Various types of shrimp make awesome cleaners. They clean up the tank of algae, skin, and plant waste, as well as provide it with something different for you to watch. As long as you know the best ways to care for shrimp in a fish tank, you should have a good cleaner in there for about a year.

With shrimp, the trick is to think of them as pets in their own right rather than bottom dwellers. Some hobbyists even create aquariums consisting of only shrimp, which truly is a sight to see.

Ghost Shrimp

Shrimp for business and home aquariums are very inexpensive. In fact, you can buy a ghost shrimp for as little as 39 cents. Most breeds are about $3 to $5.

Following are some of the most popular shrimp:

• Freshwater Tank: Red Cherry Shrimp, Amano Shrimp, Bumblebee Shrimp, Blue Bolt Shrimp, Crystal Red Shrimp, Ghost Shrimp, Blue Tiger Shrimp, Panda Shrimp
• Reef Tank: Pacific Cleaner Shrimp, Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp, Coral Banded Shrimp, Clown Shrimp, Peppermint Shrimp

Different types of shrimp have some varying care and feeding requirements. Generally, however, most aquarium shrimp prefer eating dead plants, small insects, and algae. You may feed them fish flakes, shrimp pellets, fish pellets, and algae wafers.

Crystal Red Shrimp

Although they don’t look like it, shrimp are fairly tough. The popular cherry shrimp, for example, can live in water that is 72 to 78 degrees and a pH level of 7.0 to 7.8.

Within reason, any type of lighting that is appropriate for the other tank inhabitants should be fine for them.

If you do have shrimp in a fish tank, be sure to include live plants. Live plants provide shrimp with places to hide and help ensure that there’s always something for them to eat. If you plan to have several shrimp, use a tank that is large enough for them to roam.

While many enthusiasts have tanks only for shrimp, adding shrimp in a fish tank can enhance its appearance and keep the tank clean. If you do plan to have an aquarium with shrimp and fish, make sure the fish are not aggressive or predatory.

Because shrimp vary widely, ask our aquarium maintenance technician for recommendations and care tips for your specific species.