Wholesale Ghost Shrimp for Public Aquariums and Zoos

Why aquariums and zoos use ghost shrimp

Public freshwater exhibits need a steady supply of small, live crustaceans. Palaemonetes paludosus is a clear, peaceful freshwater shrimp native to the southeastern United States. At about 1 to 1.5 inches as adults, it is a practical size for many fish and amphibian feeding programs, and it spends its time grazing biofilm, algae and leftover food in planted or rockwork displays.

That gives exhibit teams two uses from one species: live food, and a visible cleanup crew. For general husbandry, see are ghost shrimp good cleaners and our ghost shrimp care guide.

Feeding programs

Many freshwater fish and amphibians hunt small shrimp in the wild. Live ghost shrimp give exhibit animals something to chase, which helps when a new arrival is slow to take prepared foods. Puffers, cichlids and other predators take adult shrimp readily. Smaller animals do better with juveniles from the natural size mix in each pack.

Plan around the number of animals and how often you feed, then round up to the next listed pack. The 250 count, 500 count and 1000 count are the wholesale starting points. For a recurring schedule, see standing orders. Our feeder ghost shrimp guide covers gut-loading and portioning for common predators.

Exhibit cleanup crews

In peaceful freshwater exhibits, ghost shrimp pick through plants, leaf litter and decorations. They are a cleanup helper, not a filter replacement, and they do best with cover and stable water. If the exhibit also holds animals that hunt shrimp, treat those shrimp as feeders rather than a permanent crew. The cleanup guide and stocking guide explain densities for display tanks.

Listed wholesale pricing

Current listed bulk pricing, also shown on our wholesale page, goes down to $0.85 per shrimp.

These are the live shop prices. We do not invent a lower unlisted rate on this page. If you need a different count, send the form and we quote within 24 hours.

How to request a quote

The fastest path is the wholesale request form. Tell us your institution name, a contact, the count and how often you want shipments, and whether the shrimp are for feeding, a cleanup crew or both. We quote within 24 hours.

If your institution needs terms or a purchase order, mention that on the form. Wholesale terms are available by request. We will not lock in a weekly number we cannot keep. Once we confirm a schedule, you can also read about standing orders.

• Use the form or email hello@ghostshrimpco.com with the subject line for aquariums and zoos.
• Include preferred ship days. We ship Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with Wednesday preferred, so boxes do not sit over a weekend.
• We reply with pricing, a ship window we can meet, and next steps.

Shipping from New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Every order ships from New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Wednesday is the preferred ship day. Orders placed before noon Eastern on Wednesday will most likely ship that same week. Live arrival is guaranteed; details are on our policies page and shipping page. On arrival, float the sealed bag to match temperature, then net the shrimp. Never pour shipping water into an exhibit.

Pet stores and fish shops can see bulk feeder pricing for retail shops. Research and teaching labs can see Palaemonetes paludosus for research.

Frequently asked questions