Shrimp can make fun, colorful additions to freshwater aquariums. Their small size and low bioload allow them to thrive in nano tanks. Shrimp come in a dazzling array of colors like red, blue, yellow, black and more. But are shrimp easy to take care of for beginners?
In general, yes – most popular freshwater shrimp species are quite hardy and easy to care for. With good tank conditions, they readily breed and require minimal effort However, there are a few things to keep in mind. In this beginner’s guide, we’ll cover shrimp care, ideal tank conditions, diet, tankmates and more.
An Overview of Popular Freshwater Shrimp Species
The two main groups of freshwater aquarium shrimp are:
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Neocaridina – Often called dwarf shrimp. Includes cherry shrimp, blue dream shrimp, yellow shrimp etc Very hardy.
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Caridina – A bit larger Include crystal shrimp and bee shrimp More sensitive,
For beginners, Neocaridina dwarf shrimp are the easiest option. Some great starter shrimp include:
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Red Cherry Shrimp – Vibrant red color. Tough and adaptable.
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Amano Shrimp – Clear shrimp great for controlling algae.
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Ghost Shrimp – Nearly transparent. Very affordable.
Let’s look at the care for these common starter shrimp in more detail.
Water Parameters
Neocaridina and Caridina shrimp need somewhat different water parameters. Here are the recommended ranges:
Neocaridina Water Parameters
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Temperature – 64-84°F. No heater needed with stable room temps.
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pH – 6.5-7.5. Prefer slightly acidic water.
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GH – 4-10 dGH. Fairly wide range.
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KH – 2-5 dKH. Appreciate stable kh.
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TDS – 150-300 ppm. Like soft to moderately hard water.
Caridina Water Parameters
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Temperature – 65-78°F. No heater often needed.
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pH – 6.2-7.0. Require more acidic conditions.
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GH – 4-8 dGH. Need softer water than Neos.
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KH – 0-3 dKH. Can’t tolerate high kh.
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TDS – 150-250 ppm. Prefer pure, soft water.
Getting the water parameters right is key for shrimp health. Neocaridina are more flexible, but stable parameters are still important. For Caridina, ideal water conditions are critical.
Use an API Master Test Kit to monitor your tank. Shrimp are very sensitive to ammonia and nitrite, so fully cycle before adding. Target 0 ppm for both. Nitrate can go up to 20 ppm.
Tank Size
A standard 5 gallon tank can comfortably house a shrimp colony. Breeding setups benefit from 10-20 gallons. With their small bioload, you can keep approximately 1 shrimp per 1-2 gallons of water.
Nano shrimp tanks from 2-5 gallons look fantastic on a desk. Just be extra diligent with maintenance on smaller tanks.
##Aquarium Setup
Here are some shrimp tank essentials:
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Fine substrate like sand or aquasoil to allow natural grazing. Bare bottom works too.
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Plenty of plants and decor for hiding spots. Floating plants give cover.
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Sponge filter or low flow HOB filter to prevent babies being sucked in.
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Submersible heater if water fluctuates beyond ideal range.
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Hiding spots like cholla wood, rock caves and moss balls.
Go easy on aquascaping hardscape to maximize swimming space. Shrimp enjoy open areas to explore.
Diet and Feeding
Shrimp are omnivores and scavengers. In established tanks they eat biofilm, algae and microorganisms. Supplement their diet by feeding 1-2 times per week.
Some nutritious shrimp foods include:
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Bacter AE for biofilm and microorganisms.
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Sinking pellets like Fluval Shrimp Granules.
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Blanched veggies like zucchini, spinach and cucumber.
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Supplements like mineral stones and calcium powder.
Feed only a small amount they can finish within a few hours. Overfeeding pollutes the water.
Tank Mates
Peaceful nano fish and snails make good shrimp tankmates. Some options:
Safe Fish
- Ember Tetras
- Endler’s Livebearers
- Chili Rasboras
- Pygmy Corydoras
Safe Snails
- Nerite Snails
- Ramshorn Snails
- Mystery Snails
Avoid fish that may attack shrimp like bettas, gouramis and cichlids. Introduce tankmates slowly and provide ample hiding spots.
Breeding and Population Control
Neocaridina shrimp breed readily in healthy conditions. After mating, females incubate up to 30 eggs for 3-4 weeks before tiny shrimp emerge. They reach adulthood in 2-3 months.
To encourage breeding:
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Keep a single color strain like red cherries together.
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Maintain stable, ideal water parameters.
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Feed a varied, protein-rich diet with supplements.
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Do regular partial water changes.
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Provide lots of plant cover and hiding spots.
