# Shrimp Care: Ghost Vs. Amano



## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

I've never kept amanos before so I can't speak exactly to them, however with the cherry shrimp I keep, they need to be fed every couple days not weekly, I actually feed daily because I like to keep a large population. There are ~100 in a 5 gallon and they get 4 mini sinking hikari algae wafers a day. I also feed instead 1 day a week mini sinking bottom feeder pellets (I think hikari as well) to supplement a bit of a meaty diet, though I don't think it's as necessary with amanos and cherry shrimp as it is with ghost.

As to calcium, I have hard water so that's not a concern for me, and within reason they are very hardy as far as water conditions are concerned. That being said, i was also having an issue with my shrimp dying after molting. 1-2 drops per GALLON of iodide, kents same as you have, seems to have helped immensely. I dose with every water change and have seen no issues with that does rate in my community tank or my shrimp tank. I also dose trace, npk iron and 2x recommended dose rate of excel all without issues, so you should do fine with those as well

Good luck


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

Thank you, sounds like they were not being fed enough and possibly the lack of iodide too I appreciate the dose info! 

Amano shrimp being that I never see them (always hiding in the dark cave) will be hard to feed. I will try putting some frozen food at the entrance. That variety pack has Freshwater Frenzy™, Emerald Entree™, Bloodworms, and Spirulina Brine Shrimp...however I can not tell them apart lol I am sure they will eat any of those.


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## Zoidborg (Jan 29, 2014)

I hardly every directly feed my Amano and Cherry Shrimps. They are great foragers finding all the food that drops into crevaices and eap up the algae aswell. They even grab food away from the fishes then scurry away to a spot to eat. I feed all my Fishes/Shrimp/Snails/Frogs New Life Spectrum .5 size pellets and once or twice a week i drop in a Hikari Mini Algae wafer or two. To vary their diet I also feed Hikari Frozen Bloodworms twice weekly.

I Use the entire line of Seachems Dosing Schedule biweekly and the shrimp do fine with them. I do however keep my gh (7-9) and kh (0-2) aswell as weekly water changes.

At first they hid in caves every chance they got. After awhile your Amanos will come out and flourish in the light like mine do. Some even like surfing on leaves and hanging onto my floating plants going for a ride around the tank.


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## dzega (Apr 22, 2013)

amano is the most durable badass shrimp there is. you need to literally pee in the aquarium to kill it. in all other events it will kill you first.


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

Targeted feeding isn't really necessary, they will find the food if you put it in the tank, and surprisingly quickly too also I wouldn't worry too much about over feeding (within reason) they take a while to pick at their food so leave it there until it's gone, if it takes until the next day, skip feeding the next day... They'll be fine and it won't hurt your water equality


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 26, 2012)

I had three amano shrimp for a few years. They seemed to be the most resilient thing in the tank. They were in my 55 gallon aquarium and outlived every fish I've ever had in there. It seems as if two of them have died recently, though. I had noticed one of them turning pinkish, which means they are dying of old age, right? That's what I've heard anyway. So I just have one left and I moved it to a new tank last night (in which process it escaped its acclimation cup by flinging itself 8 feet across the room). So anyway, I've had it for about 3 years and they seem to be super resilient. I never added extra food for them because they were put in an aged tank that had a lot of stuff for them to forage on.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I did notice they are amazing jumpers compared to Ghost shrimp, but I only see 1 at a time since the first night so 2 of them must be hiding in the cave or dead in there lol. I just got my GH/KH kit so I will see where my water is at tonight since nothing else seems to be an issue as far as water chemistry. 

Nobody here uses Iodide or Calcium supplements??


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## 72hondo (Dec 15, 2015)

Didn't you say your water parameters are all zero?? 

0 ammonia 
0 nitrites 
0 nitrates


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

*I found all 3 Amanos out this evening! They were in this back corner where the filter, heater, and other hardware are hidden. There is only one way into this area and once my Betta gets over here the filter stream hits him and he gets claustrophobic and leaves haha. I did see an Amano molt behind the filter then stay hidden there while his shell hardens while the other two graze under it...let the filter do the work and pull all the debris toward it anything that does not make it in falls under the filter.*




















72hondo said:


> Didn't you say your water parameters are all zero??
> 
> 0 ammonia
> 0 nitrites
> 0 nitrates


Correct. My test kit came in today for GH/KH (API) and I tested both my tap water after conditioned with Prime and my tank water. I am not sure if I am suppose to count the first drop in the conversion chart so I have two numbers/range. My conditioned tap reads 35-54ppm GH & 18-36ppm KH, the tank water read 72-90ppm GH & 36-54ppm KH.


