Grass Shrimp

[Phisher]

Anyone have a set to house these? They are cheap locally (10-$1) and I would like to keep a dozen or so on hand. I designed my system to house live foods in a compartment in my sump but I wasn't sure if I could keep ghost shrimp in full blown saltwater.

Any ideas?

[Animal Mother]

Ghost shrimp usually don't last more than a couple of hours in saltwater, if that long. You and your animal would be better off with some shore shrimp. They look like ghost shrimp, but they're sustainable, and healthier food for your animal.

[DWhatley]

Phisher,
Can you give a better definition of "Grass Shrimp". AM is referring to the fresh water shrimp (called grass and glass shrimp but there are brackish water species going by the same names) but I have always called shore shrimp, grass shrimp. Do these come from full fresh water or from very brackish water? If you are unsure, try putting them in full salt (you may lose a buck in the attempt). If they die, forget it, they are not a good food but if they live, they are what most of us use. They tend to do better in lower salinity but I just use my regular salt mix and have few losses since they live in water that changes composition regularly.

[dreadhead]

The shrimp I've been feeding my cuttle's I catch in the bay, right by the grass.I dunk my bucket once or twice and I have about two dozzen.Everyonr around here calls them grass or shore shrimp.

[Phisher]

I dropped 2 in the tank yesterday morning for Ocho. He pounced on one but seemed to reject it. Neither were eaten in 24 hrs, found one dead this morning the other seems to be doing fine. Ocho was much more impressed with the emerald crab the day before, more of a crab lover. I've got fiddlers coming, hopefully Wednesday. If that works out I'm going to set up a habitat for them in a 30g rubbermaid and go that route.

[DWhatley]

Phisher,
They do seem to tire of the same food everyday so you might try again with the shrimp if he is not eating well. Also, most larger octos will take saltwater thawed fresh frozen shrimp for the meat market.

[Phisher]

I think he took a shrimp this evening though I didn't see him actually catch it, he's got something going on under his webbing for the last 15 minutes or so. I plan to switch up from fiddlers to these for variety while he's small. I live on the coast so saltwater live bait may be a possibility when he gets bigger.

He's accepted frozen krill from me already. He worked on it a while but rejected most of it. I'll try some salad shrimp next time we do gumbo.