# Ghost shrimp and tank size



## tomztinywetone (May 4, 2013)

I started the hobby with a 20 gal extra tall tank. Got it super cheap so i set it up. Everything growing fast and fish fine and i bought some ghost shrimp. Fun to watch and they would show up in the tank once in a while., A month later i got a 15 gal tank with a real sweet wood stand so i switched to that tank. I'm so glad i did. It just looks so much more pleasing to my eye. That's just me and my taste. Now to the point. The substrate in the new tank is Floramax with a layer of black sand. Now, the shrimp are active all the time. Climbing up the glass, back and forth in the sand, it's like they got a new lease on life. Could it be the sand is the difference. The other change i made is the lights. Because the height is almost half, i removed the LED's and replaced them with two 13 watt cfl's. My theory is that i have to acclimate the plants to the new light and i don't want an algae bloom. So was it the light or the substrate change that brought the shrimp to become so active?


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## Big Dog (May 17, 2010)

If you do not have fish in this tank. That would be the reason you are seeing them more. There is no one to eat them.


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## tomztinywetone (May 4, 2013)

I have fish, neon tetras, fancy tail guppies and a platty. These shrimp go up and down the glass with the fish and come to the top when i feed the fish. Never did that in the other tank. I'm beginning to believe they like sand more than gravel.


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## nate2005 (Apr 24, 2013)

Could be the older of the two tanks didn't have ideal ammonia nitrite nitrate conditions and with the switch to the new tank (and probably new water?) its better for all of them(like a water change). 

good to hear they like their new home better!


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Ghost shrimp are highly effected by ammonia levels...more so than fish. The light is also a (imo) slight possibility for the change.
One thing most people overlook in this case is that critters travel more when food is scarce. Well established tanks have a lot more algae(provided you
are not using a chemical to keep it out)than most people realize as most of it stays small enough to not be noticed as readily as you would think.
This is their primary food supply and a new tank has hardly any of it. As the tank matures they will slow down(some) but water conditions are a
serious hindrance to their desire to travel around and find food.
AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor
This will give you an idea as to your stocking level and suggested water change schedule for that stocking level. The Ghost shrimp would like some moss to eat also.
Christmas type grows slower than Java and therefor is less likely to get out of hand or at least as fast as Java moss.
They will slow a bit as the tank matures but good water quality is my guess as to what is needed primarily.


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