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Re: Ghost SHrimp ID
>I have also gotten these same shrimp at 8 for $1 and while they do
>eat my algae very well, they always die after a few weeks in my
>tanks, no matter which tank they are in. No one picks on them and
>they really clean up on the algae. I was wondering if very low KH
>and GH might be causing problems with their exoskeleton formation?
If your shrimp are dying immediately after or during a molt, then I
would suspect low calcium. Crustaceans have the ability to conserve
and store calcium, though, so your water would have to be practically
calcium-free for this to occur. Also, many eat their discarded
exoskeletons as a means of reclaiming lost nutrients.
Otherwise, I suspect you may have a brackish/saltwater species,
probably Palaemonetes vulgaris or P. pugio, aka grass shrimp. These
are two common species found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts; one
can literally collect hundreds of these shrimp with a a seine along
any coastal marsh, with little effort.
These shrimp have a high tolerance for fresh water, but cannot survive
there permanently.
Kind regards,
Mark