Ghost Shrimp Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

Ghost Shrimp, Palaemonetes paludosus, are small, transparent freshwater crustaceans with slender bodies, long antennae and delicate walking legs. Their glass-like appearance makes the internal organs and digestive tract visible, although individuals may show subtle grey, brown or green tones depending on their surroundings and diet.

These active scavengers spend much of their time exploring the substrate, plants and hardscape with their constantly moving appendages. They are generally peaceful and fascinating to watch, particularly when they sift through surfaces for tiny particles or rapidly swim backwards when startled.

In nature, Ghost Shrimp inhabit quiet or gently flowing waters rich in leaf litter, submerged vegetation and organic debris. Their transparent bodies provide camouflage among plants and detritus, helping them avoid larger predators while they search for microscopic food and decaying material.

The name Ghost Shrimp is also used in the aquarium trade for several unrelated glass shrimp, some of which are larger, more aggressive or suited to different water conditions. Genuine Palaemonetes paludosus are North American freshwater shrimp and are best identified by a reputable scientific name rather than by the common name alone.

Ghost Shrimp are native to freshwater habitats across the eastern and southeastern United States, particularly the slow-moving rivers, ponds, marshes and vegetated backwaters of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal regions of North America.

A minimum aquarium of around 20 litres is suitable for a small group, with a footprint of approximately 45 × 25 cm providing useful floor space. Use a mature, stable aquarium with gentle filtration and a secure intake guard so shrimp and young larvae are not drawn into the filter. Fine sand or smooth small gravel, mosses, floating plants, broad-leaved vegetation, driftwood and rounded rocks create grazing areas and hiding places, while leaf litter can provide additional natural food. Avoid copper-based medications, which are highly toxic to shrimp.

Adult Ghost Shrimp reach up to about 5 cm (2 in) in total length. Females are usually larger and deeper-bodied than males, while males commonly remain closer to 3.5–4 cm (1.4–1.6 in).

Ghost Shrimp are opportunistic omnivores and scavengers. They graze on algae, biofilm, microorganisms, soft plant matter and decaying organic material, while also accepting sinking shrimp pellets, algae wafers, flakes and blanched vegetables. Their diet should include a suitable source of minerals, particularly calcium, to support healthy moulting, and uneaten food should not be allowed to accumulate.

Ghost Shrimp do well with peaceful, small community species such as ember tetras, neon tetras, small rasboras, endlers, otocinclus and small Corydoras. They may also be kept with snails and other peaceful dwarf shrimp, although competition for food can occur. Most fish will eat baby shrimp, and larger or predatory species such as cichlids, gouramis, bettas, larger barbs, loaches and many catfish may kill or consume adults, especially during moulting.

Ghost Shrimp carry their eggs beneath the abdomen, where the female fans and cleans them until they hatch. In mature freshwater aquariums, breeding can occur when males fertilise the eggs after a female moults. The tiny larvae are free-swimming and require very fine suspended foods, such as infusoria or specialist larval feeds, before gradually developing into miniature shrimp. Raising the larvae is difficult because they are easily filtered out or starved, so successful breeding is less common in community aquariums than egg-carrying females might suggest.

Females are generally larger, broader through the abdomen and may be recognised by a visible cluster of eggs beneath the body when carrying a brood. Males are slimmer and smaller, with a narrower abdomen and less pronounced body shape.