The shrimp population will expand quickly as they breed. To control numbers:
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Remove berry (pregnant) females to a separate tank.
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Introduce predatory fish like dwarf puffers. They will eat babies.
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Manually remove excess shrimp by trapping or netting.
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Take excess shrimp to your local fish store for credit.
Most popular freshwater shrimp species are relatively easy to care for. Neocaridina shrimp like cherry and blue dream shrimp have the lowest care requirements. They readily adapt to a range of conditions outside their ideal parameters. Providing clean, stable water along with nutritious foods are the keys to success. With good general shrimp care, you’ll have a thriving colorful colony in no time!
Frequency of Entities
Neocaridina: 20
Caridina: 7
Red Cherry Shrimp: 4
Amano Shrimp: 3
Ghost Shrimp: 2
pH: 6
Temperature: 7
GH: 5
KH: 3
TDS: 3
Aquasoil: 1
HOB Filter: 1
Peaceful: 2
Ember Tetras: 1
Endler’s Livebearers: 1
Chili Rasboras: 1
Pygmy Corydoras: 1
Nerite Snails: 1
Ramshorn Snails: 1
Mystery Snails: 1
Neos, You are the Chosen One
Neocaridina Davidi, also known as the dwarf cherry shrimp, are hardy, adaptable, and prolific. They are a great choice for anyone interested in shrimp, especially people who are just starting out. There are many color variations, such as red, blue, black, and green. Because these colors were carefully bred, it is not a good idea to keep more than one color in the same tank. They will indiscriminately mate, and the offspring will often be a drab brown or clear color. My favorites are the “blue dream” and “black rose” varieties.
When you buy shrimp, please remember that they are social animals that do best when they are in big groups of at least ten. If it’s less than this, they’ll probably hide instead of grazing together in the open. Beginners often make the mistake of buying only a few shrimp for their community tank and then whining that they never see the shrimp.
Large or aggressive fish are not suitable tankmates for shrimp. Barbs, bettas, and other fish will often pick on or bother the shrimp, or they will just eat them for dinner. The best aquarium for you would be one with only shrimp or one with small, peaceful fish (like ember tetras or corydoras), lots of plants, and enough water.
Don’t Mind the Crowds
Due to their small size and lower metabolic waste output compared to fish, shrimp can be kept in smaller tanks with more of them. Still, I wouldn’t push it; it’s best to use no more than 10 to 15 shrimp per five gallons. Really, a 20-gallon tank is best for breeding. Neocaridina shrimp will reproduce a lot if they are happy. If the number of shrimp in the tank is high enough, this will happen on its own, and soon there will be lots of little shrimplets swimming around. These baby shrimp will be eaten by almost any fish, so it’s best to keep them in a tank with only shrimp or a lot of plants if you want any of them to live and become adults. I have a large, breeding colony in my densely planted high tech, which contains a small fish population.
Neocaridina shrimp originate in temperate, shallow pools in Asia. This means they don’t have to use a heater (as long as the temperature in the house stays between 65 and 80 F all year). I find that mine are most comfortable and active around 70-76 F. They like soft, acidic water, and from what I’ve seen, they breed best in water with a pH of 6 or higher. 8-7. 5, GH 4-6, and a lower KH. Even though they have these preferences, they can usually live in most situations. They can even survive in water that is a little hard, though I wouldn’t recommend it.
In many ways, shrimp are easier to care for than fish. However, they are much more affected by changes in the chemistry of their water. Please keep in mind that they are very sensitive to copper and many other metals. Giving them too much iron to make them red or adding copper to their water can kill them quickly. A complete plant fertilizer has a small amount of iron that is more than enough to make plants as bright red as possible. Low levels of iron should not hurt your Neocaridina shrimp.
Shrimp react poorly to sudden changes in water conditions, much more so than fish. After changing the water, if you see your shrimp swimming around the tank like fish, it means they don’t like the new water. So, it’s important to change the water at least once a week to keep waste from building up (two 2% changes each week is better than one 2% change).
In my high-tech tank, I change the water a lot. My shrimp don’t mind because I make sure that the new water closely matches the parameters of the water that is already in the tank (you can read more about this in my previous article about understanding water parameters). Failure to adapt to new water conditions can result in jumping behavior or death. If the shrimp are happy with the water conditions, they won’t jump or climb out of the tank.
Should you keep shrimp in high-tech tanks? Many people have success breeding Neocaridina shrimp in tanks with extra CO2, but you should watch out that the CO2 doesn’t get too high. Drop checkers can be used to make this happen; make sure they are green (not yellow). A fluctuating pH due to the CO2 levels changing is another thing to watch out for.