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## newbieshrimpkeeper (Dec 2, 2014)

Nice! Amano shrimps are masters of hiding, and they are even better at escaping put 3 in 1 tank and they climbed out and ran away! They can survive on land for a bit of time, but will evnetually dry up, especially in a dry environment like a typical house. They were found soon luckily, and were put back in the tank-with extra security measures. They are can 'run' quite fast on land as well as being ept climbers! They are also quite peaceful, so yeah an awesome shrimp! Thety dont climb out any more though. They are fully established.


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## 72hondo (Dec 15, 2015)

Teebo said:


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If everything is reading Zero, your tank is not cycled. That could be the reason your losing shrimp.*


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I do not think they can clear the gap above my water line but when first introduced they were running into my Betta and jumping out of the water and getting stuck to the side of the dry glass above my water line however they have completely calmed into that back corner and love hiding between the filter and glass since the suction cup gives them just enough clearance. 

I am thinking about moving 1 of my 3 into another tank I have with nothing in it but driftwood that is cycling out its nutrients which creates a ton load of BBA the Amano will eat BBA right?? I also think I should add a Siamese Algae Eater to this tank because they eat BBA as well. 












72hondo said:


> If everything is reading Zero, your tank is not cycled. That could be the reason your losing shrimp.


Of course it is lol my tank is loaded with bacteria and has been cycled for half a year I literally let my tank "stew" with all the dirty filters from the LFS for a month! Ammonia is instantly converted to Nitrite then instantly to Nitrate, and I have a heavy plant load that keeps the Nitrates at 0. Look at it as dialed in and balanced, if my tank was not cycled I would have Ammonia readings and I do not. The used filter cycling may not have been the best idea now that I look back and is probably how I got my infestation of tiny bugs and worms but those are surely eating waste and creating waste themselves which would create Ammonia.


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## 72hondo (Dec 15, 2015)

Teebo said:


> I do not think they can clear the gap above my water line but when first introduced they were running into my Betta and jumping out of the water and getting stuck to the side of the dry glass above my water line however they have completely calmed into that back corner and love hiding between the filter and glass since the suction cup gives them just enough clearance.
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Interesting, it takes a very light bio load, and lots of plants, to pull off all zeros. You must be religious with trimming and substrate vacuuming.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I actually let it go for a long time without vacuuming, none of my plants rot and my only bio-load this whole time has been a single Betta fish that eats all his food. Holding 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite is not hard, if anything it is the nitrate that may be a challenge for some people. My biggest rooting plant at the surface is a bog grass I pulled from a pond myself and the root system is massive I have to continuously trim it back between that and my Peace Lily the roots are always stretching, plus Frogbit loves nutrients as well. I fight myself with other tanks but this one is crazy stable, with that being said I do not see how the Liquid Calcium is going to help since my level on hardness seem fine even the tap water is almost spot on. I am using the Iodide now (1-2 drops per gallon) and a second Amano has now molted, I think with the use of Iodide I may add some Ghost shrimp again and see if they make it...they will clean in the lighted areas that my Amanos do not seem to touch.


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## newbieshrimpkeeper (Dec 2, 2014)

SAE need aquariums of at leaast 20-25 gallons, and prefers quite a bit of cover, and shud be kept in shoals or at least trios. But if thetank is cycled, amans will be fine in that set up, preferably with more shelter and plants.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

SAE? Amanos need 20-25+ ? 

I did notice how the 3 stay together for the most part, I want two more to make 5 and do not want to separate them now that they are used to their new environment plus each other. They will not come out of their back corner though or at least not during the daylight so I am thinking a mix of Ghost shrimp will really help.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

*I added some blanched Zucchini for the snails, the Amanos showed some interest in it as well. Since they have adopted this back corner as a long-term base I do not see them venturing very far into the rest of the tank or at least not very often. This is kind of a good thing as far as feeding, I can target feed right next to my filter...shrimp make a mess they tare the food apart and let pieces go flying so at least this way the filter catches any floating debris!*


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## Tvadna (Jan 17, 2013)

Amano shrimp are very hardy. They're tougher to kill then ghost shrimp and have done just fine with german blue rams for me. I kept the rams in practically 100% RO water for breeding and the Amano shrimp lived for years. As they got older and larger they even would compete with my rams for food, going upside down at feeding time and snatching flakes off the surface. I would be very careful with dosing in a smaller body of water.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

