Do Shrimp Really Clean Fish Tanks?

Shrimp are a popular addition to many freshwater and saltwater aquariums Their small size, bright colors, and active behaviors make them fun to watch. But one of the main reasons aquarists love shrimp is their reputation as being great cleaners and janitors So do shrimp really help clean your fish tank?

The short answer is yes most shrimp do help clean aquarium tanks to some degree. Shrimp eat several things that pollute tanks and coat surfaces with grime including algae, waste, and uneaten fish food. Their constant grazing and foraging helps control these pollutants and keep tanks looking cleaner.

However, the cleaning abilities of shrimp are limited. While they do a great job keeping surfaces tidy, shrimp cannot fully clean a tank on their own. Their small size prevents them from making major dents in established algae growth or waste accumulations. Shrimp are best used as tank cleaners when combined with snails, bottom-feeder fish, and regular tank maintenance by aquarists.

How Do Shrimp Clean Tanks?

Shrimp clean tanks in a few key ways:

• Eating algae: Most shrimp eat several types of algae, including soft green algae and diatom algae. Their constant grazing on leaves, decor, and surfaces keeps algae from overgrowing.

• Eating waste and debris: Shrimp are natural little scavengers. They pick at fish waste, uneaten food, and general debris on tank surfaces and substrate. This keeps debris from accumulating.

• Turning over substrate: As shrimp dig and sift through substrate in search of food, they aerate the substrate and prevent waste dead zones.

• Cleaning plants: Shrimp eat algae and microorganisms coating plant leaves. This keeps plants healthier and promotes growth.

Best Algae Eating Shrimp Species

While all shrimp contribute to cleaning and tank maintenance, some are better algae eaters than others. The top algae eating shrimp species include:

• Amano shrimp: Considered one of the best algae eating shrimp around. Voracious eaters of hair algae and diatoms.

• Cherry shrimp: Beautiful red shrimp that constantly graze on soft green algae and biofilm. Great for nano tanks.

• Ghost shrimp: Transparent shrimp that blend in while eating algae and debris from surfaces.

• Bamboo shrimp: Use fans to catch floating algae particles from the water column.

Best Aquarium Cleaning Shrimp

If you want shrimp that do more than just eating algae, these are some of the top overall tank cleaning shrimp:

• Amano shrimp: All-around great janitor that eats algae, cleans plants, and scavenges debris.

• Ghost shrimp: Eats any edible particles they find and cleans all surfaces. Best for community tanks.

• Bamboo shrimp: Catches tiny particles of debris, algae, and waste floating through the water.

• Red cherry shrimp: Good for nano tanks. Eat algae and biofilm while cleaning plant leaves.

Factors That Impact Shrimp’s Cleaning Abilities

While shrimp can help clean tanks, their effectiveness depends on several factors:

• Tank size: Shrimp clean best in appropriately sized tanks under 40 gallons. Their impact is limited in larger tanks.

• Shrimp population: A minimum of 5-10 shrimp per 10 gallons is needed for noticeable cleaning. Individual shrimp do little.

• Available food: Shrimp clean less if overfed, as they prefer fish food to algae. Feed shrimp separately.

• Tankmates: Aggressive fish that harass shrimp will limit their cleaning time. Shrimp clean best in peaceful communities.

• Plant cover: Shrimp clean more when given adequate plant cover. They are vulnerable to predatory fish in open areas.

Shrimp Alone Cannot Fully Clean Tanks

While shrimp contribute to cleaning, they cannot fully maintain tanks alone. Shrimp are limited by their small size in how much algae and waste they can eat. Tanks over 20 gallons usually require additional algae eating fish, snails, and routine cleaning by owners for proper maintenance.

Some additional cleaners to use with shrimp include:

Algae Eating Fish

• Otocinclus catfish
• Bristlenose pleco
• Siamese algae eaters
• Chinese algae eaters

Cleaning Snails

• Nerite snails
• Mystery snails
• Rabbit snails
• Malaysian trumpet snails

Routine gravel vacuuming, water changes, filter cleaning, and scrubbing surfaces for tough algae are also still needed with shrimp. Shrimp are best viewed as tank janitors that reduce cleaning time, not replace it entirely.

Tips for Keeping Cleaner Shrimp

Follow these tips to get the most out of shrimp as tank cleaners:

• Give shrimp adequate plant cover and hiding spots. They are vulnerable to predation without cover.

• Supplement their diet with vegetables and quality shrimp pellets. This prevents malnutrition from eating only algae.

• Introduce shrimp before adding fish. This gives them time to clean algae and establish territories.

• Limit tankmates to peaceful community fish that won’t harass shrimp. Aggression limits cleaning time.

• Provide 5-10 cleaning shrimp per 10 gallons of water for sufficient tank coverage.

• Maintain stable, high-quality water parameters. Shrimp are sensitive to changes.

• Remove aggressive algae eating fish that compete with shrimp for food.

In conclusion, most shrimp do contribute noticeably to cleaning aquarium tanks and surfaces. Their constant grazing on algae, waste, and debris helps reduce maintenance time for aquarists. However, their small size prevents shrimp from fully cleaning tanks on their own. For best results, use shrimp as part of a multi-pronged approach to tank cleaning alongside snails, algae eating fish, and routine maintenance. With the right tank conditions, shrimp can be extremely useful little janitors in freshwater and saltwater tanks!