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SnailsAmano Shrimp Care & Info | Champion Algae Eater
Looking for an algae eater for your aquarium? Skip the fish, choose a shrimp! The Amano shrimp is one of the most efficient algae eaters you can add to your tank. This species is 100% beginner-proof, peaceful, and doesn't require a lot of space. Could it be any more perfect?
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about keeping Amano shrimp, one of The Shrimp Farm's long-time favorite types of freshwater shrimp.
| Scientific Name: Caridina multidentata (formerly Caridina japonica) |
| Common Name(s): Amano Shrimp, Japanese Swamp Shrimp, Yamato Shrimp, Algae Shrimp |
| Minimum Tank Size: 5 gallons |
| Temperament: Peaceful |
| Breeding: Possible, but very difficult |
| Care Level: Easy |
| Origin: Japan, Taiwan |
Table of Contents
Amano shrimp natural habitat, history & appearance
Natural habitat
Although different sources cite different natural ranges for the Amano shrimp (including as far away as Madagascar), it actually appears to exclusively be found in southern Japan and most of Taiwan.
In their natural habitat, Amano shrimp can be found in larger river systems, particularly the upper reaches. According to research, these waters are characterized by their fast flow, high oxygen levels, lack of aquatic plants (though riverbank vegetation can be present) and large, coarse boulder substrate.
Did you know? The IUCN Red List considers Caridina multidentata to be a species of Least Concern. This means it's not currently threatened in the wild.
History
Often, not much is known about how a fish or invertebrate species was first introduced into the aquarium trade. Today's subject is an exception, and it's a fun little story! The Amano shrimp has been a staple in the aquarium hobby ever since it was first introduced on a large scale by legendary aquascaper and photographer Takashi Amano.
Known in the hobby as the father of the "Nature Aquarium", an aquascaping style that employs natural rocks and wood as well as live plants, Amano was experimenting with different shrimp species for algae control when he observed that a then totally unknown species performed much better than the others.
According to Practical Fishkeeping Magazine, Amano promptly asked his regular supplier to gather a few thousand(!) of these wonder shrimp for him. The supplier in question hadn't had much luck selling the species before and was therefore not enthusiastic about the venture, but Amano insisted. His use of what is now known as the Amano shrimp in some of his most legendary aquascapes meant its popularity quickly soared around the globe.
Appearance
Its appearance isn't what made the Amano shrimp famous: this shrimp is pretty plain-looking. Transparent with a pattern of dark brown to black dots and dashes along its sides, it grows to a maximum size of around 2", making it a good bit larger than common dwarf shrimp like Neocaridina.
When purchasing from pet stores or online, it's common to receive shrimp around 1 inch in size. Purchasing a smaller shrimp doesn't mean it is undesirable or unhealthy, as they will grow quickly in an established, healthy aquatic environment.
Another characteristic that sets Amanos apart from most other shrimp kept in the aquarium is that they start their lives as larvae rather than as tiny copies of their parents. We'll go further into this in the section on breeding.
Did you know? Amano shrimp were scientifically known as Caridina japonica until a taxonomic revision in 2006. Although they're now called Caridina multidentata, you may still find them for sale under their old name.
On the Species of Japanese Atyid Shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea) Described by William Stimpson (1860)
Is my Amano shrimp male or female?
It's pretty easy to tell male and female Amano shrimp apart. First off, if you keep a larger group, you'll notice that the males are significantly smaller than their female counterparts. The lowest line of dots on their body is more separated (it looks more like a broken line in females) and the part of the exoskeleton covering their back legs is straight rather than curved.
Lastly, you may see a yellowish to greenish organ behind the females' heads—this is called the saddle, and it contains undeveloped eggs. Once these are fertilized, they move to the back legs, more correctly known as the pleopods.
Setting up an Amano shrimp aquarium
Requirements
If you'd like to keep Amano shrimp, you should go for an aquarium with a volume of at least 5 gallons (10+ gallons would be ideal). The tank should be filtered and, unless the ambient temperature is always stable, heated with a thermostat heater.
As we've discussed in the section on habitat, Amano shrimp originally hail from a river-type biotope. Luckily for us aquarists, though, they're very versatile and can thrive in almost any type of aquarium. Just make sure there's plenty of cover in the form of rocks, driftwood, live plants, and shrimp flats.
Water parameters
One of the reasons Amano shrimp make such a good choice for the beginning aquarist is that they're not fussy at all about water parameters. As long as your tank is fully cycled, your Amanos can survive in a wide range of pH values, temperatures, and hardness levels. The most important thing is stability, rather than hitting exactly the right values.
For the best results, acclimate your Amano shrimp carefully when you introduce them into a new tank. Keep up with weekly water changes and regularly check the water quality using a liquid water test kit.
| General Water Parameters | The Shrimp Farm’s Water Parameters: |
| Range: 6.5-8.0 | PH Range: 7.0-7.4 |
| Temperature Range: 70-80 °F | Temperature Range: 69-73 °F |
| GH Range: 5-15 | GH Range: 7-8 |
| KH Range: 1-10 | KH Range: |
| TDS Range: 80-450 | TDS Range: 175-200 |
Tankmates
Although they're pretty aggressive eaters as far as shrimp go, Amano shrimp are generally considered peaceful. They make a good addition to dwarf shrimp tanks, like with red cherry shrimp or crystal reds. You can also add them to your peaceful community aquarium, provided there are no fish present that are large enough to fit the shrimp into their mouth (because if they can, they will).
