Ghost shrimps are interesting pets to be kept in the aquarium. People tend to keep them as they are great aquarium cleaners. They are fewer bio-waste producers and have negligible biomass. They have a short lifespan of one year. They can be kept in the fish community but can be consumed by larger fish.
Advisably, 5 ghost shrimp are kept per gallon that is if you keep them without adding other fishes and if the tank is free from rocks, live plant caves, and other decors. In a situation where there are other things that occupy space in the tank, their number tends to reduce.
If 3 to 4 ghost shrimps are recommended to be kept per tank, how many of them are advisable to be in a 10-gallon tank? Some people will be tempted to add about 100 of them to a 10-gallon tank. But the question is how many will be perfect? In this article, we will discuss the perfect number to be in a 10-gallon tank.
How Many Ghost Shrimp Are in a 10-Gallon Tank?
In a 10-gallon tank, the maximum number of ghost shrimp that should be hosted should not exceed 50 though it is a kind of much. Preferably, when hosting them alone in a 10-gallon tank it should be 30 to 40 of them in the tank. This is to avoid overstocking them because if you overstock your tank with lots of them there is a tendency that the environment becomes unhealthy and the water quality will reduce as well. It is also possible they will become aggressive thereby hurting themselves.
Also, note that breeding will eventually occur as long as you host both female and male ghost shrimps in the same tank. when they breed in the same tank there will be issues of overcrowding, so watch out for female ghosts, so you can transfer them from the tank when they have eggs in them
Therefore, you should take note that the number of ghost shrimps that are to be added to a 10-gallon tank depends on some factors such as a community aquarium and a breeding tank.
How Many Ghost Shrimp Can Be Added to Different Types of 10-Gallon Tanks?
In a community tank where there are other fishes, it is advisable to add about 2 to 3 ghost shrimps per gallon to avoid overcrowding that may lead to stress and then shorten your ghost shrimp’s lifespan. Ghost shrimp lives can also be in danger as other fishes will find them to eat as they have great taste.
While 3 to 4 ghost shrimps are a good number to be added to a breeding tank in order not to overcrowd the tank. Too many ghost shrimp can disrupt the health of the ghost shrimp and even lead to death. If there are other fishes in the breed tank, you can reduce the number of ghost shrimp to two or three.
What Are The Effects of the Small Tank for Ghost Shrimps?
When the tank is too small for ghost shrimp to tend to be stressed and this may lead to untimely death. There are other factors that can enhance issues when the tank is too small. Briefly let us discuss them.
– Ammonia
Ghost shrimp and other fishes kept in a tank eat their food and excrete waste like urine and feces in the same tank. This excretion of waste will give rise to excess ammonia which will become harmful to the ghost shrimps and other fishes in the tank. This is why creating enough space for them is not a bad idea.
– Molting
Naturally, ghost shrimp molts, that is they shed off their old shell to develop a new one after some time. During the molting period, they become exposed and vulnerable.
They consume shredded old shells as they gain some nutrients from them. For this process to be successful without issues they require enough space.
– Starvation
Ghost shrimp can starve to death if the tank is small and there are too many other fish in the tank. This is because they tend to compete for leftover food, algae, and plant debris.
Can I Add Live Plants to a 10-Gallon Tank?
Yes. plants like hornwort, java moss, Cabomba, and other plants can be added to the tank. This plant serves as a source of hiding places and areas to explore for them. This plant shed its leaves and the Ghost shrimp find it interesting picking and feeding on the messiest. This also makes it befitting for them to stay.
Below are factors that determine if you can add live plants to a 10-Gallon tank:
Factor 1: Tank Mates of Ghost Shrimps
If you add crayfish, frogs, cichlids, Oscars, turtles, and other aggressive creatures to the tank, be assured that your ghost shrimp’s life is at risk as they can easily be stressed out and also be eaten up by these aggressive animals.
Larger Amanos shrimps, bamboo shrimps, nerite nails, ivory snails, Malaysia snails, red cherry shrimps, mystery trumpet snails, ramshorn snails, and gold Inca nails are good enough to be kept in the same tank with ghost shrimps. Peaceful and calm fish like Otocinclus catfish and cory catfish also known as cory cats can also be tank mates with ghost shrimps.
Factor 2: Water Parameters in Ghost Shrimps Tank
The water temperature in the ghost shrimp tank should not be below 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit though it is acceptable if it is slightly increased. This implies that these creatures can be fine when the water is warmly comfortable. You can only keep other fishes that can adapt to the same water temperature as them.
Acceleration in growth and reproduction rate of ghost shrimps depend on the higher temperature, and their low immunity and the disease of ghost shrimps are a result of low temperature. During cold weather, you can fix a heater to your aquarium tank to keep the water warm for your ghost shrimps.
The pH of the aquarium should suitably be between 7.0 and 8.0. Maintain a neutral alkaline water condition for your ghost shrimps.
It is essential you treat your tank with medicines but know that the presence of copper can endanger the life of your aquarium shrimps, so avoid it with all measures. Also check out for nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia to prevent causing unforeseen harm to your ghost shrimps. – Make sure the water is soft for your ghost shrimps to comfortably stay.
Factor 3: Behavior and Temperatures of Ghost Shrimps
As calm and easygoing creatures ghost shrimps are always at the bottom of the tank either searching for food to consume or hiding from their predators.
Ghost shrimps hide under rocks and other places that serve as hiding at the bottom of the tank during and after molting. They do this to protect themselves from predators and also wait till new shells are developed.
Ghost shrimp will prefer to be alone than to be with other fish. This may be due to the fact that they greatly fear predators.
Conclusion
Ghost shrimps are not to be exposed to stress as they are small and fragile. Overcrowding them in a tank can result in stress and then shorten their lifespan.
30 to 40 ghost shrimp in a 10-gallon tank will be a good idea that is if you host them alone but when adding other unharmful creatures to their tank you can their number to avoid overcrowding which may lead to starvation and even death.
