Can You Keep Ghost Shrimp with Turtles? Compatibility and Care Guide

Are you thinking about putting ghost shrimp in your turtle tank? I know you might be worried. Will your turtles eat them? Will they help clean your tank? I’ve been there, and I want to help you.

Today, I’m going to share everything I know about keeping ghost shrimp with turtles. I’ll tell you if it’s safe, how to add them, and what you can expect.

Yes, you can put ghost shrimp in your turtle tank! They are great at cleaning up leftover food. But I need to be honest with you – your turtles will probably eat them at some point. Don’t worry though, I’ll show you how to make this work.

Let me walk you through everything step by step.

Can I Put Ghost Shrimp In My Turtle Tank?

I want to tell you right away – yes, you can! I’ve done it myself, and many other turtle owners do it too.

Ghost shrimp are safe for your turtles. They won’t hurt your turtles at all. In fact, they will help make your turtle’s home cleaner and better.

Here’s what I love about ghost shrimp: they eat the food your turtle drops. You don’t need to feed them anything special. They just clean up after your messy turtle!

Why I Use Ghost Shrimp In My Turtle Tank

I started using ghost shrimp because my turtle tank would get dirty fast. My turtle is a messy eater. Food would fall to the bottom of the tank and just sit there.

Ghost shrimp are like little cleaning helpers. They live at the bottom of the tank and eat all that leftover food. Some people call them “crystal shrimp” because they look see-through.

Let me tell you what happens if you don’t clean up leftover food. The food starts to rot. Your tank will smell bad. The dirty water can make your turtle sick. Your turtle might get shell rot or eye infections. I don’t want that to happen to your turtle!

Ghost shrimp also eat some types of algae. Algae can turn your tank water green and make it smell bad. Too much algae can hurt your turtle’s health.

The Problem You Need To Know About

I need to be honest with you about something. Your turtle will try to eat the ghost shrimp. Turtles love to eat shrimp!

But here’s the good news: ghost shrimp are fast. They can swim away from your turtle quickly. They’re really good at hiding too. So they will live in your tank for a while before your turtle catches them.

I’m not going to lie to you. Eventually, your turtle will catch and eat the shrimp. That’s just what turtles do. But while the shrimp are alive, they do a great job cleaning your tank.

How To Add Ghost Shrimp To Your Turtle Tank

When I first added ghost shrimp to my turtle tank, I made some mistakes. Let me help you do it the right way.

Don’t put all your shrimp in the tank at once! This is really important. If you add too many shrimp at one time, your turtle might get stressed. Your tank filter might also get overwhelmed.

My Step-By-Step Method

Here’s what I do, and it works great:

Week One: I add about 5 to 10 ghost shrimp. I watch how my turtle acts around them. I see if the shrimp can find good hiding spots.

Week Two: If everything looks good, I add more shrimp. I usually add another 5 to 10 shrimp.

Week Three and Beyond: I keep adding small groups until I have enough shrimp to keep my tank clean.

My Best Tip For You

Feed your turtle BEFORE you add the shrimp! This is so important. If your turtle is hungry, it will think the shrimp are food and eat them right away.

When your turtle has a full belly, it’s less interested in eating the shrimp. The shrimp will have time to find hiding places in your tank.

I learned this the hard way. The first time I added shrimp, my hungry turtle ate three of them in just a few minutes!

How Many Ghost Shrimp Should You Put In Your Tank?

This is a question I get asked a lot. The answer depends on how big your tank is.

Ghost shrimp are tiny. A grown shrimp is only about 1.5 inches long. So you can fit quite a few in your tank.

Here’s What I Recommend

For a 20-gallon tank: I use 15 to 20 ghost shrimp. This is enough to keep the tank clean but not too many.

For a 50-gallon tank: I put in 20 to 30 ghost shrimp. A bigger tank needs more shrimp to clean all the leftover food.

For a 75-gallon tank: I add up to 50 ghost shrimp. This sounds like a lot, but remember – the tank is big and needs more cleaners.

Why You Can Add So Many

Ghost shrimp make very little waste. They have what we call a “low bioload.” This means they don’t make your water dirty.

