Hey there, fellow aquarium enthusiasts! I’ve been keeping shrimp for over 5 years now, and one of the most common questions I get is about how many shrimp should be kept together. Well, today I’m gonna break it down for you in simple terms, sharing what I’ve learned through my experiences (and mistakes!) with these adorable little creatures.
Quick Answer
For beginners, start with 10-15 cherry shrimp in a 10-gallon tank. This gives them enough space to establish a healthy colony while making it easy to monitor their health and behavior.
Detailed Guide on Shrimp Numbers
Tank Size Guidelines
Follow this basic rule of thumb:
- 2-5 gallon tank: 5-8 shrimp
- 10 gallon tank: 10-20 shrimp
- 20 gallon tank: 20-40 shrimp
- 30+ gallon tank: 40+ shrimp
Factors That Affect How Many Shrimp You Can Keep
1. Tank Setup
- Live plants (more plants = more shrimp can be kept)
- Hiding spots
- Filtration type (sponge filters are best!)
- Substrate type
2. Water Parameters
For healthy shrimp colonies, maintain:
- Temperature: 72-78°F
- pH: 6.5-8.5
- GH: At least 6° (110 ppm)
- KH: At least 2° (40 ppm)
Pro tip: I learned the hard way that stable parameters are more important than perfect ones!
Starting Your Shrimp Colony
Best Practices
-
Begin with at least 10 shrimp
- This ensures you get both males and females
- Helps establish genetic diversity
- Creates a stable starting population
-
Choose a mix of sizes
- Don’t just pick the biggest ones
- Include some medium-sized shrimp
- Get a few smaller ones too
Gender Ratios
Try to maintain
- 60% females
- 40% males
How to tell them apart:
- Females: Larger (up to 1.5 inches), brighter colors
- Males: Smaller (1-1.25 inches), more transparent
Breeding Considerations
When your shrimp start breeding (and trust me, they will!) keep these things in mind
Colony Growth
- A healthy female can carry 20-30 eggs
- Breeding occurs every 3-4 weeks
- Population can double in 2-3 months
Space Management
Once your colony starts growing, you’ll need to:
- Increase feeding
- Add more plants
- Consider upgrading tank size
- Sell or give away excess shrimp
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overstocking from the start
- Not providing enough hiding places
- Keeping with aggressive fish
- Ignoring water parameters
- Not feeding enough variety
Signs of Overcrowding
Watch out for:
- Aggressive behavior
- Frequent hiding
- Poor growth
- Decreased coloration
- Water quality issues
Feeding Your Shrimp Colony
Basic Diet Guidelines
- Feed once daily
- Remove uneaten food after 2-3 hours
- Provide variety:
- Algae wafers
- Shrimp-specific pellets
- Blanched vegetables
- Leaf litter
Supplemental Foods
- Mineral supplements for molting
- Calcium-rich foods
- Biofilm enhancers
Special Considerations for Different Species
Cherry Shrimp
- Most forgiving species
- Can start with 10-15 in a 10-gallon tank
- Excellent for beginners
Crystal Red Shrimp
- More sensitive to parameters
- Keep in groups of 5-10
- Need pristine water conditions
Amano Shrimp
- Larger species
- Groups of 8-12 work best
- Great algae eaters
Tank Mate Compatibility
If you’re planning to keep shrimp with fish:
- Choose peaceful species
- Avoid fin nippers
- Select small fish species
Good tank mates include:
- Otocinclus catfish
- Chili rasboras
- Small tetras
- Snails
My Personal Experience
When I first started keeping shrimp, I made the rookie mistake of putting too few in my tank. They were shy and hardly visible! Once I increased the group to about 15 in my 10-gallon, they became more active and started breeding like crazy.
Remember, these are just guidelines based on my experience and research. Every tank is different, and you’ll need to adjust based on your specific setup. Start with a modest number (10-15 shrimp in a 10-gallon), maintain good water quality, and provide plenty of hiding spots. Your shrimp colony will thank you by thriving and multiplying!
Happy shrimp keeping! Feel free to drop any questions in the comments – I love helping fellow shrimp enthusiasts!
Would you like me to explain any part of this guide in more detail?
What are Cherry Shrimp?
Neocaridina davidi is native to China and Taiwan and normally has a translucent body covered in mottled brown speckling that blends in well with its surroundings. Nowadays, there are many color morphs available on the market — such as red, orange, yellow, green jade, blue dream, blue velvet, chocolate, black rose, and rili (or striped). Red is the most popular color, which is why the species is commonly known as “cherry shrimp” or “red cherry shrimp” (RCS). Lots of companies like to label their RCS with special color grades — like sakura red, fire red, painted fire red, and Bloody Mary — but the quality level is very subjective. The best way to judge color is to visit your local fish store or breeder in person and pick the shrimp that look the best to you.
How do you tell a male cherry shrimp from a female? Females are the larger of the two sexes, can grow up to 1.5 inches (4 cm), and display very bright and vivid colors. In adulthood, the female either has a yellow, saddle-like shape at her back (which are unfertilized eggs in the ovaries) or is “berried” and carries fertilized eggs in the swimmerets underneath her tail. Males are a bit smaller at 1–1.25 inches (2.5–3 cm), have a slimmer tail, and are more translucent in color. Juveniles are hard to sex since they all look slender and less colorful than the adults.
