Hey there shrimp lovers! I’m a passionate aquarist at ShrimpBreeder Blog, and today I’m super excited to share my complete guide on breeding Amano shrimp. I’ve spent years perfecting this process, and while it ain’t easy, I promise it’s totally worth it!
Why Breeding Amano Shrimp is Challenging
Let’s be real – breeding Amanos is way harder than breeding cherry shrimp. These little guys need both freshwater AND saltwater to complete their life cycle. But don’t worry, I’ll break down everything you need to know!
What You’ll Need
Before we dive in, here’s your shopping list
- Male and female Amano shrimp (at least 1 pair)
- High-quality shrimp food
- Marine salt mix (I recommend Instant Ocean – don’t use table salt!)
- Aquarium light
- Container for saltwater larvae
- 2 air pumps with:
- Airline tubing
- Check valve
- Control valve
- Air stone
- 1-gallon container for freshwater
- RODI or RO water
- Hydrometer or refractometer
- Flashlight
- Pipette or eyedropper
- Large-opening syringe
Step 1: Identifying Males and Females
Here’s how to tell them apart:
Females:
- Larger (1.5″-2″)
- Brown dashed lines on body
- Green “saddle” visible when ready to breed
Males
- Smaller (1″-1.5″)
- Dotted pattern on body
- No saddle
Pro tip Wait until they’re about 3-4 months old to sex them accurately!
Step 2: Setting Up Your Breeding Tanks
You’ll need two setups:
Freshwater Breeding Tank
- Temperature: 70-80°F
- pH: 6.5-8.0
- GH: 5-15
- KH: 1-10
Saltwater Larvae Tank
- Mix marine salt to achieve 30-35 PPT (1.022-1.026 specific gravity)
- Add gentle aeration
- Position light above tank
- Let it mature for at least 2 weeks (this grows essential algae)
- Top off evaporation with RO water
Step 3: The Breeding Process
Once your Amanos hit sexual maturity (4-5 months), here’s what happens:
- Female molts
- She releases pheromones
- Male finds her and mates
- Female carries eggs for 3-5 weeks
When you see eggs, move mama to the separate freshwater container!
Step 4: Handling the Larvae
This is where it gets tricky! Here’s what to do:
- Wait for eggs to hatch
- Turn off room lights
- Use flashlight to attract larvae
- Collect them with pipette
- Transfer to saltwater tank
- Let them develop for about 1.5 months
Step 5: Feeding the Larvae
The larvae are super tiny! They need:
- Natural diatoms and algae (best option)
- Tiny pinch of spirulina powder (if needed)
Warning: Don’t overfeed! Bad water quality = dead larvae
Step 6: The Big Move to Freshwater
When larvae start swimming forward rapidly, they’re ready! Here’s how to move them:
- Catch them with airline-tubing-equipped syringe
- Transfer to cup with saltwater
- Acclimate for 24-36 hours using drip method
- Slowly pour into freshwater tank
Common Problems & Solutions
- Eggs disappearing: Usually means poor water quality or stress
- Dead larvae: Check salinity and feeding amounts
- Failed metamorphosis: Temperature or salinity issues
My Personal Tips for Success
- Start with multiple females – more chances of success!
- Keep detailed records of what works
- Don’t get discouraged if first attempts fail
- Maintain pristine water conditions
Breeding Amano shrimp isn’t easy, but it’s super rewarding! My first successful batch only yielded 5 shrimplets, but now I consistently get 20-30 survivors per batch. Remember, patience and attention to detail are key!
Got questions? Drop them in the comments below! And don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more shrimp breeding tips!
#ShrimpBreeding #AmanoShrimp #AquariumHobby #FreshwaterShrimp
How do Amano shrimp breed?
Once your Amano shrimp are sexually mature (4-5 months), if the above-mentioned requirements are met, theyll breed. No intervention needed on your part!
Amano shrimp breed after the female molts. The female amano shrimp will attempt to hide, but also release pheromones into the water column. Male shrimp will sense these pheromones and will find her in order to mate. Afterwards, the female will carry the fertilized eggs in her pleopods/swimmerets until the eggs hatch.
