What Is a Shrimp Tank?
An aquarium shrimp tank is a setup designed specifically for freshwater shrimp species, requiring a well-established tank with algae, plants, and specific filtration methods to prevent harm to the shrimp. Unlike general fish tanks, shrimp tanks often emphasize plant life and natural decor to mimic the shrimp’s natural environment.
Why Keep Freshwater Shrimp?
Freshwater shrimp are a very low-maintenance species that require minimal upkeep compared to fish and other aquatic species.
As natural scavengers, they feed on algae, detrius and any leftover fish food in the tank. This means that they will help to keep the tank clean that they are living in.
They also add a very low bioload to the tank; meaning that they do not stress the nitrogen cycle in the tank nor result in much accumulation in nitrates. Therefore, a shrimp only tank can often go much longer between water changes, especially when planted with live plants.
Shrimp grow and breed quickly. This means that you can watch them molt as they grow (shedding of their outer shell). And, once they reach maturity, you’ll start to see berried females (where they carry and develop eggs under their tail, before they hatch into the tank).
Popular Shrimp Species for Aquariums
Some of the most popular shrimp species for shrimp only tanks include Cherry and Crystal Shrimp. Keep in mind that both species have different requirements when it comes to water parameters, with Cherry Shrimp being the more forgiving of the two species, particularly for beginners.
Cherry Shrimp (Neocardinia Davidi)
Cherry shrimp comes in a range of colours, with the most popular being red, blue, yellow and orange. They can survive in a broad range in water conditions, which makes them the easier of the two species to start keeping. They are also prolific breeders, making it easy to maintain and grow their numbers. They typically surivve for ~1.5-2y.
Note: If keeping the shrimp because you like their colours, rather than just their cleaning capabilities, it is important not to keep shrimp of different colours in the same tank. If you do, it will not take them long to cross breed, which will ultimately result in them returning to their natural colour, which is almost clear.
Crystal Shrimp (Caridinia cf. Cantonensis)
Crystal shrimp come in an even broader and more striking range of colours than Cherry shrimp. Of the two species, they are the more difficult to keep, requiring more specific water parameters and care but can be well worth the effort. Similar to Cherry Shrimp, do not keep different colours in the same tank to prevent cross breeding. They typically live for ~1-1.5y.
Overview of Water Parameters for Cherry Shrimp vs Crystal Shrimp
|
Parameter |
Cherry Shrimp |
Crystal Shrimp |
Temperature |
20–26°C (68–79°F) |
20–24°C (68–75°F) |
pH |
6.5-7.5 |
6.0-6.8 |
General Hardness (GH) |
6-8 dGH |
4-6 dGH |
Carbonate Hardness (KH) |
2-4 dKH |
0-2 dKH |
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) |
150-250 ppm |
100-180 ppm |
Shrimp Tank Setup
What Size Aquarium for Shrimp Tank?
Due to their low bioload, shrimp can happily survive in much smaller setups, such as a nano shrimp tank. From my experience, I would recommend at least ~18L / 5Gallons and up. This is enough size for some live plants and a sponge filter, and seems to offer them enough space to feel happy to breed at a noticeable pace. Much smaller and their population size tends to stall. It is also a sufficient sized tank for the water parameters to stay relatively stable – an important factor when keeping shrimp.
While possible to keep them in smaller tanks, it will be much more work for you, particularly if you are newer to the hobby.
Best Substrate for Shrimp Tanks
A dark, fine-grained substrate, such as fine gravel, mimics the shrimp’s natural habitat. Shrimp are, however, pretty indifferent for this variable and will accommodate a broad range of substrate types. As with keeping fish, you may notice that the strength of their colours changes slightly depending on the colour of the substrate chosen. I use river sand in most of my tanks, which works well. Though if looking to heavily plant or aquascape your shrimp tank, you may wish to opt for a more plant-friendly option.
Note: It is also important to treat aquarium plants before introducing them to shrimp tanks to avoid pests like planaria and leeches, which can negatively impact shrimp populations and their breeding success.
