shrimp · freshwater

Ghost Shrimp: adult size, tank size & tankmates

The Ghost Shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus) grows to about 2 in (5 cm TL). It needs a tank at least about 10 gallons. Keep at least 6 together, at 72–82°F.

Try it in the tank builder See tankmates

How big it really gets

Drawn to scale against common tank lengths. Green bars meet the minimum tank length from our sources.

Will it fit your tank?

Your tank

Check a full stocking list →

Quick facts

Adult size: 2 in (5 cm TL)
Minimum tank: about 10 gallons
Temperature: 72–82°F
pH: 7–8
Hardness: not stated
Group size: 6+
With other fish: peaceful
With its own kind: peaceful
Swims: bottom of the tank
Diet: omnivore
Care level: beginner
Lifespan: 1 years

Watch for: nips fins · may eat baby shrimp

Ghost Shrimp tankmates

Checked with the same rules as our tank builder: temperature overlap, pH and hardness, predation and mouth size, fin-nipping and temperament. Tank size is left out here; check it in the builder.

Good tankmates

Use caution

Avoid

All 105 species we checked against the Ghost Shrimp

Species	Verdict	Why
Amano Shrimp	Compatible	No conflicts found
Assassin Snail	Compatible	No conflicts found
Bamboo Shrimp	Compatible	No conflicts found
Bristlenose Pleco	Compatible	No conflicts found
Cherry Shrimp	Compatible	No conflicts found
Chili Rasbora	Compatible	No conflicts found
Clown Pleco	Compatible	No conflicts found
Common Pleco	Compatible	No conflicts found
Crystal Red Shrimp	Compatible	No conflicts found
Hillstream Loach	Compatible	No conflicts found
Japanese Trapdoor Snail	Compatible	No conflicts found
Malaysian Trumpet Snail	Compatible	No conflicts found
Nerite Snail	Compatible	No conflicts found
Otocinclus	Compatible	No conflicts found
Peppered Cory	Compatible	No conflicts found
Pygmy Cory	Compatible	No conflicts found
Ramshorn Snail	Compatible	No conflicts found
Sterbai Cory	Compatible	No conflicts found
African Dwarf Frog	Caution	African Dwarf Frog may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Black Neon Tetra	Caution	Black Neon Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Bleeding Heart Tetra	Caution	Bleeding Heart Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Bolivian Ram	Caution	Bolivian Ram may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Bronze Cory	Caution	Bronze Cory may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Bumblebee Goby	Caution	Bumblebee Goby may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Cardinal Tetra	Caution	Cardinal Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Celestial Pearl Danio	Caution	Celestial Pearl Danio may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Cherry Barb	Caution	Cherry Barb may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Clown Killifish	Caution	Clown Killifish may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid	Caution	Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.; Ghost Shrimp (pH 7–8) and Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid (pH 5–6) prefer different pH.
Diamond Tetra	Caution	Diamond Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Discus	Caution	Discus may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Dwarf Gourami	Caution	Ghost Shrimp nips fins, and Dwarf Gourami has long fins.; Dwarf Gourami may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish	Caution	Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Ember Tetra	Caution	Ember Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Endler's Livebearer	Caution	Endler's Livebearer may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Forktail Blue-eye	Caution	Forktail Blue-eye may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
German Blue Ram	Caution	Ghost Shrimp and German Blue Ram only share 81–82°F. That's a tight window.; German Blue Ram may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Giant Danio	Caution	Giant Danio may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Glass Catfish	Caution	Glass Catfish may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Glowlight Tetra	Caution	Glowlight Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Gold Barb	Caution	Gold Barb may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Guppy	Caution	Ghost Shrimp nips fins, and Guppy has long fins.; Guppy may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Harlequin Rasbora	Caution	Harlequin Rasbora may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Head-and-tail-light Tetra	Caution	Head-and-tail-light Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Honey Gourami	Caution	Ghost Shrimp nips fins, and Honey Gourami has long fins.; Honey Gourami may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Julii Cory	Caution	Julii Cory may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Kissing Gourami	Caution	Kissing Gourami may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Kribensis	Caution	Kribensis may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Kuhli Loach	Caution	Kuhli Loach may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Lambchop Rasbora	Caution	Lambchop Rasbora may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Lemon Tetra	Caution	Lemon Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Marbled Hatchetfish	Caution	Marbled Hatchetfish may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Molly	Caution	Molly may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Mystery Snail	Caution	Ghost Shrimp (pH 7–8) and Mystery Snail (pH unknown) prefer different pH.
Neon Tetra	Caution	Neon Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Odessa Barb	Caution	Odessa Barb may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Panda Cory	Caution	Panda Cory may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Pearl Danio	Caution	Pearl Danio may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Pearl Gourami	Caution	Ghost Shrimp nips fins, and Pearl Gourami has long fins.; Pearl Gourami may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Penguin Tetra	Caution	Penguin Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Platy	Caution	Platy may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Pristella Tetra	Caution	Pristella Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Rummy-nose Tetra	Caution	Rummy-nose Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Siamese Algae Eater	Caution	Siamese Algae Eater may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Silver Hatchetfish	Caution	Silver Hatchetfish may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Silver Tip Tetra	Caution	Silver Tip Tetra may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Sparkling Gourami	Caution	Sparkling Gourami may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Upside-down Catfish	Caution	Upside-down Catfish may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Variatus Platy	Caution	Variatus Platy may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
White Cloud Mountain Minnow	Caution	Ghost Shrimp and White Cloud Mountain Minnow only share 72–72°F. That's a tight window.; White Cloud Mountain Minnow may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Zebra Danio	Caution	Zebra Danio may eat baby Ghost Shrimp. Adults are usually safe, but expect fewer shrimplets.
Angelfish	Avoid	Ghost Shrimp nips fins, and Angelfish has long fins.; Angelfish will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Bala Shark	Avoid	Bala Shark will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Betta	Avoid	Ghost Shrimp nips fins, and Betta has long fins.; Betta will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Black Skirt Tetra	Avoid	Black Skirt Tetra will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Blood Parrot Cichlid	Avoid	Blood Parrot Cichlid will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Boesemani Rainbowfish	Avoid	Ghost Shrimp and Boesemani Rainbowfish only share 81–82°F. That's a tight window.; Boesemani Rainbowfish will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Buenos Aires Tetra	Avoid	Buenos Aires Tetra will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Chinese Algae Eater	Avoid	Chinese Algae Eater will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Clown Loach	Avoid	Clown Loach will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Common / Comet Goldfish	Avoid	Common / Comet Goldfish will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Congo Tetra	Avoid	Ghost Shrimp nips fins, and Congo Tetra has long fins.; Congo Tetra will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Convict Cichlid	Avoid	Convict Cichlid will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Denison Barb	Avoid	Denison Barb will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Electric Blue Acara	Avoid	Electric Blue Acara will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Electric Yellow Lab	Avoid	Electric Yellow Lab will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Fancy Goldfish	Avoid	Ghost Shrimp (72–82°F) and Fancy Goldfish (50–70°F) need different temperatures.; Ghost Shrimp nips fins, and Fancy Goldfish has long fins.
Firemouth Cichlid	Avoid	Firemouth Cichlid will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Iridescent Shark	Avoid	Iridescent Shark will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Moonlight Gourami	Avoid	Ghost Shrimp nips fins, and Moonlight Gourami has long fins.; Moonlight Gourami will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Oscar	Avoid	Oscar will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Paradise Fish	Avoid	Ghost Shrimp and Paradise Fish only share 72–72°F. That's a tight window.; Paradise Fish will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Pea Puffer	Avoid	Pea Puffer will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Pictus Catfish	Avoid	Pictus Catfish will eat Ghost Shrimp.; Ghost Shrimp (pH 7–8) and Pictus Catfish (pH 5.8–6.8) prefer different pH.
Rainbow Shark	Avoid	Rainbow Shark will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Red-Tail Shark	Avoid	Red-Tail Shark will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Rosy Barb	Avoid	Rosy Barb will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Scissortail Rasbora	Avoid	Scissortail Rasbora will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Serpae Tetra	Avoid	Serpae Tetra will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Swordtail	Avoid	Swordtail will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Three-spot Gourami	Avoid	Three-spot Gourami will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Tiger Barb	Avoid	Tiger Barb will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Tinfoil Barb	Avoid	Tinfoil Barb will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Weather Loach	Avoid	Weather Loach will eat Ghost Shrimp.
Yoyo Loach	Avoid	Yoyo Loach will eat Ghost Shrimp.

