Ridiculously Tiny Ghost Shrimp!

[OrangeAugust]

I found out that Petsmart gets in their fish and plants on Wednesdays so I went to get a couple of ghost shrimp for my female betta's tank, but they were so little!! They look like insects; that's how small they are. Haha. So I had to buy a separate tank to keep them in until they get bigger. How long will it take tO grow to their adult size? It's so weird- I have natural colored gravel in the bottom and they blend in so well that I had to move my hand along the bottom to get them to move around.

[PaintingPintos]

Originally Posted by OrangeAugust

I found out that Petsmart gets in their fish and plants on Wednesdays so I went to get a couple of ghost shrimp for my female betta's tank, but they were so little!! They look like insects; that's how small they are. Haha. So I had to buy a separate tank to keep them in until they get bigger. How long will it take tO grow to their adult size? It's so weird- I have natural colored gravel in the bottom and they blend in so well that I had to move my hand along the bottom to get them to move around.

How small are they?
Petstore chains like PetSmart are notorious for their poor care of feeder shrimp like Ghost shrimp. Many shrimps labeled "Ghost shrimp" aren't even Ghost shrimp at all....they may look and act like them but they are a completely different species.
I have seen normal Ghosties range from 1/2 inch to 2 1/2 inches....there's nothing wrong with a small shrimp, it might just need some health food and molting.
I can't tell you how long it'll take to grow to the "adult size" because that is normally around 1 inch, but then again some grow huge...
However, your shrimp might already be at the end of its life anyway, pet store shrimp's ages range hugely. They may be a year old by the time you purchase them, but rather stunted and "young" looking.

But if the shrimp turns opaque or white, it's probably going to die....nobody is sure what causes the death, but the shrimp eventually turns completely white.
That's how my Ash went-- he turned white and a week later he molted and he was lying on his back next to his exoskeleton, and even though I put a pellet on his mouth, he was too weak to eat it.
He died.

Anyway, good luck with your little shrimpies.
I love Ghost shrimp with a burning passion, I'm all ears to questions about them!!

[OrangeAugust]

Sorry to hear about Ash.

The smallest of the 3 that I got is the size of my fingernail. one is slightly larger, and the largest is about a little less than an inch. I can't put them with my betta yet. She's small but The shrimp are so small she still might eat them.