Care
What to Feed Ghost Shrimp
6 min read · Updated May 2026
Ghost shrimp are scavengers with a strong preference for anything soft, decaying and covered in biofilm. In an established planted tank they are close to self-feeding. In a bare or new tank they need real meals.
The core diet
- Biofilm and soft algae — their natural staple
- Blanched zucchini, cucumber, spinach, green beans and carrot
- Sinking shrimp pellets and algae wafers
- Indian almond leaves and oak leaf litter as a slow-release food source
- Frozen bloodworms, daphnia or brine shrimp once a week
How to blanch vegetables
Slice thin, boil for two to three minutes until soft, cool in cold water, and sink the piece with a fork or a plant weight. Remove anything left after four to six hours — vegetables rot fast and foul water faster.
How much and how often
Two to three feedings a week is plenty for a mature tank. Feed an amount the group can finish in two hours. The single most common mistake new shrimp keepers make is feeding a fish-sized portion to animals that each eat a crumb.
Gut-loading feeder shrimp
If you are using ghost shrimp as feeders, what they eat becomes what your fish eats. Hold them in a cycled tank for 24–48 hours and feed a high-quality pellet, spirulina, or a calcium-rich prepared food before offering them. A gut-loaded shrimp delivers meaningfully better nutrition than one pulled straight from a bag.