| What is a dwarf shrimp? |
| A dwarf shrimp is (for the purposes of
this website) a freshwater aquarium shrimp. They
are mostly Caridina or Neocaridina spp. |
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| How big of a tank do
dwarf shrimp need? |
| Most dwarf shrimp do not require much
space. A 5 gallon aquarium is about all that is
needed as long as the tank has adequate filtration and
water changes are performed 2 times a month. |
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| What type of filter
should I use? |
| A sponge filter is the best filter for
a shrimp only aquarium. Another good option is a
corner box filter. Most power filters will suck
smaller shrimp into the filter and kill them, so they
are not recommended. |
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| How long will dwarf
shrimp live? |
| Most dwarf shrimp live between 1.5 and
3 years. There are some very long lived shrimp,
such as the ope ula (Hawaiian Red Shrimp). This
shrimp can live beyond 20 years in captivity. |
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| How big will dwarf
shrimp get? |
| Most dwarf shrimp stay between 1.5 and
2.5 inches. There are a few species that get
larger and a few smaller species as well. Many
Macrobrachium species can get very large and are not
suited to aquarium life. |
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| How can I get my shrimp
to breed?
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| As long as there are both a male and a
female in an aquarium with suitable water parameters
most dwarf shrimp will breed naturally. The
female will carry the eggs under her tail until they
hatch. Many species will hatch as smaller
versions of their adult parents and some will go threw
many larval stages that require sea water to survive.. |
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| How can I tell a male
from a female? |
| Most dwarf shrimp species are fairly
easy to tell the difference. The female is
usually the larger and more colorful. In species
that the male is just a colorful you can tell by the
female being a little larger when full grown and also
having a broader and rounder tail. |
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| How do I raise the
young? |
| If the young shrimp is a miniature
version of the adult they require no special
attention. They will eat the same foods at the
adults and have the same water requirements. If
the young have larval stages (like Amano Shrimp) the
rearing of the young is much more difficult.
Read the Amano
Shrimp profile to get an idea. |
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| Do dwarf shrimp eat
their young? |
| Most species of dwarf shrimp will not
eat their young. If the adult shrimp are
starving there is a chance that they will eat the
young as a last resort, but this is VERY uncommon. |
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| What do dwarf shrimp
eat? |
| Most dwarf shrimp are omnivores.
They will eat just about anything in an aquarium that
is edible. Many of the shrimp will eat the algae
that naturally occurs in aquariums and sinking pellets
and blanched (boiled until soft) vegetables make good
foods for dwarf shrimp. |
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| Can I keep fish with
my dwarf shrimp? |
| Many fish will make a quick meal of
dwarf shrimp. If the shrimp can fit in the mouth
of the shrimp, odds are the fish will eat the shrimp.
There are a few peaceful small mouthed fish that work
well with shrimp such as neon and cardinal tetras,
Endlers Livebearers, and smaller rasboras. If
you are planning on breeding dwarf shrimp and raising
the young it is not suggested to have any fish in the
aquarium with the shrimp. |
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| Will different shrimp
species breed with each other? |
| Yes, most Neocaridina species will
breed with other Neocaridina species and many Caridina
species will breed with other Caridina species.
Neocaridina species will not breed with Caridina
species. It is not recommended to keep any
species that my interbreed with each other. |
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