Fish don’t have to be the only residents in an aquarium. You can also keep small shrimp, crayfish, tiny frogs, and snails in it. Among them, shrimp are the most popular.
These tiny crustaceans have become very popular with aquarium enthusiasts. More and more new species are being imported, and breeders are constantly creating new and unique color varieties.
The success of these small invertebrates is due to several factors, such as their low maintenance needs, easy breeding, interesting behavior, and fantastic colors.
Additionally, they benefit our aquariums in many ways. They eat small algae that larger aquarium residents can’t reach and leftover food.
Below, I will introduce you to 8 facts about aquarium shrimp. I think they’ll help explain why they are so popular among fishkeepers.
I’m also sure that you’ll want to add them to your aquarium too.
Because the topic is quite broad, I can’t cover everything here. If you are interested, I recommend looking into more specialized literature and other articles.
They are the most popular invertebrate in aquarium keeping
As I just wrote earlier, they are the most popular, alongside aquarium fish. In pet stores, we can also find many species of crayfish and snails. Small aquatic frogs can also be an interesting addition.
However, shrimp are the most popular. This is mainly because many new colorful varieties are available for sale. There are at least dozens of species and varieties of shrimp.
It’s worth mentioning that new types appear every year. Particularly beautiful and purebred specimens of certain varieties can reach high prices. Sometimes, people are willing to pay hundreds or even thousands of euros for a particularly colorful 1 inch shrimp.
We can keep them with almost all fish, but if we want to breed them effectively, the best solution is setup a separate tank.
In general, many fish don’t eat adult shrimp, but their offspring may become a tasty live snack for them.
They benefit aquariums
Why adding a few shrimp to your aquarium can be beneficial?
First, they will add some variety to your tank with animals different from fish. Compared to some fish, they are very social. Every time you look at your aquarium, you’ll notice that the shrimp are always active. This will give your aquarium more character.
Plus, you can choose colorful varieties that will look great against the green plants and dark rocks.
They don’t really need any extra care. As long as you maintain good water conditions, you shouldn’t have any issues keeping shrimp. They are also good at cleaning the tank. They eat small algae and leftover food that fish don’t eat. Some species of shrimp even clean parasites off certain fish.
You’ll see that having a few shrimp in your tank can improve the water quality effectively.
They are easy to keep and breed
hrimp are very easy to breed. In many cases, if you maintain the right conditions in your aquarium, they will reproduce on their own, and you don’t need to do anything.
Of course, if you want to breed shrimp, it’s best to create a tank just for them. A shrimp tank doesn’t need to be big, and for breeding, it will be much safer for the babies. Some larger fish might eat the shrimp babies.
A unique feature is that they carry eggs under their bodies. The female releases sexual hormones as a sign that she is ready to breed. When the male finds her, he deposit his sperm on the female.
The eggs stay on the underside of her body until they are ready to hatch. During this time, they are fanned by the shrimp’s tail.
This process helps provide oxygen and keeps the eggs clean, preventing mold or bacteria from growing.
You can fit plenty in
You can actually keep a lot of shrimp in an aquarium at the same time. Of course, there are some size requirements. We need to keep a few things in mind.
Shrimp can do well even in a 5-gallon tank. There are many tank kits made specifically for shrimp available in stores now.
Many aquarium owners follow the rule of 25 shrimp per gallon, as this gives them enough space and allows them to breed.
Of course, in a larger tank, shrimp will have more space and better chances to breed.
The aquarium can be open, but we must remember not to fill it to the top with water. There should be at least one inch of space between the water surface and the top edge of the tank. Otherwise, shrimp might escape and die from suffocation.
Some are nocturnal
There are certain species of shrimp that come out after the lights are turned off.
These shrimp avoid daylight and only come out when the aquarium gets dark.
One example is the peppermint shrimp, which hides in the decorations of the aquarium all day and only comes out at night to feed.
Many aquarium owners don’t appreciate these shrimp because they are not seen during the day.
However, there is one big advantage to these shrimp—they eat unwanted, troublesome anemones that are a common problem in freshwater aquariums.
In this case, having shrimp is really beneficial.
They eat almost anything
Yes, it’s true that shrimp will eat almost anything. They spend most of their time foraging at the bottom of the tank for anything they can eat. They will eat both plants and animals, whether dead or alive.
In an aquarium, they will consume things like algae, dead or live plants, dead fish, and even other dead shrimp. This is why shrimp are considered omnivores.
However, their diet should mainly consist of plant-based foods. Generally, the best food is algae that grow on plants and decorations in the tank, but these usually run out quickly, so you need to give them various substitute foods.
In good aquarium stores, you’ll find many types of shrimp food, like plant-based flakes that sink to the bottom. Oak or alder leaves are also ideal.
They can molt or lose their outer shell
It’s good to know that shrimp can shed their shells. Many beginner aquarium keepers might mistakenly think they have dead shrimp at the bottom of the tank. In most cases, these are just the exoskeletons that have been shed.
Molting is a process shrimp go through many times as they grow. When they are young, they shed their skin about once a week.
If you’re unsure whether it’s a dead shrimp or not, remember one thing: dead shrimp tend to turn pink, while the shell looks almost exactly like a live, colorful shrimp.
When a shrimp sheds its shell, it is very vulnerable to damage because its new shell is quite soft at first. Over the next few days, the shell hardens.
Shrimp are perfect for small tanks and small spaces
I wrote earlier that they are ideal for small tanks. Of course, there’s no problem keeping them in large aquariums either.
They are very small and adapt well to small spaces. However, remember to have a cover on the aquarium, because shrimp can simply climb out, which would be fatal for them. You can also fill the water below the edge so the shrimp can’t escape.
If you’re not sure what fish to pick for a small aquarium, shrimp might be perfect for you. Fish usually need more space to swim, which means a bigger aquarium.
However, I’d like to add that shrimp are great swimmers, though not in the same way we see in fish.
Shrimp don’t have fins, but by flexing their abdomen and tail muscles, they can move quickly forward and backward.
This allows them to move quite fast in the water. This behavior is easiest to observe in a larger aquarium where they have more space to swim around.
In conclusion
Shrimp are not as hard to take care of as you might think. If you learn just a little important information, you won’t have any problems with them.
I have to admit that I don’t have much experience with shrimp, but they multiplied very quickly in my aquarium. I didn’t really have to do anything.
Let me know if you have shrimp in your aquarium or if you plan to buy some!