*I went back to my LFS that I found these Amano's at to pickup a few more, they did not have any as I expected but they had another variation that was all but the same thing they said only they were $2.50ea instead of $3.00 *










*Usually the tag says Amano, they have the same body build but seems a tad bit smaller with a blue tint. The dots that are usually red on the sides seem black, they do not seem to have any issues schooling with my Amano's and also break off with their own kind as well. I saw cherry shrimp and similar today at the LFS, they are smaller than Amano shrimp they look useless for eating algae...Amano's really are badass! The other difference I think I can see is the vertical spike on the nose of these Japanese shrimp:*


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## newbieshrimpkeeper (Dec 2, 2014)

Teebo said:


> SAE? Amanos need 20-25+ ?
> 
> I did notice how the 3 stay together for the most part, I want two more to make 5 and do not want to separate them now that they are used to their new environment plus each other. They will not come out of their back corner though or at least not during the daylight so I am thinking a mix of Ghost shrimp will really help.


SAE is Siamese Algae Eater. And amano shrimps dont need 20-25 gallons but SAEs do. Amano shrimp minimum tank size would be like 3 gallons or less. And also I totally agree that amanos are beast algae eaters !! And also, some amanos have blue tints-no idea why.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

What are these SAE look-a-likes I see at every LFS? There are always like 20 of them in a 5 gallon tank?

Not only do these two I bought have a blue tint but look at them side by side, one has two blue dots on its tail and the other has just one red/orange dot. I am thinking these are Amanos, but a different breeder sold them to the store and did not want to use the possibly copyrighted Amano name for some reason or something. Now that there are 5, I see them breaking up a bit and venturing into the light and rest of the tank.


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## newbieshrimpkeeper (Dec 2, 2014)

SAE look alikes? Are those otocinclus? They dont look too similar, but 20 could fit in 5 gallon(I mean PHYSICALLY fit, not properly stocked), unlike 20 SAEs, who would be too active and large for them to even FIT.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

No they are not otocinclus, the tag always just says "Algae Eater" and they look very similar. The black line is thinner along its side, sometimes broken up into circles or dashes.


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## newbieshrimpkeeper (Dec 2, 2014)

Looks like wild type chinese algae eaters.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

*I ended up adding 2 Ghost shrimp to "test my waters" now using iodide since it has been over a month and I have not lost any of my Amano shrimp (although I only count 4 of 5 but can not find an orange carcass). They met and I was a bit worried since the Ghosts I found were enormous, but they did not seem to bother each other. *










*Sadly 2 days later I saw one of them wander out into the open this morning then fall over, as it was turning white. I know they have short lifespans compared to Amanos so maybe I should avoid buying large ones that may be nearing the end of their life. It made for a meal though, I soon found my snails munching on it so I will leave it for a day or two. When it was alive it ate an Amano molt, and I bet the Amanos will now feast on it...ahh the cycle of life haha*


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

So I am a bit sad, I thought I was missing Amano shrimp but never saw a "bright orange" carcass but I found a dead on yesterday and another today...this is a bummer because they did so well. Now I am a bit discouraged, I test my water frequently and never have ammonia or nitrite, even nitrate stays at 0. I had to add something for nitrates because my plants were stunting, so I dropped in 2 single pellets of Osmocote Plus in my HOB. They got my nitrate ppm up to 3 or 4 which I was content with, but they also release other fertilizers as well, I had skipped a week vac/water change because I needed more nitrates but it may have allowed other elements to build up as well...I am trying to find out now if Osmocote Plus contains any metals!

*EDIT: The analysis breakdown shows 0.05% copper I assume in your substrate this is not an issue but in your water column this can be a huge problem! Two healthy ones emerged later this evening and one that was paralyzed I moved to another tank and it is fighting, goes between standing and dangling legs and laying on its side lol if it will molt it may live. Amanos are tough!*


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I picked up some Ghost shrimp and some are all clear/white and some have two red dots on their tail with red bands on their antenna and red dots where their claw meets their arm. Are these _better_ Ghost shrimp than the all clear/white?


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I had two Amano shrimp jump out of a tank and I found them over a foot away on the floor, they have been in the tank for several weeks and there is still one in there. I found them both within an inch of one another, I did a water test and everything is fine. I had been feeding NLS, I coincidentally had a Ghost shrimp die in that tank last night too. Any idea what would make a pair do that?


