Sea Life

How Many Ghost Shrimp Per Gallon?

how many ghost shrimp per gallon

The number of ghost shrimps you can add in a one gallon tank can range up to “five”. This means that the number will increase or decrease according to five ghost shrimp per gallon tank. The tank that has two gallons of water can contain almost ten ghost shrimps and a three gallon tank can contain fifteen ghost shrimps and so on. But, this is not the precise number of ghost shrimps that should be added in the tank. The number can vary according to the tank condition as well as the presence of other fish and aquatic animals in the tank.

Factors that Affect the Number of Ghost Shrimps Per Gallon Tank

There is a misconception that ghost shrimps eat and rely on plants so adding more plants can keep them healthy but in reality they only eat dead and decaying plants. So, adding a lot of plants in the aquarium can only make the tank congested for them. It is recommended to keep a smaller number of ghost shrimps in the tank that contains a lot of plants i.e. three to four per gallon tank.

Similarly, the presence of large fish can also make the environment congested for the ghost shrimps. So, it is recommended to keep the ghost shrimp in at least five to ten gallons of water so that they can survive comfortably. Large fish like goldfish and angelfish not only make the place congested for the ghost shrimps but these fish also prey on ghost shrimps. Moreover, even adding friendly fish in the tank but in larger numbers makes the environment congested.

Which Fish Can Live With Ghost Shrimps and Which Do Not?

The fish that can live peacefully with the existence of the ghost shrimps include guppies, ember tetras, otocinclus catfish, hatchetfish and zebra loaches. You can add these fish in an aquarium that contains the ghost shrimps. While on the other hand, there are also some fish that cannot live peacefully with ghost shrimp and probably prey on them. These fish include angelfish, goldfish, betta fish, cichlids and discus. These fish can never be kept in the aquarium where you keep the ghost shrimps.

It is recommended to add more plants in the aquarium in case that you have both the large fish and the ghost shrimps so that the ghost shrimps can hide themselves in the plants but it is a risk to add both the creatures in a single tank so, you should try to keep them separate. 

Benefits of Adding Ghost Shrimps in the Tank

You might think why is it necessary to keep ghost shrimps in a water tank and why do people keep them as their pets. There are many benefits that ghost shrimps provide. Let’s discuss some most common benefits that ghost shrimps provide:

  •  The dead and decaying plants can be harmful to the fish and the aquatic animals. Ghost shrimps eat dead and decaying plants.
  • Moreover, the presence of algae reduces the levels of oxygen when it exceeds a certain amount. The ghost shrimps eat all kinds of algae keeping the water clean. In fact, algae is said to be the favourite food for the ghost shrimps.
  • The uneaten food left at the bottom can also make the aquatic creatures sick when left for a longer period of time. The ghost shrimps also eat the leftover food that stays at the bottom of the tank.

The Bottom Line 

The number of the ghost shrimps that can be added per gallon water tank can range up to five. But, the number can vary according to the condition of the water tank and the presence of the other creatures in their environment. The presence of a lot of plants and large fish makes the environment congested for the ghost shrimps and it is recommended to decrease their number per gallon tank in such cases.

About the author

Hadia Atiq

A Writer passionate about learning and spreading the knowledge of sea life. I like to spread the knowledge of different types and species of fish and other aquatic creatures.