Best Filter for Shrimp Tanks
The low bioload of shrimp provides a wider range of filter options to go in their tanks. Where space allows, my preferred option is to use a sponge filter, which is attached to an air pump. This provides ample space for good bacteria (and biofilm that the shrimp will graze on) and aerates the water, while not providing excessive flow in the tank – as shrimp are not the strongest of swimmers. I use this sponge filter in my 30 L / 8 Gallon tank (I picked up a multi pack very cheaply; see below pic, left), and I attach in to a Tetra Whisper Air Pump (below pic, centre). That airpump is my go-to as it makes less noise than a normal air pump and has sufficient strength to run multiple outflows from the 1 device – I use it for 2x air pumps and a brine shrimp hatchery for another fish tank, using a flow splitter like this one (below pick, right) where you can manually control the flow to each of the different devices.
An alternative approach that I would recommend is to consider an external, canister filter. This can be a great option, particulalry for smaller volume tanks, as the filter increases the overall water volume being circulated, helping to stabilise water parameters. I love canister filters too, as, due to their larger volumes, they typically require less cleaning than an internal filter (a filter inside your tank). For a smaller aquarium, my go-to canister filers are the Zoo Med Nano Canister Filter. If the flow is a bit too strong for your tank, consider adding an extended outlet pipe, such as the one at the top of this page. These outlets help to reduce the power of the outflow and more evenly distribute it across the tank.
If using a filter with an inlet and outlet valve that also has a strong flow rate, you may want to consider adding a pre-filter to the inlet valve. This is because most have holes large enough for smaller shrimp to get sucked into – creating a mini colony within your filter itself and removing them from your tank. Both metal and sponge varities are available for this purpose. You’ll just need to remember to clean them once in a while to keep an optimal flow rate – this has the added benefit of reducing buld up within the canister filter media too.
Do I Need a Heater for My Shrimp Tank?
This will depend on where you live in the world, and how warm your normal indoor temperature is. Refer to the table above to double check how this compares to the parameters needed for your shrimp choice. As a general rule, a heater is a good choice – as it can help to stablise any potential temperature fluctuations.
Conversely, if you live in a warmter environment you may need to consider ways to chill your tank water if the nearby environment gets too hot; especially if keeping crystal shrimp, which require a lower temperature range.
Lighting for Shrimp Tanks
Moderate lighting will help to support both plant growth – if you are keeping live plants in your tank – and also to showcase your shrimp’s colors. It is recommended to schedule the lighting of your tank to minimic the shrimp’s natural environment, this helps to give them down time overnight and also to minimise excess algae growth. See our post on lighting in aquariums for more information about this.
Do I Need to Cycle a Shrimp Tank?
Yes, just like fish tanks, it is important to ensure that your tank is fully cycled before adding any shrimp to the water. Shrimp are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in water parameters, including spikes in Ammonia. Therefore, do take the time to make the water safe before you add them to your tank. If you have not cycled a tank before, then I’d recommend you check out these posts to find out more about the nitrogen cycle and how to set up your tank (Overview of the nitrogen cycle and cycling your fish tank & Guide to a fishless cycle [a faster and lower effort option cycling option]).
Benefits of Adding Live Plants for Shrimp
Live plants help to improve water quality in your tank, promote biofilm – a natural food source for shrimp – and offer dense hiding spots for your shrimp, which helps them to feel safe (particualry after moulting and if they share the tank with other fish). These dense hiding spots are also particualry beneficial for shrimplets (baby shrimp) to hide in, helping them survive until they reach a larger size where they can feel safer out in the open.
Introducing Shrimp to Their New Home
Acclimating Shrimp Safely
As mentioned above, shrimp are sensitive to changes in water conditions. As as result, it’s important to properly acclimatize them to their new home. A popular method to achieve this is the drip acclimation method:
1. Place the shrimp in a container with the water from their original bag.
2. Use airline tubing to slowly drip water from your tank into the container over 1-2 hours.
3. Once the water volume has doubled, gently transfer the shrimp into your tank using a soft net. (Leave the old tank water in the container and throw it away, to help minimize the likelihood of transferring any unwanted bugs into your tank.)
Best Fish for Shrimp Tanks
For many fish species, shrimp (paritcurly shrimplets) are a tasty snack. Therefore, it is important to make sure that any fish you keep with your shrimp are compatible with them, or that you have a large enough shrimp colony and pleny of hiding spots to help them survive.
As a general rule, consider fish that have smaller mouths (nano fish), vegetarian species, and snails. Fish species such as celestial pear danios, neon and ember tetras, corydoras, some whiptail species, and otocinclus are a good place to start. For some suggestions on snail options for your tank, see this post.
