Shrimp

What are shrimps?

Shrimps are crustaceans known for their elongate bodies, stalked eyes, and spindly legs. There are more than 2,000 species of shrimps known worldwide, many of which live in freshwater environments. A lot of these freshwater shrimp are commonly kept in aquariums as they spend nearly all of their time grazing on unsightly algae, helping to keep hobbyists’ aquariums clean. They’re also incredibly peaceful and can be kept alongside small tropical fish in community aquariums.

What types of shrimps can you keep in an aquarium?

Most freshwater shrimps available in the fishkeeping hobby stay relatively small and do best when kept in small to medium-sized aquariums with small, peaceful fish. Some of the most popular types of shrimps are cherry shrimp. These crustaceans come in a wide variety of colours, from red cherry shrimp to blue cherry shrimp. They’re also prolific breeders and will readily reproduce without much intervention.

Another favourite amongst hobbyists are Amano shrimp. These shrimps are slightly larger than cherry shrimp (~4cm) and are typically translucent, rather than vividly coloured. They’re known for their voracious appetites for algae and are often sold as ‘clean-up crew’ that will keep your aquarium clear of particularly stubborn algae, such as green spot algae, diatom algae, and black beard algae. Other popular types of shrimps include bamboo shrimp, fan shrimp, and tiger shrimp.

What do shrimp eat?

Shrimps aren’t picky when it comes to food and will eat pretty much anything you put into your aquarium, including your fingers if you have any dead skin on them! Most freshwater shrimp are detritovores, meaning they feed on dead and decomposing organic material – chiefly plant matter. To make sure they get all of the vitamins and minerals they need, it’s recommended that you feed your shrimp some specially formulated, sinking shrimp food, like those made by Shrimp King. You can also offer than some blanched vegetables, such as cucumber, spinach, or peas, every now and then.

How long do shrimp live for?

Not all shrimps live for the same amount of time. On average, cherry shrimp live for 1-2 years, while Amano shrimp live for 2-3 years. These are just averages, however, and there’s lots of stories of cherry shrimp, Amano shrimp, and other types of freshwater shrimp living for over a decade! As long as your shrimp are kept in a suitably sized, established aquarium and fed a diet of quality shrimp food, they should live for several years. And if you’re keeping cherry shrimp, they’ll likely breed and replace themselves with 100s of babies that you can raise or give to fellow hobbyists.