This is considered the easy part of breeding Amanos: they will breed readily as long as the female is ready.
After the shrimp have bred, the female will keep the eggs in her pleopods/swimmerets for 3-5 weeks while they develop. Once the third week rolls around, you should prepare the 1-gallon container you have ready and fill it up. Set up the air pump and the accessories so there is a good amount of flow. If the female were to release all of the eggs before hatching, the flow from the air stone would keep the eggs well-oxygenated and fungus-free.
Allow the water to get to room temperature and then transfer your berried female. Watch closely, as the eggs may hatch soon or take another 2 weeks.
This is going to be the difficult part, so be warned. These guys are TINY!
After the eggs hatch, the Amano shrimp larvae have roughly 1 week to survive in freshwater. Turn off all surrounding light and shine a flashlight at one spot on the container. The Amano larvae are attracted to light and will move towards it, making it much easier to round them all up.
Place the larvae in a temporary container, like a betta cup. You may have to repeat this step multiple times, as not all of the eggs will hatch at the same rate. Once you have rounded up as many as you feel like, transfer them into the saltwater jar. Acclimation is not required.
Watch closely as the larvae do their thing, floating around and eating algae. They will do this till they metamorphize, which will take around 1.5 months.
To keep the water in the larva container clean, you can use the flashlight trick you used to catch them earlier. Point the flashlight to one corner and then use some airline tubing to siphon out 10-20% of the water. Replace with clean water matching in temperature and salinity. Use the drip method if youre worried about shocking the shrimp.
What will you need?
- Pair of sexed Amano shrimp (one male Amano shrimp and one female Amano shrimp)
- High-quality shrimp food
- Sea Salt Mix (Instant Ocean Sea Salt Mix is recommended; NOT table salt, pickling salt, aquarium salt, etc.)
- Aquarium light (to grow saltwater algae)
- Container (to hold the saltwater and larvae)
- 2 air pumps with accessories (airline tubing, check valve, control valve, air stone, etc.)
- 1-gallon container (for dechlorinated freshwater)
- RODI or RO water
- Hydrometer or Refractometer
- Flashlight
- Pipette or eye dropper
- Syringe (with a decently sized opening)
Once youve collected all the gear youll need for your Amano shrimp breeding project, its time to prepare for the moment of truth.
- Youll be setting up a saltwater jar using one of the air pumps with its accessories and saltwater mix. Try to aim for 30-35 PPT saltwater (1.022-1.026 Specific Gravity).
- Once got your water mixed, you can add the airstone (optionally with a sponge filter attached) and have it pump out a gentle stream of air.
- Position the light above the container and allow it to mature. Bugs may fly into it and die, creating Ammonia, which is a nutrient required by algae to grow (so no worries about that!).
- Over time, water will evaporate, causing the salinity will go up. Top off the evaporation with RODI or RO water to maintain the right salinity.
- After a while, the jar will be filled with diatoms and other sorts of algae growth.
Water parameters should be kept stable within the acceptable ranges.
- The pH should be between 6.5-8.0
- The temperature should be consistent between 70°F-80 °F
- GH should be 5-15
- KH 1-10
When youre trying to breed Amano shrimp, food should be readily available. Algae in the tank can be an adequate food source, but is not always present in the right quantities.
If there is not enough food available, you can supplement with blanched vegetables and prepared fish food.
2025 How to *ACTUALLY* Breed Amano Shrimp
FAQ
Do Amano shrimp breed easily?
No, Amano shrimp are not easy to breed in a home aquarium. While they will readily mate and carry eggs in freshwater, their larvae require brackish or saltwater to survive and develop.
What’s the easiest shrimp to breed?
Blue Dream Shrimp
If you bring a colony of blue shrimp to your beginner shrimp tank, these shrimp are great at helping control algae and waste. Beyond their housekeeping skills, Blue Dream shrimp are small, easy to care for, and simple to breed.