Amano Shrimp Care Tips and Tricks

Whether you’re a budding hobbyist or you’re thinking about bringing new tank mates into your aquarium, amano shrimp make a great choice. 

One of the more popular aquarium shrimp available, Amano shrimp are best known for their peaceful attitude, ability to cohabitate and diligence in consuming and cleaning algae from the tank. 

Are you thinking about adding this new crustacean to your aquarium, but you’re not sure how to take care of Amano shrimp? With our Amano shrimp care guide, you can feel more confident about giving your shrimp everything they need to thrive, from tank size recommendations to water parameters, plant matter suggestions and fish food recommendations.

Here’s our simple care guide for Amano shrimp: 

Origin and Natural Habitat 

Caridina multidentata, or amano shrimp for short, can be found in areas of East Asia like Japan, Taiwan, the Korean peninsula and the Ryukyu Islands. Young amano shrimp start by living in salty, brackish water. When they reach a matured age, they move to freshwater streams and rivers. Their natural habitat should be an influence in designing your freshwater shrimp tank. 

Tank Size, Essentials and Water Parameters

Amano shrimp are generally sold in packs of five, you may consider a 10 gallon tank to maintain a comfortable habitat. We recommend a max of 2 shrimp per gallon because they can get pretty large compared to their dwarf shrimp cousins.

With a lot of room to roam, it’s important to give your shrimp a habitat that’s worth exploring! Keeping their natural habitat in mind, you can find a variety of aquarium plants, accessories and other essentials that can be used to make them feel more at home. A planted tank offers places to hide and relax.

In terms of tank parameters, we recommend a pH level between 6.5 and 7.5, and KH levels between 0 and 10. When it comes to temperature, amano shrimp enjoy a range between 64 degrees and 84 degrees Fahrenheit. 

This temperature is set for growth purposes; invertebrates grow quicker in higher water temperatures. However, higher temperatures could impact their lifespan. Keep this in mind when controlling the water parameters.

Compatible Tank Mates

Dwarf shrimp are peaceful, friendly creatures that can do well by having other shrimp of similar demeanor. Male and female amano shrimp alike can happily share tanks and find companionship with other shrimp and fish, such as:

• Neon Tetras
• Celestial Pearl Danio
• Cherry Shrimp

Diet 

While these algae eaters can find it by cleaning up the tank, we also recommend shrimp food to meet vital protein, vitamin and mineral requirements. Shrimpy Business Shrimp Starter Pack is a great option for new hobbyists - each pack consists of:

• Shrimp Party Shrimp Food, with a formula that’s rich in essential protein, vitamins and minerals, you can help your Amano shrimp properly thrive, grow and breed in your tank.
• 10 Organic Dried Almond Leaves. These leaves provide a space for biofilm to grow, which can make for a useful spot for snacking! 
• 1 Shrimpy Business Shrimp Net. We know how fast and jumpy Amano shrimp can be! Our stainless steel telescope net, made with high quality mesh, is designed to safely and effectively catch your shrimp.  

Breeding Behavior

In captivity, Amano shrimp may be considered difficult to breed. Since their eggs require brackish water to survive, you have to be conscious about the initial tank requirements and water parameters. Breeders can be successful, but the survival rates are considered to be low. 

When breeding is successful, the process is more complex than the average shrimp. After the male fertilizes the egg, the female carries them for six weeks. The larvae must then be released into brackish water to mature. This is the part that makes it more difficult - the larvae thrive in brackish water at birth, but they need freshwater for growth and ultimate development. 

Shop Shrimpy Business for Your Shrimpy Needs

New to the shrimp hobby? Looking to expand your tank with new creatures? Shopping for aquarium plants and other essentials? Shrimpy Business has everything you need to thrive as a shrimp and fish hobbyist. 

Get your Amano shrimp, or browse through our other freshwater shrimp today to start the next journey on your shrimp hobby adventure.