Ghost Shrimp
Palaemonetes paludosus
Palaemonidae
About
The ghost shrimp is a cheap, hardy, near-transparent North American freshwater shrimp widely sold as both a cleanup crew and a feeder animal. Larger and less colourful than Neocaridina, it is a tireless peaceful scavenger that patrols the bottom for detritus, biofilm and leftover food. It tolerates a wide range of temperature, pH and hardness, making it one of the most forgiving inverts for beginners, though it remains fatally sensitive to copper and needs stable hardness to molt successfully.
Care
Keep a small colony in a stable, mature planted tank with gentle flow, plenty of cover and steady GH for clean molts. Very hardy and beginner-friendly, but highly copper-sensitive and best housed with peaceful, non-predatory tankmates.
Diet
Omnivorous scavenger grazing biofilm, algae, detritus and leaf litter; readily accepts sinking pellets, flakes and blanched vegetables. May pick at tiny weak fry, so pair with adult fish.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (49)
Possible with care (163)
Avoid (59)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
What works for this species, most reliable first.
- Saddle and berryStrong · at 12–18 mm body length — under 10 mm nothing shows
The ovaries show through the shell behind the head as a pale yellow or green patch shaped like a saddle. Those are unfertilised eggs, and their appearance is what tells you she is mature. Once she is carrying, they move under the tail and are fanned by her swimmerets.
Also in these lists
Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Ghost Shrimp need?
- A Ghost Shrimp needs an aquarium of at least 40 litres (10.6 US gallons) with a footprint at least 45 cm (17.7 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Ghost Shrimp need?
- Ghost Shrimp does best at 18–28 °C (64.4–82.4 °F), pH 6.5–8 and a general hardness of 3–15 °dGH.
- What group size does a Ghost Shrimp need?
- Ghost Shrimp is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Ghost Shrimp suitable for beginners?
- Yes — Ghost Shrimp is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.