Male (top) and female (bottom) orange sakura shrimp
How to Set Up an Aquarium for Cherry Shrimp
As mentioned before, Neocaridina shrimp can fit in tiny tanks, but we prefer to use a 10-gallon tank or larger for the purposes of setting up a healthy breeding colony. Ideally, put them in a mature tank that has been running for many months so that it’s chock full of microfauna and mulm for them to graze on. Also, use a sponge filter or cover the filter input with a pre-filter sponge to ensure that no baby shrimp accidentally get sucked up.
Shrimp have a hard, outer structure called an exoskeleton and must regularly molt whenever they outgrow their previous “skin.” In order to make the new exoskeleton, they prefer water with pH levels of 6.5–8.5, GH of at least 6° (110 ppm), and KH of at least 2° (40 ppm). If you have soft water, make sure to add mineral supplements to prevent failed molts (sometimes called the “white ring of death” when a dead shrimp has a white band or gap behind its head). Crushed coral helps to increase KH, while Wonder Shell and Seachem Equilibrium boosts GH. Feeding foods rich in calcium and other minerals also helps with healthy molting, which we will discuss in the next section.
After a shrimp molts, its new exoskeleton is fairly soft, so during this time of vulnerability, the shrimp will hide until the new shell hardens. Provide lots of live aquarium plants, shrimp caves, and other shelter for them to seek cover. Dense plants like mosses also tend to grow algae and biofilm, which cherry shrimp love to forage on.
Freshly molted exoskeleton of a shrimp
Is my cherry shrimp dead or molting? A shrimp molt is clear translucent with a split in the middle of the back, whereas a deceased shrimp is fully opaque in color. Many hobbyists like to leave the old exoskeleton in the aquarium because the shrimp will consume it to gain extra calcium for their next molt.
Do cherry shrimp need a heater? Neocaridina davidi can easily live in temperatures between 60–82°F (16–28°C), so in most cases, you can put them in an unheated aquarium. However, they are most comfortable at 72–76°F (22–24°C), so if your room temperature is below that range and you want to maximize their reproduction, you may want to consider getting a heater. Temperature greatly affects their metabolism, meaning that (1) they grow faster but have shorter life spans at higher temperatures and (2) they live longer but breed less at lower temperatures.
How many cherry shrimp should be kept together? If you plan on starting a breeding colony, get at least 10 Neocaridina shrimp. This number should guarantee you have both males and females. That being said, do not only pick the biggest, most colorful shrimp at the store because they might all be females or might be too old to breed for much longer.
What fish can be kept with cherry shrimp? Almost all fish will eat baby shrimp, so if you are focused optimal breeding conditions, then keep them in a species-only tank that only contains cherry shrimp. If you primarily want to keep adult shrimp and do not care about how many young are produced, then certain peaceful, small species can do well as tank mates. We have successfully kept them with other dwarf shrimp, snails, otocinclus catfish, chili rasboras, and other nano fish. For a more in-depth discussion on appropriate tank mates, read the full article here.
Red cherry shrimp in a community tank with guppies and neon tetras
How Many Shrimp Should Be Kept Together?
FAQ
How many shrimp need to live together?
When purchasing shrimp, please keep in mind that they are social animals, and they do best in large groups of at least ten individuals. Any less than this and they will tend to hide, rather than graze as a group out in the open.
How to tell if cherry shrimp are happy?
Happy cherry shrimp are active, explore their surroundings, and maintain vibrant colors. They should also show an interest in food and be seen actively scavenging for it.
How many shrimp should I put in a tank?
You can have up to 10 dwarf shrimp per 1 gallon of water. For example: A 10 gallon aquarium COULD house up to 100 dwarf shrimp. However, a great starting point could be 5 shrimp per 1 gallon of water.
How many shrimp should be kept together in an aquarium?
The number of shrimp that should be kept together in an aquarium depends on several factors, such as the size of the aquarium, the species of shrimp, and the water parameters. However, a general rule of thumb is to keep 5 shrimp per gallon of water. So, for example, a 10-gallon aquarium can house up to 50 shrimp.
How many cherry shrimp can you keep together?
If you want to keep cherry shrimp in a small colony, the minimum number of shrimp should range from 4 to 10. Depending on the tank size, you can keep multiple cherry shrimp together. In a 5-gallon tank, you can keep 8-10 cherry shrimp together. If you want to add more cherry shrimp, you should shift all shrimp to a bigger tank.
How many dwarf shrimp can I keep in my Aquarium?
You can keep anywhere between 1-2 dwarf shrimp in your aquarium. Exactly how many shrimp can you keep per litre of your aquarium depends on the species and the size of the shrimp you want to keep in your aquarium. How many cherry shrimp per gallon of aquarium water can I keep? You can keep up to five cherry shrimp per gallon of your aquarium water.
How many shrimp should be in a tank?
Stocking shrimp in your aquarium requires careful consideration of several factors. Understanding these elements helps ensure a balanced and vibrant aquatic ecosystem. Tank size significantly impacts shrimp populations. Generally, the standard guideline is one shrimp per gallon of water.
How many cherry shrimp can you keep in a tank?
You can keep up to five cherry shrimp per gallon of your aquarium water. The minimum tank size requirement for cherry shrimp is 2 gallons. How many cherry shrimp can I keep in a 30 litre tank? You can keep anywhere between 25 to 35 cherry shrimp in a 30 litre tank. How many shrimp can I keep in a 10 gallon tank?
How many shrimp per gallon?
Generally, the standard guideline is one shrimp per gallon of water. Larger tanks support more shrimp, allowing for better water quality management and territorial space. For example, in a 20-gallon tank, you can comfortably keep 20 shrimp. Smaller tanks, like 5 gallons, should limit populations to about 5 shrimp to reduce stress and competition.