Whisker Shrimp Care: Size, Tank Mates & Ghost Shrimp ID

Whisker shrimp (Macrobrachium lamarrei) break the usual shrimp rules. Most aquarium shrimp are peaceful cleanup crew. Whisker shrimp are river prawns that grow to about 2 to 3 inches, have long claws and a toothed rostrum, and will eat small fish, snails and other shrimp when they get the chance. They are also called Indian whisker shrimp or Kuncho river prawns.

They are almost transparent, so you can see their internal organs, and they are fun to watch. They are not a casual community-tank pick, though. Many keepers put them in a species-only tank or with fish that are too big to eat and too fast to be caught.

This guide covers how to tell whisker shrimp from ghost shrimp, their water parameters, tank size, diet, tank mates, and breeding. If you are comparing them with other freshwater shrimp, the short version is this: whisker shrimp are the predatory option.

Whisker Shrimp Facts & Overview

Whisker shrimp are native to South Asia, including Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. They live in freshwater and slightly brackish water over sandy or muddy bottoms. Hobbyists like them because they are active scavengers and look unusual, but the same teeth and claws that make them good scavengers make them a risk to small tank mates.

They are also at risk themselves. Larger or more aggressive fish will eat a whisker shrimp.

Whisker Shrimp vs. Ghost Shrimp

The two are often confused, and some sellers use the names interchangeably. They are different species. Both belong to the family Palaemonidae and both are translucent, but:

• Genus and origin: Whisker shrimp are Macrobrachium, from South Asia. Common ghost shrimp are Palaemonetes, from North America.
• Size: Whisker shrimp are bigger, typically 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) against under 2 inches for ghost shrimp.
• Feelers and claws: Whisker shrimp have longer feelers and longer, heavier claws (arms). If the claws look long and grabby, it is almost certainly a Macrobrachium.
• Markings: Ghost shrimp usually have orange or yellowish bands at the base of the feelers and on the legs. Whisker shrimp are greyish to sandy and translucent without those bands.
• Temperament: Ghost shrimp are far less aggressive. Whisker shrimp are not.

Shop labels are unreliable, so check the claws before you buy.

Typical Behavior

Whisker shrimp are nocturnal. You will see the most activity after lights out, when they scavenge for leftover food, debris and biofilm. During the day they hide in plants, under wood and in caves.

Their aggression is real. Keepers regularly report lost shrimp, snails and small fish, and the shrimp’s claws and rostrum teeth are well suited to grabbing and tearing prey.

You can lower the risk, but not remove it:

• Keep them with nothing small. A species-only tank is the safest setup.
• Give them room. Territorial squabbles get worse in tight quarters. Add rocks, wood and caves so shrimp can break line of sight.
• Feed them well. A hungry whisker shrimp hunts. Feed small amounts of sinking food every evening.
• Avoid planting so heavily that you can’t see them. Moderate planting lets you spot injuries and problems early.

Appearance

Whisker shrimp have a greyish, translucent body with a sandy or faint brown tint. Adults reach roughly 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm). In scientific descriptions the males reach about 80 mm (3.1 in) and the females about 75 mm (3 in), and males have larger claws. Hobby sources often say the opposite, that females are larger, so treat size as an unreliable way to sex them.

The rostrum, the toothed spike between the eyes, carries about 7 to 11 teeth on top and 4 to 8 underneath.

Telling Males from Females

This is hard, and most keepers do not manage it until breeding. Two clues:

• Males have a slender appendix masculina on the second pair of swimmerets. You need a close look or a magnifier to see it.
• A female carrying eggs under her tail, or one with a visible green saddle (the ovaries) before spawning, is certainly female.

Habitat and Tank Conditions

Whisker shrimp are easy to keep as long as the water stays clean. They live on the bottom, so you do not need to plan around floating plants or the upper tank. Sand, fine gravel or aquarium soil all work. Add rocks, driftwood, caves and a moderate amount of plants. They do not need special lighting.