More shrimp actually means a cleaner tank! They work together to find and eat all the leftover food.

Ghost shrimp like to search for food. They need room to move around and look for food bits. When you have more shrimp, they can cover more area in your tank.

A Special Note About Substrate

If your tank has no gravel or sand on the bottom, you might not need as many shrimp. Ghost shrimp are really good at finding food in gravel and sand. If you have a bare bottom tank, there’s less area for them to clean.

Will Your Turtle Eat The Ghost Shrimp?

I need to tell you the truth: yes, your turtle will eat the ghost shrimp eventually.

Turtles that live in water are omnivores. This means they eat both plants and animals. Shrimp are one of their favorite foods in the wild.

Young Turtles vs. Old Turtles

If you have a young turtle, I have bad news. Young turtles eat mostly meat. They will hunt the shrimp more than older turtles do.

Older turtles eat more plants as they grow up. But they still like to eat shrimp when they can catch them.

How Long Will The Shrimp Survive?

The shrimp are smart and fast. They can dodge your turtle for a while. But your turtle is patient. It will wait for the right moment to catch them.

Even if you feed your turtle really well, it will still want to eat the shrimp. It’s just their nature. Turtles in the wild eat shrimp all the time, so don’t be surprised when your pet turtle does the same thing.

How To Help Your Shrimp Live Longer

I have some tricks to help your shrimp survive longer:

Add hiding places: Put plants in your tank. You can use fake plants or real plants. The shrimp will hide in them when your turtle comes near.

Use decorations: Add rocks, caves, or driftwood. These create little hiding spots for the shrimp.

Consider a paludarium: This is a tank that has both water and land areas. It gives the shrimp more places to escape from your turtle.

Even with all these tricks, your turtle will still catch some shrimp. That’s okay! Just plan to add more shrimp every few weeks to replace the ones your turtle eats.

How Do Ghost Shrimp Clean Your Tank?

Let me explain exactly how these little cleaners work. It’s actually really cool!

Ghost shrimp are natural scavengers. This means they spend all day looking for food to eat. They don’t wait for you to feed them. They just search the bottom of the tank for anything edible.

What Ghost Shrimp Eat

Leftover turtle food: When you feed your turtle, some food falls to the bottom. Your turtle might miss it. The shrimp find it and eat it.

Food bits in the gravel: Sometimes food gets stuck between the gravel pieces. Your turtle can’t reach it, but the shrimp can!

Certain types of algae: Shrimp eat some kinds of algae. This helps keep your tank from turning green.

Food on decorations: If food lands on your rocks or fake plants, the shrimp will climb up and get it.

Why This Is So Good For Your Tank

I used to have to clean my turtle tank every few days. Now with ghost shrimp, I can go longer between cleanings.

The shrimp work all day and all night. If you watch them closely, you’ll see them constantly moving around, looking for food. They never stop cleaning!

Ghost shrimp have an amazing sense of smell. They can smell food as soon as it hits the water. They rush over to eat it before it can rot and make your tank dirty.

What I’ve Noticed

Since I added ghost shrimp to my tank, the water stays clearer longer. The tank doesn’t smell bad anymore. My turtle seems happier too because the water is cleaner.

I made a video once to watch my shrimp work. In just one hour, I saw them clean up so much leftover food. It was amazing!

Are Ghost Shrimp Good Cleaners? Let Me Compare

You might be wondering: are ghost shrimp the best choice? Let me compare them to other tank cleaners.

Ghost Shrimp vs. Snails

I’ve tried both ghost shrimp and snails in my turtle tanks. Here’s what I found:

What snails do better:

• Snails eat ALL types of algae (shrimp only eat some types)
• Snails eat rotting plants and dead matter
• Snails even eat turtle poop
• Snails are harder to kill – they survive better than shrimp
• Some snails, like nerite snails and Malaysian trumpet snails, are amazing cleaners

What ghost shrimp do better:

• Shrimp make almost no waste at all
• Shrimp are faster and better at getting food from tight spaces
• Shrimp have a better sense of smell for finding food fast
• Shrimp are more fun to watch because they move around more

My Honest Opinion

If you want the absolute best cleaner, get both! I use ghost shrimp AND snails in my turtle tank. They work together to keep everything clean.

