Native Glass Shrimp (Paratya)

This listing is for one Juvenile Native Glass Shrimp (Paratya) .

Paratya shrimp are likely one of the most underrated species in Australia. The common names like 'glass shrimp', 'ghost shrimp', and 'clear shrimp' don't do them justice, nor does their widespread use as live food. This species complex—a group of closely related species described as a single species—is well-suited to aquarium life. They are resilient, excellent algae eaters, widely available, and easy to collect, yet breeding them offers a challenge even for experienced shrimp keepers.

Why are Paratya so remarkable?

In a word, potential. Paratya have immense potential for breeding new variations, serving as algae eaters in aquascapes, being tough shrimp for beginners, thriving as brackish water specialists in biotopes, and much more.

Paratya shrimp come in a variety of colors (blue, green, clear, black, orange, and even fully red individuals) and patterns (dorsal stripes, 'tiger-stripe' patterns, speckles, and blotches). There is still much to learn about whether their coloration can be influenced by diet, stress, or other environmental factors, or if line breeding could produce fixed color variants. This presents great potential for breeders to work on establishing consistent colors and patterns.

How to Keep Paratya in Aquaria

Now that you have Paratya, how should you care for them?

The answer is simple: easily. Paratya shrimp are hardy aquarium inhabitants, tolerating a wide range of pH, TDS, and GH/KH levels. Some even thrive in high salinity, making them perfect for brackish setups. I've successfully kept Paratya in various tanks, from planted aquascapes with soft, acidic water to tanks with small African cichlids in hard, high pH water. In my experience, Paratya are peaceful and can be housed with almost any shrimp or fish too small to consume them. Like most freshwater shrimp, Paratya live around two years (Hancock and Bunn, 1997; Williams, 1977; Williams and Smith, 1979).

To keep your Paratya happy and healthy, aim for the following water parameters:

• Temperature: Optimal 20-26°C, but they can tolerate extremes from 8-30°C in the wild

Glass shrimp are scavengers. They eat algae, bacteria and other microorganisms around the tank, and will never attack other live animals. They have a minimum bio-load and are a great addition to almost any tank's ecosystem!
Don't forget to check out our plants for combined postage and keeping the shrimp happy in transit!

Keeping with fish
The general rule for all aquatic life is "if it fits in their mouth they will eat it." Unless you have specifically passive or vegetarian fish, shrimp may be eaten by any fish which is large enough to swallow one hole. Adult shrimp grow to 2cm in length, with juveniles being at least 1cm. Conversely, any smaller fish will live with them very happily. They may eat the baby shrimp if they breed, but if you have enough plant cover, usually enough survive to keep the colony going.

If you have any questions or problems feel free to contact us!