Care notes

Needs: Eaten by any fish whose mouth it fits (avoid goldfish, large cichlids, larger loaches/catfish); wants a heavily planted tank with hiding places; often sold as cheap feeders, and trade batches can include larger, more aggressive Palaemon-type shrimp

Group: Kept as a colony; number not stated; 6 editorial. Aquariadise suggests 10+ for breeding; stocking advice ranges 1-10 per gallon

Temperament: peaceful toward other fish, peaceful toward its own kind. Lives in the bottom of the tank.

Common questions

How big does a Ghost Shrimp get?

About 2 inches (5 cm TL) as an adult, according to animaldiversity.org.

What size tank does a Ghost Shrimp need?

At least about 10 gallons. The smallest standard tank that meets that is a 10 gallon.

How many Ghost Shrimps should be kept together?

At least 6. Kept as a colony; number not stated; 6 editorial. Aquariadise suggests 10+ for breeding; stocking advice ranges 1-10 per gallon

What fish can live with a Ghost Shrimp?

Species that passed every check include Chili Rasbora, Pygmy Cory, Sterbai Cory, Bristlenose Pleco, Otocinclus, Cherry Shrimp.

Gear for a Ghost Shrimp setup

TankSmallest standard tank that meets its minimum: 10 gallon (20 in long).Find on Amazon →HeaterAbout 50 W for 10 gallons, holding 72–82°F.Find on Amazon →FoodA quality flake or micro-pellet as a staple.Find on Amazon →Test kitCheck ammonia, nitrite and pH. Cycle the tank before adding fish.Find on Amazon →

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Sources

Values come from these pages, in our own words. Status: verified-practical (Animal Diversity Web + 2 shrimp sources). Last reviewed 2026-10-12.

animaldiversity.org /site/accounts/information/Palaemonetes_paludosus.html
theshrimpfarm.com /posts/shrimp-caresheet-ghost-shrimp-palaemonetes-sp/
aquariadise.com /ghost-shrimp-palaemonetes-care-info/
sealifebase.ca /summary/Palaemonetes-paludosus