# Inactive Ghost Shrimp



## PeterWest (May 9, 2010)

Hi All

So I finally got some ghost shrimp, but they seem very inactive, hardly moving at all, any idea's on this?

Temp at 23 c


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

ghost shrimps actually prefer slightly cooler temperatures, or they may just be adjusting to the shock


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## JohnPaul (Aug 28, 2006)

Dwarf shrimp being inactive is a bad sign. A couple of possible causes:

*Nitrates.* What are your water parameters? I'm assuming ammonia & nitrite are zero, but what are your nitrates? In my experience at 20 ppm many (most) dwarf shrimp begin showing signs of nitrate toxicity, and reduced activity is one of those. I've heard other shrimpkeepers say they have observed that starting as low as 10 ppm nitrate. This is often the biggest "adjustment" for people who are used to fish tanks who start getting into shrimp...nitrate levels that are perfectly fine for fish (and are wonderful for plants!) can be problematic for dwarf shrimp.
*Copper toxicity.* Has the tank ever (_ever_) been treated for ich or another disease using a copper-based medication? Copper is ultra highly toxic to shrimp and residues of it can often be present in a tank 3, 4, 5 years after the medication was dosed. (The copper dissolves into the silicone seals in the tanks and then slowly leaches out for years afterwards).
*Other toxins.* Is this a planted tank? Do you dose ferts? Heavy fert dosing can commonly cause problems for dwarf shrimp. Iron in particular can be an issue (similar to copper but not quite as toxic to them) but also the general bump in TDS that can be caused by heavy fert regimes is enough to lead to shrimp mortality in some cases. The (sometimes? often?) higher levels of dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) found in planted tanks could also be a possible issue.
*Predators.* Is this a tank with fish in it as well? The inactivity of the shrimp could be a defense mechanism, moving very little so as to not be seen by something that may want to eat them.

No guarantee it is any of those things, but as someone who has kept a variety of species of dwarf shrimp for 6+ years now, those are some of the things that come to mind.


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

if it was poisoning im pretty the sure the shrimps would have been spasming all over the place by now... commonly when poisoning occurs you'll see them on their backs twitching. and +1 on whatever johnpaul said. although i have to say i thought the part on predators was pretty smart because of the fact that they're clear! usually brightly colored dwarf shrimp jump away so fast they seem to teleport.


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## PeterWest (May 9, 2010)

I used to dose Nitrates for plants, would that have a effect on the shrimp


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