Ghost Shrimp
Palaemonetes paludosus
Min Tank Size
38L
Adult Size
4.4 cm
Lifespan
1 year
School Size
5+
About
Ghost shrimp are native to freshwater streams, ponds, and slow-moving waterways of the southeastern United States. Their claim to fame is obvious the moment you drop one in a tank: they're almost entirely transparent, and you can watch their internal organs working in real time, which is genuinely fascinating even after years of keeping them. They stay small, rarely exceeding 4 to 5 centimeters, and they're nearly always in motion, constantly picking at surfaces, substrate, and any available debris.
They prefer slightly alkaline, neutral to moderately hard water and are more tolerant of a wide parameter range than most delicate shrimp species. That flexibility is a big part of why beginners do well with them. They don't need a specialized setup, and a basic sponge filter in a planted tank gives them everything they need. Temperature-wise, they handle cooler water better than most tropical species, which makes them useful in unheated or lightly heated setups during mild weather.
In terms of diet, they're opportunistic scavengers. Leftover fish food, biofilm, soft algae, decomposing plant matter, and occasional protein-based sinks like small shrimp pellets all get consumed eagerly. They're not picky, and that scavenging habit makes them a legitimate contributor to tank cleanliness. Don't expect them to erase all your algae or devour uneaten food before it rots, but they help.
One thing to keep in mind: they're commonly sold as feeder shrimp, and the bags at fish stores sometimes contain mixed species. If you're keeping them for the display tank rather than as live food, it's worth inspecting what you're buying. Check out real community tank builds featuring ghost shrimp to see how they look and behave alongside fish.
Water Parameters
Temperature
°CpH
GH
dGHKH
dKHSwimming Level
Flow Preference
Keeping multiple Ghost Shrimp together
Ghost Shrimp are shoaling fish and need company of their own kind. Keep a group of at least 5. Smaller groups leave them stressed, washed-out in color, and prone to hiding.
Compatibility
Ghost shrimp do best with small, peaceful fish that won't view them as snacks. Small tetras, rasboras, pygmy corydoras, otocinclus, and similarly sized species work well. Avoid anything with a predatory streak or a mouth wider than the shrimp's body, which rules out most cichlids, bettas, larger gouramis, and really any fish above 5 to 6 centimeters that has shown interest in hunting. They coexist fine with snails and other small shrimp species like cherry shrimp. Dense planting gives them hiding spots and dramatically improves survival in mixed tanks.
Commonly kept with
Species this one is most often paired withCommonly tried but avoid
Often paired, but shouldn't beCare Notes
The biggest mistake newcomers make is adding ghost shrimp to a tank with fish that promptly eat every last one overnight. The second biggest is not realizing how short their lifespan actually is. A year is typical, and even healthy, well-fed shrimp kept in perfect conditions rarely push past 18 months. So don't panic if you lose a few seemingly without cause. Copper is the silent killer here, present in some plant fertilizers and many fish medications, and it wipes out shrimp fast. Always check labels before dosing any tank that houses invertebrates.
Behavior & Aggression
Ghost shrimp aren't aggressive toward anything in a meaningful sense. They may occasionally squabble briefly over a piece of food, but there's no sustained territorial behavior and no real threat to tankmates. The more relevant concern runs in the opposite direction: ghost shrimp are so small and defenseless that a wide range of fish will actively hunt them. Any fish with a mouth large enough to fit the shrimp whole will eventually try. When kept with appropriate tankmates they spend their time foraging peacefully with no issues.
Things to Know
- Very short lifespan, roughly 1 year even with excellent care.
- Often sold as feeders, mixed species may be included in the bag.
- Will be eaten by most fish larger than 5cm, choose tankmates carefully.
- Copper in medications or fertilizers is lethal to shrimp.
- Often misidentified, may include aggressive 'whisker shrimp'.
Community Sightings
No builds featuring this species yet.
Be the first to feature Ghost Shrimp in your build →Discover Tanks
Explore more builds from the community.
Explore More Species
More species to discover.
