For people who are new to inshore fishing, live shrimp is a great bait as long as they are still alive. Here’s how to keep shrimp alive in five easy steps.
Shrimp are delicious, nutritious, and a popular ingredient in many dishes. However, they are extremely perishable and only stay fresh for a day or two when properly stored Knowing how to keep shrimp alive for as long as possible ensures you can enjoy their sweet, briny flavor whenever you want
With the right techniques, you can keep live shrimp for up to 7 days. This allows you to buy shrimp in bulk from the market and keep them alive until you’re ready to cook them Follow this guide to learn the secrets of storing shrimp while maintaining freshness.
Why Keeping Shrimp Alive is Better
Keeping shrimp alive has many advantages over storing dead, frozen shrimp:
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More flavor – Live shrimp have significantly more flavor and aroma compared to frozen varieties. Their taste and texture also declines much slower.
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Better texture – The flesh of live shrimp is firmer with a pleasant snap when cooked. Dead shrimp quickly become mushy.
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Less waste – You only thaw and cook what you need instead of re-freezing unused frozen shrimp.
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More options – Live shrimp can be prepared in more ways, like shrimp cocktail with chilled shrimp or shrimp sashimi.
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Convenience – Don’t need to constantly re-stock frozen shrimp. Buy live shrimp in bulk for the week.
Essential Tips for Keeping Shrimp Alive
Follow these essential tips for keeping shrimp alive and energetic:
1 – Keep The Water Cool
Keeping the water cool and regulated is important. Shrimp are cold water creatures and become stressed in warm temperatures, causing death. Here are water temperature guidelines:
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50-55°F (10-12°C) – Ideal for long term shrimp storage of 5-7 days.
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55-60°F (12-15°C) – Marginal temperatures for 3-5 days storage.
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65-70°F (18-21°C) – Avoid storage over 65°F. Shrimp may survive 1-2 days.
Use ice packs or chillers to maintain cool temperatures if needed. Don’t let waters exceed 70°F when keeping shrimp.
2 – Aerator
Low oxygen levels builds up toxic gasses like ammonia that kills shrimp quickly. Use an aerator pump stones to maintain oxygen saturation in the water for best results.
Battery powered aerators are ideal for keeping shrimp alive on-the-go. For home use, there are many affordable air pumps and supplies at aquarium stores to oxygenate water.
Change the water whenever it becomes cloudy or a foul odor is present. Frequently replacing a portion of water helps remove waste buildup.
3 – Avoid Putting Your Hands In The Water
Avoid putting hands directly into the water when possible. Shrimp are sensitive to contaminants which can compromise survival time.
Use a small net or spoon if needing to move shrimp around instead of hand contact. Change gloves between handling to prevent transferring bacteria or chemicals.
Before each use, wash hands thoroughly and rinse any containers or equipment with hot water. Keeping tools and hands clean prevents contaminating the water.
4 – Additives
Specialized shrimp keep alive additives can be used for extending freshness. These contain compounds like stress coat and aloe vera for slime retention and hindering bacterial growth. Follow label instructions when using.
A simple alternative is adding a pinch of salt to the storage container. The salt helps slow bacteria multiplication. Use a ratio of 1 teaspoon salt per gallon of water.
Step-By-Step Guide for Keeping Live Shrimp
Follow this complete step-by-step guide for keeping shrimp alive for 5-7 days:
Supplies Needed
- Cooler or storage container
- Battery powered aerator
- Ice packs
- Aquarium salt (optional)
- Small net or spoon for handling
- Water conditioner (optional)
Steps
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Prepare storage container – Use an insulated cooler or rigid plastic storage box. Thoroughly clean with hot water before use. Fill partially with cool filtered water.
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Add aerator – Place aerator pump stone on bottom and turn on to maximum flow. Ensure water is fully oxygenated before adding shrimp.
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Temperature control – Pack reusable ice packs around the storage container. Replace as needed to maintain 50-55°F water temperature.
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Salt and conditioner – Add 1 teaspoon salt per gallon of water. Also add water conditioner if using.
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Gently add live shrimp – Try to minimize temperature changes. Acclimate bagged shrimp for 15 minutes before carefully releasing into container.
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Avoid overcrowding – Only add enough shrimp with adequate space. Overcrowding causes oxygen depletion.
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Limit handling – Use nets and spoons if needing to move shrimp. Never put hands in water.
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Partial water changes – Replace 25% of water daily. Use premixed salt water for changes.
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Check aerator function – Ensure aerator is running at all times. Change batteries as required.
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Cook within 5-7 days – Consume live shrimp within a week for best flavor and texture.
Storing Specialty Shrimp Varieties
The storage methods work well for most common shrimp varieties like tiger shrimp, white shrimp, and pink shrimp. Some specialty shrimp have particular care requirements:
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Rock shrimp – More sensitive and perishable. Store in cooler temps of 50°F or less.
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Royal red shrimp – Lower oxygen demand but requires clean, high quality water.
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Ghost shrimp – Very hardy and can be kept alive for 7+ days in 50-60°F water.
When in doubt, aim for cooler storage temperatures of 50-55°F and higher aeration for delicate shrimp species. Monitor closely and cook sooner if any die-off observed.
FAQs About Keeping Live Shrimp
How long can you keep shrimp alive in the refrigerator?
With proper icing and aerating, live shrimp can survive 5-7 days stored in a refrigerator. Keep temperatures as close to 40°F as possible. Do not store live shrimp in freezer compartments.
What is the best way to keep shrimp fresh overnight?
For next day use, place shrimp in ice water inside a cooler or storage box. Use an aerator and add a teaspoon of salt per gallon of water. Keep chilled below 55°F.
Can you freeze live shrimp?
Freezing live shrimp is not recommended. They will not survive the freezing process. It’s best to freeze raw shrimp that are already dead.
What should I look for when buying live shrimp?
Choose active shrimp with intact shells and clear eyes. Avoid any with black spots or cloudy eyes. Their tails should be straight and rigid. Soft, limp shrimp are perished.
How do you humanely kill live shrimp?
The most humane method is rapid chilling. Place live shrimp in an ice water bath for 20 minutes until they become unresponsive. This numbs their nervous system before killing.
Enjoy the Superior Flavor of Fresh Live Shrimp
With the proper techniques, keeping shrimp alive for a week or more is simple. Follow this guide to ensure you have the freshest, best tasting shrimp anytime you want it. Investing in a good cooler, aerator, and ice packs means you can buy fresh shrimp in bulk and forget about constantly buying frozen. The superior flavor and texture of live shrimp is worth the minimal effort.
How to Keep Shrimp Alive
Nothing is worse than discovering all your bait died on your way to the honey hole. Here is how to keep shrimp alive to ensure those sea crickets keep kicking.
Keep the water cool
Keeping the water cool is important for shrimp to stay alive, and we already talked about how aeration helps with that.
But adding air isn’t the only way to cool the water. You should also keep the lid on the live well closed to keep the sun’s heat out.
Adding ice or frozen water bottles helps, just be sure to secure the bottles if you use them. Otherwise they will bounce around when underway and smash the shrimp.
I would put a twenty-pound bag of ice in a thirty-gallon live well in the middle of summer to keep the water cool and the shrimp happy.