Here are some of our favorite tankmate options for Amanos:
- Small schooling fish like the phoenix rasbora or neon tetra
- Peaceful bottom feeders like panda Corydoras or kuhli loaches
- Top dwellers like clown killifish
- Snails, such as nerite snails
Be sure to avoid larger species, such as cichlids, pufferfish, large catfish, and the like.
As for the Amanos themselves, we recommend getting at least a few. A 5-gallon tank can sustain a trio, and you can add another shrimp for every gallon after that. Their bioload is almost zero, so there really isn't much of a limit on how many you can keep.
Amano shrimp diet
The Amano shrimp is easy to feed. The species is omnivorous and will eat pretty much anything, but is often referred to as "Algae Eating Shrimp" due to its reputation for being an excellent aquarium cleaner. That's why it's in our top 3 of best algae eating shrimp! Amano shrimp enjoy feeding on many types of algae. They even go for some that other shrimp won't touch, such as black beard algae.
Aside from algae, aquarium plants provide microorganisms and continuously shed edible plant matter, which the Amano shrimp consume, preventing it from accumulating on the substrate. Although we recommend supplemental feeding with shrimp-specific foods or blanched veggies for small or very clean tanks, it may not be necessary in larger and "wilder" set-ups.
Amano shrimp have a unique approach to eating compared to other shrimp. As soon as a food pellet is dropped into the aquarium, they quickly sense it and immediately gather the food. They've got a reputation for stealing meals from smaller shrimp or even sometimes from larger fish!
Breeding Amano shrimp
Breeding Amano shrimp is considered possible, but highly challenging. This is due to the fact that these are lower-order shrimp, meaning they pass through a larval stage rather than hatching as tiny copies of the adults. The larvae require brackish water conditions. After metamorphosis, however, they need to be gradually transitioned from brackish to freshwater. This complexity is why most Amano shrimp available in pet stores or online are wild-caught.
After mating, the female shrimp carries the developing eggs under her pleopods for 4-6 weeks until they hatch. You can transfer her to a separate hatching container in the last week. Then, when the eggs hatch, you can use the light from a torch to attract the larvae to the water surface so you can siphon them out.
You have 4-7 days to move the larvae to saltwater, although it's best to just do it immediately. According to a 2021 study, the larvae will grow best between 1.012-1.019 specific gravity (salinity) and 73.4-84.2 °F.
Tip: If after reading all this you still have no idea how to breed your Amano shrimp, that's not surprising, as it really is quite complicated. That's why we also created a dedicated full Amano shrimp breeding guide. Don't forget to check out the comments at the bottom of the post—many aquarists have responded sharing their experiences and insights.
Buying Amano shrimp
You should be able to find these shrimp at any chain pet store, mom-and-pop aquarium store, and online. The Shrimp Farm sells Amano shrimp! Have your shrimp shipped directly to your doorstep with live arrival guarantee today.
Frequently asked questions
Amano shrimp lifespan is pretty decent: usually about 3-5 years. We've had Amanos live longer than that, though! If yours died shortly after buying it, you may not have acclimated it properly. You should check the water parameters in your tank to ensure they're still in order, because this is not normal.
Shrimp molt their exoskeletons regularly; the Amano shrimp is no exception to this. If you find an empty shell, don't worry—your shrimp isn't dead. That's just its shed, and the shrimp itself is likely hiding until its new exoskeleton hardens and it feels safe enough to come back out into the open.
Molting occurs about once every 1.5 months. To make sure your Amano shrimp can molt successfully, be sure to feed a diet rich in calcium.
A dead Amano shrimp will turn a bright orange-red color and, if left in the tank long enough, will turn white. It is normal to see other shrimp and snails feeding on the dead shrimp's shell, as shrimp are opportunistic feeders and consume the shell for its rich mineral content.
You can remove the dead shrimp immediately or wait until the other shrimp stop showing interest in the carcass. Don't leave it too long, or it may cause an ammonia spike in small aquariums.
Sources & further reading
Cai, Y., Ng, P. K., Shokita, S., & Satake, K. (2006). On the species of Japanese atyid shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea) described by William Stimpson (1860). Journal of Crustacean Biology, 26(3), 392-419.
Kondo, S., Hamasaki, K., & Dan, S. (2021). Larval performance of three amphidromous shrimp species in the genus Caridina (Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae) under different temperature and salinity conditions. Crustacean Research, 50, 41-54.
Saito, M., Yamashiro, T., Hamano, T., & Nakata, K. (2012). Factors affecting distribution of freshwater shrimps and prawns in the Hiwasa River, southern central Japan. Crustacean research, 41, 27-46.