But if you only want one, I’d say go with snails if you want something that lasts longer. Choose ghost shrimp if you want something that makes less waste and cleans up food faster.

Common Questions I Get Asked

Let me answer some questions other turtle owners ask me all the time.

Will Ghost Shrimp Jump Out Of My Tank?

Yes, they can! I’ve lost a few shrimp this way, and it made me sad.

Ghost shrimp might jump out because:

• They’re stressed
• The water quality is bad
• Something scared them (like a loud noise or sudden light)
• You walked up to the tank too fast
• Someone tapped on the glass

My solution: I always keep a lid on my tank now. This keeps the shrimp inside where they belong.

Do Ghost Shrimp Make A Lot Of Waste?

No! This is one of my favorite things about them. Ghost shrimp make very, very little waste.

Remember when I said they have a low bioload? This means they don’t poop much. They won’t make your water dirty.

This is perfect because you’re adding them to CLEAN your tank. You don’t want them making it dirtier!

Do Ghost Shrimp Eat Turtle Poop?

Yes, they do! I was surprised when I first learned this.

Ghost shrimp will eat turtle poop because it still has nutrients in it. They’re not picky eaters. They’ll clean up poop along with leftover food.

This is another reason why they’re such good tank cleaners. They really do clean EVERYTHING from the bottom of your tank.

How Long Do Ghost Shrimp Live In A Turtle Tank?

Without a turtle eating them, ghost shrimp can live for about one year. But in a turtle tank, they usually live for a few weeks to a few months.

It depends on:

• How many hiding places you give them
• How fast your turtle is
• How well-fed your turtle is
• How many shrimp you have (more shrimp means each one has a better chance)

I usually plan to buy new shrimp every month or two to keep my population up.

Can Baby Turtles Live With Ghost Shrimp?

Yes, but the shrimp won’t last long! Baby turtles are very hungry and they LOVE to hunt.

If you have a baby turtle, your shrimp might only last a few days. But they’ll still do some cleaning before they become turtle food.

What Should I Feed My Ghost Shrimp?

You don’t need to feed them anything! That’s what makes them so easy.

The shrimp will eat:

• Leftover turtle food
• Algae
• Turtle poop
• Any food bits they find

If you want to keep your shrimp really healthy and happy, you could add a tiny bit of algae wafer once in a while. But this is not necessary. The leftovers from your turtle food are usually enough.

My Final Thoughts

I really love having ghost shrimp in my turtle tank. Yes, my turtle eats them sometimes. But while they’re alive, they do such a great job keeping the tank clean.

Here’s what I want you to remember:

The Good Things:

• Ghost shrimp are safe to add to your tank
• They clean up leftover food really well
• They help prevent bad smells and dirty water
• They make almost no waste
• They’re cheap to buy
• You don’t need to feed them
• They help keep your turtle healthy by keeping the water clean

The Not-So-Good Things:

• Your turtle will eat them eventually
• You’ll need to buy more shrimp regularly
• They might jump out if you don’t have a lid
• Young turtles will eat them faster

My Best Tips For Success:

1. Add hiding places with plants and decorations
2. Feed your turtle before adding new shrimp
3. Start with a small group and add more slowly
4. Keep a lid on your tank
5. Plan to buy new shrimp every month or two

Should You Try Ghost Shrimp?

If you’re asking me, I say yes! Give it a try.

I know it might feel weird to add shrimp knowing your turtle will eat them. But think of it this way: the shrimp have a job to do. They clean your tank and then become a healthy snack for your turtle.

Your turtle would eat shrimp in the wild anyway. You’re just giving your turtle a more natural life.

Plus, having a cleaner tank means less work for you! You won’t have to clean the tank as often. Your turtle will be healthier because the water is cleaner.

I think it’s worth trying. Start with just 10 shrimp and see how it goes. Watch how they interact with your turtle. See how much cleaner your tank gets.

I bet you’ll love the results just like I do!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I love helping other turtle owners take care of their pets. Good luck with your ghost shrimp adventure!