GHOST SHRIMP...

My newest aquatic creatures are ghost shrimp. They are incredible little animals. Totally clear, so you can watch everything that happens inside of them. Mine are even breeding- I have two little ghost shrimp napuli in the tank with more on the way, attached to mom's tail fins! Here's some general care info:

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Palaeomonetes kadakensis or P. paludosus COMMON NAME: Ghost Shrimp, Glass Shrimp, Grass Shrimp WATER TYPE: Freshwater SIZE: Up to 1" SEXING: Mature females will have eggs or maybe napuli attached to their abdomen, under their tail. USES: Mainly as feeders, some people (myself included) keep them for their novelty and scavenging ability. WHY FEEDERS? Soft, easily digested shells, good to "gut load" as they will most eat fish foods. Inexpensive (10 or 12 for a dollar in many places). Small pinchers, probably couldn't hurt any but the smallest fishes, fry, etc. CAUTIONS: I have seen first hand several ghost shrimp with some sort of internal worm. Similar to black worms, but white and WAY longer (~3 inches). I have yet to identify these worms, however, I would not chance them with MY fish. Make sure any shrimp you use as feeders or in any tank containing fish are totally clear- no white "thread" wrapped around their body cavity. The little black mass just behind their eyes is normal- it's their organs. FEEDING: As mentioned above, they will eat most fish foods. Flakes, pellets, tablets, and even algae and dead creatures. HOUSING: I keep some shrimp in my planted tank, but I also have a 2.5 gallon tank with plastic plants and 5 ghost shrimp. It has a small filter- you could probably add a betta to this and it would look rather nice. Treat them like fish- clean water, partial changes every few weeks, and good food. LIFESPAN: A few months at most. BACK