Amano Shrimp

Minimum 19 to 38 litres (5 to 10 US gallons) for a small group; a 38 litre (10 gallon) tank comfortably holds about 5 to 6 shrimp, with a rough guide of one shrimp per 4 to 8 litres. Use a mature, fully cycled, well-planted tank. Substrate can be inert gravel or aquarium sand, or an active planted-tank soil. Provide dense cover: live plants such as Java moss, Java fern, Anubias and floating plants, plus driftwood, leaf litter (Indian almond/catappa leaves) and rock crevices where they can hide and molt safely. A gentle sponge filter or a filter intake covered with a fine sponge or mesh is essential so shrimp are not sucked in. A snug lid helps, as Amanos are notable escape artists and can climb out on emersed decor or tubing.

Primarily aufwuchs: soft algae, biofilm and detritus they graze all day. Supplement in a tank without heavy algae with a sinking algae wafer or shrimp pellet, blanched vegetables (zucchini, cucumber, and small amounts of spinach), and occasional protein such as a bloodworm or a specialised shrimp food a few times weekly. Feed only what is eaten in 2 to 3 hours to protect water quality. AVOID any food, plant treatment, snail medication or fertiliser containing COPPER, which is lethal to shrimp. Avoid pesticide-treated vegetables, ammonia-generating overfeeding, and never dose de-wormer or fish medications with copper sulfate or high copper. Do not rely on algae alone in a spotless tank; underfed Amanos will starve.

Fully aquatic tropical freshwater invertebrate, so there is no basking zone, no UVB and no humidity requirement. Water temperature ideal 22 to 26 C, tolerant roughly 18 to 28 C; sustained temperatures above 28 C cause heat stress and dangerously low dissolved oxygen. pH 6.5 to 7.5 (never below 6.0). General hardness (GH) about 4 to 8 dGH and carbonate hardness (KH) about 2 to 8 dKH; they need adequate mineral content, especially calcium, for healthy molting. Ammonia and nitrite must read 0 ppm, nitrate ideally under 20 ppm. Standard planted-tank lighting on a timer is fine; light is for the plants and algae, not the shrimp. Provide gentle filtration and good oxygenation, and acclimate slowly (drip acclimation over 60+ minutes) because they react badly to sudden changes.

Social and non-territorial; keep a group of at least 3 to 6 so they behave naturally and graze in the open. They do not pair-bond. Sexing: females are larger with a deeper, curved underbelly and, when mature, show a visible green-brown 'saddle' (developing eggs in the ovaries seen through the back); a gravid female then carries her eggs under the abdomen (berried). The most reliable difference is the flank markings: males have more evenly spaced dots, while females have longer dashes. Fully peaceful with other shrimp, snails and small calm fish; house away from cichlids, large barbs, loaches or anything big enough to eat them.

Enrichment for a grazing invert means surfaces and foraging. Fill the tank with live plants, moss, driftwood, leaf litter and botanicals that grow biofilm to pick at, plus rockwork and cholla wood for climbing and shelter. Rotating a fresh piece of botanical or a new blanched vegetable gives them something to swarm and explore. A gentle current gives them flow to work against, and stable low-stress conditions let them stay active and visible during the day.