El ghost shrimp, also known as crystal shrimp, inhabit the bottoms of rivers with highly oxygenated waters, but mainly found in the vegetation that grows on the banks of streams. These invertebrates are native to Asia and those coastal areas where they are raised for gastronomic purposes.
Ghost shrimp, or crystal shrimp, They have a cylindrical body a little curved downwards, like any other animal belonging to the order of the decapodas. As their name indicates, they are almost transparent, but this characteristic depends mainly on the type of food they have and the quality of the water, since they can turn brown, green and even blue.
They can reach between 5 and 10 centimeters in length and have a life expectancy of up to two years, more or less, depending on the conditions in which we have them. It is important to note that the water temperature Where these animals live, it must be between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius, have a pH between 6,5 and 7,5, and a hardness between 7 and 15.
With regards to eatingCrystal shrimp are not excessively demanding with food, so they can easily take the food that is given to the fish, whether in flakes, bottom tablets or porridges or similar foods. These animals have an excellent sense of smell so they will detect food immediately, being the first to approach the food.
It is important to note that these shrimp can feed on fry and larvae of some fish, and even if we try to separate the fry in a kind of farrowing pen, the shrimp will find a way to enter it and eat them, so it is important to separate the shrimp directly in another aquarium.
Where do I buy them?