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## newbieshrimpkeeper (Dec 2, 2014)

If they crawled out their is a high chance that something in the water, or some other livestock has harmed or disrubted the amanos. The betta or the new ghosts might be the problem. I had ghosts&similar shrimps before, and they were fine for a month or so, then they ripped out the belly of a danio. And red dots on the 'ghost' shrimp? That migt not be a ghost shrimp!!! But since the ghost died too, i dont hink thats the prob, probably something in the water that lies udetected??? Amano shrimps are really tough, but like other shrimps, they are on the sensitive side when it comes to water parameters and metals in the water(copper,etc).


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

They are in a basement isolation tank, with nothing but Nerites and Ghost shrimp. 

Yes and that is the Ghost that died, red bands on antenna and red dots where claws meet forearms. Google did show them as a Ghost shrimp though, it wasn't a whisker shrimp. 

My other theory is they grew an appetite, they cleaned all the algae from my tank it is spotless to the point I started feeding them NLS....I wonder if they thought there was another puddle next to my tank full of algae like when I first introduced them to my tank?


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

Amano shrimp in one of my tanks have been hanging by the surface lately off driftwood upside down, it appears they are eating the surface film of protein! Has anyone had this experience? Awesome


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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

IME, if ghost shrimp are turning white and dying, it is iodine they need. I could never keep them for more than a few weeks before I started adding Kent Iodine or Iodide (either is fine). 

I added 1 drop to my 29 gallon tank with water changes, and it made a world of difference. They stopped dying. (They do still turn white sometimes. It means they are getting ready to molt. If they molt successfully, they turn clear again.)

One day I looked at my tank and realized there were babies. Dozens and dozens of babies. Antennae sticking out from behind every leaf. 

Until then, I didn't know ghost shrimp could breed in your tank. I've found them the easiest of all shrimp to breed. Even easier than RCS. As long as they get their iodine.


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

I add 8 drops of Iodide per 10 gallons and I have had one of my ghost shrimp for 2 months now. Success.


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## kinzo (Apr 18, 2013)

Another suggestion is your substrate, it's way too big for shrimp (from my experience). Shrimp are constantly grazing and if your substrate is too big, I've found that all the good stuff slips between the cracks out of their reach. This stuff is really good (and relatively cheap):






It also comes with liquid to balance your tank (so don't rinse it out). I believe the porous material also promotes good bacteria to break down nitrates/nitrites.

I've had RCS's living/breeding for about 2 years straight in a little marina betta tank with this stuff (and some java moss).


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

Good suggestion, I was never able to find the small gravel for my tank nobody local sells it. I like the smaller gravel just for perspective alone, it makes it look better in a small tank.


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## kinzo (Apr 18, 2013)

Good luck, keep us updated! :thumbsup:


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

Teebo said:


> Amano shrimp in one of my tanks have been hanging by the surface lately off driftwood upside down, it appears they are eating the surface film of protein! Has anyone had this experience? Awesome


My cherry shrimp do this.. They ride the water lettuce around and eat all day


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## Teebo (Jul 15, 2015)

Mine are too fat to ride the giant duckweed but they use the driftwood, I also noticed the edges of my floaters are munched on but I think it was dying edges not healthy crispy greens. 

I am having a similar issue I had a while back with a Ghost shrimp developing an obsessive taste for my Bettas tail. I got rid of that shrimp, and I noticed a particular Amano shrimp has done the same. He will come back again and again, and is so strong he can pull my Betta with him as he attempts running away with his tail. The difference this time is I do not see any red in the Amanos stomach the way I did with the Ghost shrimp, I think Amano shrimp have smaller mouths with smaller teeth. I let Amanos land on my hands and go to town around my fingernail edges it feels good haha. I may have to remove this Amano if it continues its harassing behavior.


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## boothie (Dec 20, 2015)

The amanos I have love the Hikari Crab Cuisine sinking sticks. They also ride the duckweed roots, pick off the mopani log. The smaller shrimp (fire red cherries and blue velvets) stick with the substrate mostly, which is the Caribean black Tahitian Moon sand. I've recently come by some Indian Whisker shrimp that are supposed to be as sensitive as the Ghost Shrimp, and they've been doing well - also munching on the Hikari Crab Cuisine. We have super hard water, naturally high in KH, GH and PH (7.5 - 8). I don't know if this is helpful information for you.


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