Amano shrimp care
Caridina multidentata · Streams of Japan and Taiwan
Amano shrimp are the hardest-working algae eaters among shrimp: about 2 inches, happy in a 10 gallon or larger tank in a group of three or more.
- Tank size
- 10 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 68 to 80 °F (20 to 27 °C)
- Group size
- 3 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 2 in
- pH
- 6.5 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 6 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 2 to 3 years
- Diet
- Grazer
- Care level
- Easy
In a 10 gallon
20¼ × 10½ × 12 9/16 in outsideHow to keep Amano shrimp
Amano shrimp are the hardest-working algae eaters among shrimp: about 2 inches, happy in a 10 gallon or larger tank in a group of three or more. Their larvae need brackish water, so they do not breed in a freshwater tank.
Diet: Grazer: algae, biofilm, leftovers, algae wafers. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Amano shrimp tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Rummy-nose tetra
2 in · 20+ gal · 75–82 °F
Silvertip tetra
2 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Harlequin rasbora
2 in · 10+ gal · 72–81 °F
Zebra danio
2 in · 10+ gal · 64–77 °F
Cherry barb
2 in · 20+ gal · 73–81 °F
Honey gourami
2 in · 10+ gal · 72–82 °F
Forktail blue-eye rainbowfish
2 in · 10+ gal · 72–80 °F
Lemon tetra
2 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Keep apart
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid: Cockatoo dwarf cichlids eat shrimp.
Shell-dweller cichlid: Shell-dweller cichlids eat shrimp.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: Fancy goldfish eat shrimp.
Golden dwarf cichlid: Golden dwarf cichlids eat shrimp.
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid: Agassiz's dwarf cichlids eat shrimp.
What an Amano shrimp tank needs
A tank of 10 US gallons or more (such as the 10 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small shrimp. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
Fluval AC20
Rated by the maker for 5–20 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon Amano shrimp tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon Amano shrimp tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Amano shrimp need 68 to 80 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding Amano shrimp.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 68 to 80 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a shrimp tank · Filters for a 10 gallon tank · Heaters for a 10 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common Amano shrimp problems
- Escapes: they climb out through gaps around equipment; keep the lid tight.
- Copper and some medications kill them.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Caridina multidentata. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rummy-nose tetra PierangeloGatto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Silvertip tetra Filtropat; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Harlequin rasbora NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra danio Roundish, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry barb Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Honey gourami Antoon Dommerholt (Dutch Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Forktail blue-eye rainbowfish Dirk Godlinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Lemon tetra SOK, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Shell-dweller cichlid Richard A. Ingebrigtsen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Golden dwarf cichlid Borkowski.robert, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Agassiz's dwarf cichlid Cisamarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ghost shrimp Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Mystery snail Gabriel Resende Veiga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra nerite snail TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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