Hey there! If you’re wondering about stocking your 20-gallon tank with shrimp, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve kept shrimp for years and I’m gonna break down exactly how many shrimp you can safely keep based on different species.
Quick Answer
In a 20-gallon tank, you can generally keep:
- 70-100 Cherry shrimp
- 60-100 Bee shrimp
- 40-60 Ghost shrimp
- 5-7 Vampire/Fan shrimp
- 10 Amano shrimp
- 150-200 Blue Dream shrimp
Detailed Breakdown by Species
Cherry Shrimp
Cherry shrimp are perfect for beginners. In a 20-gallon setup, you can keep 70-100 of these little red guys. They’re hardy and breed easily so start with a smaller group (like 20-30) and let them multiply naturally.
Bee Shrimp
For Bee shrimp, stick to 60-100 per 20 gallons. These guys need more stable water parameters than Cherry shrimp, so I’d recommend starting with fewer if you’re new to the hobby.
Ghost Shrimp
Ghost shrimp are larger than Cherry shrimp, so you’ll want to keep 40-60 in a 20-gallon tank. They’re super affordable and make great cleaners!
Vampire/Fan Shrimp
These big boys need more space. Stick to 5-7 Vampire shrimp in a 20-gallon tank. They’re filter feeders and need room to spread their fans.
Amano Shrimp
For Amano shrimp, follow the 1 shrimp per 2 gallons rule. So in a 20-gallon tank, 10 Amanos is your sweet spot.
Blue Dream Shrimp
Blue Dreams are similar to Cherry shrimp in care, but they breed even more readily. You can keep 150-200 in a 20-gallon tank.
Factors That Affect How Many Shrimp You Can Keep
1. Filtration
Your filter setup is super important! I always recommend:
- Sponge filter (shrimp love grazing on these)
- HOB filter with a pre-filter sponge
- Good biological filtration
2. Live Plants
More plants = more shrimp! Plants help by:
- Absorbing nitrates
- Providing hiding spots
- Creating grazing surfaces
- Making biofilm (shrimp food!)
3. Tank Maintenance
To keep more shrimp healthy, you’ll need to:
- Do weekly 20-30% water changes
- Test water parameters regularly
- Clean the substrate
- Check equipment
Tips for Success
-
Start Small: Don’t dump 100 shrimp in at once! Start with 20-30 and let them multiply.
-
Proper Setup:
- Temp: 72-78°F
- pH: 6.5-7.5
- Lots of hiding spots
- Plant heavily
-
Feeding:
- Don’t overfeed
- Use quality shrimp food
- Add blanched veggies occasionally
-
Tank Mates:
- Small peaceful fish only
- No aggressive species
- Watch for predatory fish
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overstocking too quickly
- Poor water quality
- Inadequate filtration
- Wrong tank mates
- Not enough plants/hiding spots
My Personal Experience
When I first started with shrimp, I made the rookie mistake of adding too many at once to my 20-gallon. Trust me, start small! I’ve found that starting with 25-30 Cherry shrimp and letting them breed naturally gives the best results. Plus, it’s super fun watching the colony grow!
Bottom Line
A 20-gallon tank can house a thriving shrimp colony, but the exact number depends on species and setup. Remember, these numbers are guidelines – your specific tank might handle more or fewer shrimp based on your maintenance, filtration, and plant density.
Got questions about your shrimp tank? Drop ’em in the comments below! I’d love to help ya out with your shrimpkeeping journey.
How many shrimps per gallon?
Cherry shrimps are smaller i.e. female size is only 1cm, and males are even smaller than females. So you can stock even 100 shrimps in a 10-gallon aquarium. But fish tanks will exhibit as over-crowded.
But the optimum value for a 10-gallon tank is a maximum of 50 shrimps. So, you can stock about 2 to 5 shrimps per gallon.
Can the cherry shrimps breed?
Yes, they have an excellent breeding ability. They start mating just before the starting of summer i.e. 79℉. They raise their race exponentially. It’s possible one day when you’ll wake up and your tank full of cherry shrimps.
How Many Red Cherry Shrimp Per Gallon? THE ONLY ANSWER YOU NEED!
FAQ
How many shrimp can I keep in a 20 gallon?
Entire colonies, however, should have a minumum 20 gallon tank size. Note: It’s recommended to have no more than 5 shrimp per gallon of water.
How many gallons do 10 shrimp need?
With that said, I wouldn’t push it; it is best to do a maximum of 10-15 shrimp per five gallons. Really, a 20-gallon tank is best for breeding.
Is 10 shrimp enough to start a colony?
As a rule regular shrimp colony starter will be about 10 shrimp. If its expensive kind, it can be trio but you have to be able to keep them healthy and happy and it’s not that easy sometimes. If conditions are good they will breed fast. Do you have any other inhabitants in the tank?
What is the smallest tank you can keep shrimp in?
For beginner shrimp keepers, a 5 to 10-gallon tank is generally recommended. While some shrimp can survive in smaller tanks (even 1 gallon), larger tanks (10 gallons or more) offer more stability in water parameters and are easier to maintain.
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.
How many shrimp in a 10 gallon tank?
Consider the following guidelines to establish a balanced shrimp population. Aim for one shrimp per gallon of water as a basic starting point. This ratio helps maintain good water quality and provides enough space for each shrimp to thrive. For example, in a 10-gallon tank, you can keep up to 10 shrimp comfortably.
How many shrimp in a 20 liter tank?
Check out our guide on how many shrimp per gallon. How many shrimp in a 20-liter tank? When looking to fill a 20-liter tank, you will be maxing out at around 22 shrimp. If you wanted to push it to 25 shrimp, you’ll be setting yourself up to do more regular maintenance in order to stop the build-up of biowaste in the tank.
How many shrimp can you keep in a 30 litre tank?
Depending on the species of shrimp, you can keep anywhere between 3 to 80 shrimp in a 30 litre tank. Below are some of the more popular shrimp and the number of shrimp you can keep in a 30 litre tank. How many shrimp can I keep per gallon of aquarium water?
How many shrimp can you put in an aquarium?
You can keep 3 to 10 dwarf shrimp per gallon of water in the aquarium. And you’ll need a larger aquarium to keep bigger shrimp like Vampire shrimp or Fan shrimp. The number of shrimp you can put in your aquarium depends on the size of the shrimp and your aquarium. How to know how many shrimp you should put in your aquarium?
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?