables that have been boiled.Ghost shrimp will eat waste in the tank.
Step 12: Twice a day, give your ghost shrimp a small amount of food.
You don't need to give your shrimp a lot of food.A day's supply of about 1 to 2 pea-sized amounts of vegetable matter or store-bought shrimp pellets can sustain 5 or 6 adult shrimp.Check the instructions for the recommended amount to feed your pets if you feed store-bought pellets.As they eat, watch your shrimp.You will be able to see food in their system since their bodies are translucent.
Step 13: Change something.
About 30% of the tank's water can be removed with a flexible tube.Don't suck up your shrimp with the siphon.Add clean tap water to the tank.The water temperature should be around 75 F.If you only keep shrimp in the tank, you don't need to do a lot of maintenance.If there are larger fish in the tank, periodically remove waste with a vacuum or brush.The tap water should be tested before you add it to the tank.It should be free of heavy metals and chlorine.You can buy a dechlorinator at the pet store if you need to treat your water.
Step 14: For tank mates, choose other shrimp species, snails or small fish.
Other species of freshwater shrimp and non- aggressive aquatic animals, such as snails, live with ghost shrimp.Most fish that are larger than ghost shrimp are not suitable tank mates.The catfish may get along with your shrimp.Unless you are using your shrimp as food, you should definitely avoid oscars, arowanas, cichlids and angelfish.If you want to add shrimp to your aquarium and don't care if some get eaten, add at least 20 to the tank.The shrimp will be more resistant if their numbers increase.Establish a colony in a separate tank to replenish the population in the main aquarium if you are using the shrimp as food.
Step 15: The water needs to be tested.
You can find aquarium water test kits at the pet store.Your tank's water should be tested every 3 to 4 weeks to make sure the pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are within ideal ranges.The water should be neutral.An aquarium tank amendment can be purchased at the pet store.The water should be treated according to the instructions.If the ammonia or nitrite levels are over 0 ppm, do a 30% water change, remove any visible waste, and consider applying ammonia drops to the water.If you have a friend who owns a healthy aquarium, you could add gravel from their tank to yours.