Cover your filter intake with a sponge or fine screen so shrimp do not get pulled in. A lid is a good idea with any prawn.

Water Conditions

Whisker shrimp do not tolerate ammonia or nitrite, and they dislike sudden swings in temperature. Change part of the water on a regular schedule and test it often. Reported ranges from shrimp keepers and the scientific literature:

• Temperature: 72 to 82 °F (22 to 28 °C). Some sources go up to 85 °F, but the middle of the range is safer.
• pH: 7.0 to 7.8 is ideal; they are reported to tolerate roughly 6.5 to 8.0.
• Hardness: roughly 2 to 15 dGH, with moderate KH (about 4 to 8).
• Ammonia and nitrite: 0 ppm.

Copper is the biggest hidden risk. Many fish medications and some plant fertilizers contain copper, which is toxic to shrimp. If you need to treat fish for ich or another disease, use a hospital tank or a copper-free product, and read the label before you dose anything.

What Size Aquarium Do They Need?

The minimum is 10 gallons for a small group, and some sources say 5 gallons for a single shrimp. Plan on no more than 2 to 3 shrimp per 10 gallons, since they can be aggressive toward each other when crowded. If you want any tank mates at all, 20 gallons or more gives everyone room to avoid each other.

Tank Mates

Whisker shrimp prey on small fish, other shrimp and snails, and they will pick at slow, long-finned fish like bettas and fancy guppies. They are also bullied or eaten by large fish.

Avoid: dwarf shrimp (cherry, crystal, etc.), small snails, small fish like neon tetras, slow-moving or long-finned fish, and bottom-dwellers such as dwarf corydoras. Large bottom feeders such as catfish, loaches and plecos compete for the same space and may eat a shrimp.

Possible: medium-sized, fast mid- and upper-water fish that are too big to swallow. Treat this as a trial, and have a plan to separate them.

Keeping Whisker Shrimp Together

Whisker shrimp can live with their own kind if there is enough room and hiding space, but they are not fully peaceful. Watch for one shrimp being chased or missing legs. Never add dwarf shrimp, which will be eaten.

Diet

Whisker shrimp are opportunistic omnivores and scavengers. They eat leftover food, detritus, algae and biofilm, and they will hunt small live prey. They accept:

• Sinking shrimp pellets and sticks, crab and lobster bites
• Flake food
• Frozen or live meaty foods such as bloodworms and brine shrimp
• Blanched vegetables such as cucumber, zucchini and spinach
• Algae wafers and marimo moss balls

Feed a small amount once a day and remove what is left after a few hours. A well-fed shrimp is less likely to go hunting, but too much food rots and damages the water.

Care

Care comes down to four things: stable temperature, clean water, regular feeding and enough space. Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate weekly, and do a partial water change every week. Match the new water to the tank temperature, and dechlorinate it.

Lifespan is reported at up to about 5 years in good conditions, though some keepers see shorter lives. Test the water first if a shrimp stops eating, stays out in the open all day, or struggles to molt.

Breeding

Whisker shrimp can be bred in the home aquarium, but raising the young is difficult, so it is not a good first breeding project.

Use a dedicated tank at 65 to 82 °F (18 to 28 °C) with one male and one or two females. The female carries her eggs on her swimmerets for about 3 to 4 weeks until they hatch. The larvae are tiny and need very fine food, such as infusoria or powdered larval foods. Expect heavy losses, and keep adults away from the young because whisker shrimp eat other shrimp.

Are Whisker Shrimp Suitable for Your Aquarium?

Whisker shrimp suit a species-only tank or a carefully planned setup with large, fast fish. They do not suit a community tank with small fish, dwarf shrimp or snails. If you want a peaceful cleanup crew, look at cherry shrimp, amano shrimp or nerite snails instead.

If you decide to try them, start with a 10-gallon or larger tank, keep copper out of it, and feed them every evening.