Shrimp keeping is a fun and rewarding hobby, but it does come with some challenges. One common question shrimp owners have is whether shrimp will eat aquarium plants. Understanding the relationship between shrimp and plants is important for maintaining a successful tank. In this article, we’ll explore if and when shrimp might nibble on your aquatic plants.
Will Shrimp Eat Healthy Plants?
In general, shrimp will not purposefully eat healthy live plants in your aquarium. Shrimp are primarily scavengers and opportunistic omnivores. This means they eat whatever food sources are readily available, including algae, biofilm, debris, and detritus. Healthy plants don’t offer much nutritional value to shrimp.
Most species of aquarium shrimp, like cherry shrimp, amano shrimp, and ghost shrimp, will leave healthy plants alone. Their tiny mouths and claws aren’t well equipped to munch on robust plant tissue. Shrimp may gently graze on algae or Aufwuchs growing on plant leaves, but this grazing usually doesn’t damage the plants.
So in most cases, aquarium owners don’t need to worry about shrimp destroying their carefully cultivated aquascapes. Shrimp coexist very well with plant life. Many shrimp enthusiasts even use plants to help filter the water and create hiding spots in a shrimp-only tank.
When Might Shrimp Nibble Plants?
However, there are a few exceptions where shrimp may nibble on live plants:
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Certain aggressive shrimp species are more prone to eating plants, like the vampire shrimp. Vampire shrimp have larger claws capable of shredding plant material.
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Juvenile shrimp and babies don’t have fully developed food preferences. Very young shrimp may sample plants while exploring the tank. But this plant nibbling behavior usually decreases as they mature.
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If shrimp aren’t getting adequate nutrition from other sources, they may turn to plants out of hunger or desperation. Make sure to supplement their diet with protein-rich foods like shrimp pellets blanched vegetables and algae wafers.
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Similarly, underfed shrimp may demolish dying or decaying plant parts in search of food. Damaged leaves can leech nutrients into the water that attract grazing.
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In a tank without algae, shrimp may raspingly graze plants to fulfill their natural grazing urges. Having some algae growth can divert their attention.
Case Study: Shrimp Eating Anubias
To see an example of when shrimp do eat plants let’s look at a case reported on Reddit
A shrimp owner noticed that the leaves on their anubias plant were looking ragged and developing holes overnight. On closer inspection, they spotted several of their cherry shrimp rasping at and eating the anubias leaves.
What went wrong in this situation? The owner realized they had recently introduced the shrimp to the planted tank. While the plants were established, there wasn’t much algae growth to graze on yet. The active shrimp were clearly hungry and had started treating the anubias as a food source.
To remedy the situation, the owner did a partial water change and made sure to give the shrimp supplemental feeding. This provided them with other options besides the living plants to forage on. After a few days, the shrimp stopped destroying the anubias once their hunger was satisfied.
This story demonstrates shrimp’s capacity to damage plants when hungry. But with proper tank maintenance and diet, shrimp and plants can successfully co-exist. The key is maintaining the balance and not forcing shrimp to look to plants for nutrition.
Tips to Stop Shrimp Eating Plants
If your shrimp have developed a taste for your aquarium plants, there are a few steps you can take:
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Feed a varied diet – Give shrimp high quality foods like algae wafers, blanched veggies, shrimp pellets/granules, and calcium supplements. This prevents hunger-driven plant munching.
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Foster algae growth – Having algae, especially soft green kinds, can satisfy shrimp’s natural grazing urges and divert them from plants.
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Add hiding spots – Shrimp eat more when feeling stressed or exposed. Use plants, rocks, wood, and caves as hiding areas.
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Supplement minerals – A mineral deficiency can trigger unusual food-seeking behavior. Add shrimp minerals to the water.
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Test water parameters – Make sure water conditions are stable and ideal for your shrimp species. Fix any ammonia or nitrite spikes that could stress livestock.
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Use snail guards – Protect delicate plants with plastic mesh guards to keep shrimp claws off. Look for aquarium plant guards sold online.
With attentive tank maintenance and care, shrimp plant nibbling should resolve on its own. But if the problem persists, you may need to move the shrimp to their own separate planted tank without prized aquascaping.
Benefits of Plants for Shrimp
While we’ve focused on shrimp eating plants, it’s important to remember plants offer many benefits to a shrimp tank when maintained properly:
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Hiding spots – Plants like moss give essential cover for shrimp to feel secure and explore.
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Surface area – Plant leaves provide surface for biofilm and Aufwuchs that shrimp graze on.
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Water filtering – Aquatic plants absorb fish waste and improve water clarity and oxygenation.
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Fry protection – Thick vegetation shields baby shrimp from predator fish that might eat them.
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Food source – Decaying leaves and algae support the tank’s ecosystem and supplement shrimp diets.
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Enrichment – Plants make the habitat more complex, which is mentally stimulating for active shrimp.
So despite the occasional nibble, shrimp and plants can positively enhance each other when kept in balance. Consider adding some hardy, fast-growing stem plants, floaters, ferns, mosses, and carpeting plants to your shrimp tank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did my cherry shrimp suddenly start eating my java fern?
A: Likely explanations are that the shrimp are underfed, bored, or adapting to a new tank. Make sure to give them adequate nutrition and algae to graze on. Also test water parameters and reduce stressors.
Q: Are red cherry shrimp safe to keep with aquatic plants?
A: Yes, red cherry shrimp are one of the most plant-safe freshwater shrimp species. As long as they are fed properly, cherries will leave plants alone. Their small size limits damage.
Q: What plants can I add to prevent shrimp eating plants?
A: Fast-growing stem plants, floating plants, mosses, and carpeting plants give shrimp ample alternative grazing. Anacharis, hornwort, guppy grass, pearlweed, and java moss are good choices.
Q: Why did my amano shrimp shred my dwarf hairgrass?
A: Amano shrimp have larger claws for grabbing that may uproot delicate carpeting plants. Use larger leafed rooted plants instead or add plastic protective mesh.
Q: Are ghost shrimp compatible with live aquarium plants?
A: Yes, ghost shrimp are generally considered safe with plants. As omnivorous scavengers, they prefer eating algae, biofilm, and debris over live plant tissue.
Conclusion
To wrap up, shrimp will typically not eat healthy aquatic plants in your tank. Their small size and mouths limit their ability to damage most robust plants. However, shrimp may opportunistically nibble plants if they are underfed, lacking algae, or adapting to a new tank. Address any husbandry issues driving atypical plant grazing behaviors. With good tank maintenance, shrimp and plants can safely coexist and even benefit each other. Consider adding floating, stem, moss, carpet, and rooted plants to give your shrimp the best possible habitat.
