Bumblebee Shrimp Question

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 8:06 am

Hi,

I found your forum the other day when I was trying to locate Ghost Shrimp for some of my tanks.

I belong to a Fish Forum and many of the members have them and say they are delightful.

I have a couple of questions that I hope you can help me with.

I can't find any Ghost Shrimp where I live, but my LFS called me this morning and asked me if I wanted Bumblebee Shrimp instead.
My plan is to put the shrimp in with my tiny African Dwarf Frogs (10 gallon), in another tank with Corydoras (20 gal) and in an empty 6 gallon that I have.

Would they be aggressive toward my frogs? How many, if they are suitable for my tanks, would I put in each tank?

I was told that Ghost Shrimp are a freebie on the bioload and also do not have to be quarantined because they don't transmit diseases to fish.
I'm wondering if this info is accurate and does it apply to Bumblebees as well?

I'm reading the forum, but would really appreciate any input from the members. I want the shrimp to have a great home and everyone to coexist peacefully.

Thanks very much!

Dee

Post by **Mustafa** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 9:18 am

Hi Dee,

The bumblebee shrimp are not aggressive at all toward any other aquatic animals really. The problem will be more that your african dwarf frogs might try to eat some smaller shrimp or shrimp hatchlings (if the shrimp start breeding). The cories will be fine with the shrimp, too.

As to them being a "freebie" on the bioload, I can't agree with that. They definitely are not as big of a bioload as fish, but they do have a digestive system (i.e. they eat and defecate) and that causes a bioload, especially if your shrimp population increases.

I am also not aware that shrimp transmit any diseases to fish, but there definitely are shrimp diseases that affect other shrimp.

I would start with about 10 shrimp in at least a 10 gallon tank. Bumblebee shrimp are very sensitive to water quality (as are most shrimp) so make sure that you keep your water parameters in top shape.

Take care,
Mustafa

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 10:34 am

Hi Mustafa!

Thanks so much for the help.

I ordered them before I saw your reply and only got 15. Maybe I should call back and get more.

I can skip putting them in the ADF tank if that's a problem. My frogs are about 1" in size and won't get much larger.

I'm really on top of my water params and I do have a great PH for them, so I think they'll do well.

They should be here on Thurs or Friday!

Thanks again.

Dee

cro117 · Post by **cro117** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 11:39 am

bumblebee shrimp in your lfs instead of ghosts. you must live in a magical fantasy land where money grows on trees and it rains candy all year round. wish i lived there.

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 12:46 pm

bumblebee shrimp in your lfs instead of ghosts. you must live in a magical fantasy land where money grows on trees and it rains candy all year round. wish i lived there.

I know the felling.

TKD

honeyrobber · Post by **honeyrobber** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 1:01 pm

Our local LFS does not carry ghost shrimp. Yet they can not order anything but ghost right now. I guess there are different areas in which the fish come from different wholesalers. Everything around here comes from Atlanta.

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 1:19 pm

TKD,

I hear from people on my Fish Forum that the prices in BC for these shrimp are very high.
One of the members paid $7.00 Canadian for a GS, so I can imagine what the others run.

Honeyrobber & cro117,

I paid $1.25 for the Bumblebees. I'm not familiar with any of this, so I have no idea what the prices are in other parts of the country.

I was just speaking with someone from the environmental dept and they said that in the spring you can go to one of the bays around here and just put your net in the water and get 50+ GS in less than 15 min.

Dee

Veneer · Post by **Veneer** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 1:30 pm

Dee wrote:TKD,

I was just speaking with someone from the environmental dept and they said that in the spring you can go to one of the bays around here and just put your net in the water and get 50+ GS in less than 15 min.

Dee

Those would be estuarine palaemonid shrimp; they, unlike true "ghost shrimp" - generally either Palaemonetes paludosus or P. kakadiensis - require brackish salinity and, though it is possible that they could be acclimated to full freshwater, will never thrive under such conditions.

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 1:44 pm

Yes, he did say the water was brackish and they wouldn't be able to be kept in freshwater. Sorry, I should have mentioned that.

Dee

Post by **Mustafa** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 4:01 pm

Dee wrote:TKD,

I hear from people on my Fish Forum that the prices in BC for these shrimp are very high.
One of the members paid $7.00 Canadian for a GS, so I can imagine what the others run.

Hi Dee,

What you guys call "Ghost Shrimp" in Canada are probably not Palaemonetes paludosus (or P. kadiakensis) from the US. Your "ghost" shrimp are probably some type of Palaemonid shrimp imported from Southeast Asia. If you can find a picture of the "candadian ghost shrimp" please let me know. I do not think that anyone exports our Palaemonetes species to Canada.

Take care,
Mustafa

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 6:08 pm

Hi,

I did buy Ghost Shrimp and Amanos along time ago and I'm sure that they were not 7$ (Would not have bought them)

The closets shrimp that sell for that price are the Amanos at 6$. (Today's price)

The pet store that has shrimp (Red nose, Chameleon shrimp and Rainbow) sell them for 15$ each....
I will not buy a shrimp at that price or for anything more then 6 or 7$

TKD

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 6:12 am

If you can find a picture of the "candadian ghost shrimp" please let me know. I do not think that anyone exports our Palaemonetes species to Canada.

Hi Mustafa,

I'm in the states, but I'll see if any of the Canadian members will give me a pic of their Ghost Shrimp and I'll post it here for you.

TKD,

This was in Vancouver and the woman paid "upwards of $7.00" for a GS.

I don't know a thing about shrimp or the prices. The Bumblebess will be my first.

I was just amazed at the difference in the prices here and in Canada.

Dee

51Cornell · Post by **51Cornell** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 6:03 pm

Well, I'm in California and have paid from $5-7 (US) per ghost just to make sure the shrimp were indeed fully freshwater (and tank raised) gs. So many people/places will sell you gs assuring you that they will be fine in freshwater and the shrimp die immediately because they are not freshwater shrimp. Of course, a good percentage of ghost shrimps old are sold as "feeders" rather than pets so the sellers assume it's not necessary for the shrimp to live very long.

Ecir · Post by **Ecir** » Wed May 10, 2006 4:12 pm

From the great white north(Canada) I bring you Ghosties!

Picked these up at petsmart for .89$ each and they were labeled as Ghost Shrimp.

Edit - Just thought I'd mention that they're thriving in a freshwater tank

Ecir

Shrimp&Snails · Post by **Shrimp&Snails** » Wed May 10, 2006 4:46 pm

Very nice pics......I need a new camera.