Amano Shrimp

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Peaceful   • Maximum Size: 2"
• Minimum Tank Size: 12 gallons   • Water Conditions: 65-82° F, pH 6.0-8.0, KH 3-10
• Color Forms: Tan, Transparent, Brown   • Diet: Omnivore   • Origin: Japan
• Family: Palaemonide   • Species: Shrimp   • Aquarium Type: Shrimp

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Amano Shrimp as they are known these days were once known as Japonica Shrimp, as they were named after their previous scientific name or (Caridina japonica). However, these days their scientific name has been changed to (Caridina multidentata) and there common name changed to the Amano Shrimp to pay homage to the legendary aquarist and photographer Takashi Amano.

Mr. Amano was responsible for introducing this very beneficial and interesting shrimp species to the aquarium hobby as he kept them in many of his tanks and people gradually began to take notice at how useful they were and the added dimension of interest that they brought to every aquarium in which they lived.

While the Amano Shrimp was initially added to aquariums to consume unwanted algae, aquarists quickly learned that they also brought a lot of interest and diversity to the freshwater community aquarium and were simply just fun to watch.

Amano Shrimp are ideal additions for any peaceful tropical freshwater community aquarium. They will co-exist with a wide variety of fish and plant species without causing any harm and providing beneficial algae eating services. Amano Shrimp are very tolerant of a wide range of water conditions and will make themselves at home in most any aquarium. They should be provided places to seek refuge when needed; such as, driftwood, rock caves or crevices or live or ornamental plants.

Like all shrimp species, the Amano Shrimp will molt approximately once a month and will need to have places like rock caves or underneath driftwood to hide while their new shells hardens, otherwise they may be injured while their shell is soft and exposing their internal body.

Amano Shrimp are fantastic consumers of all types of freshwater algae, thus algae growing in the aquarium should make up a portion of their diet. If enough algae is not present in the aquarium, Amano Shrimp will readily feed on a variety of commonly available aquarium foodstuffs including: algae pellets & wafers, blanched vegetables (spinach, squash, zucchini, etc.), shrimp pellets, fish flakes or just about any other foodstuff fed to fish that they can scavenge from the aquarium substrate. Be sure to remove any excess vegetable matter that is not consumed within a few hours from the aquarium so that it does not decompose and degrade the aquariums water quality.

Like many freshwater invertebrate species, the Amano Shrimp requires a brackish environment for their larvae to develop, thus they cannot be bred within the freshwater community aquarium. However, if introduced into a suitable brackish environment, Amano Shrimp can be successfully bred in an aquarium setup.

The female Amano Shrimp carry the eggs under the rear portion of their body until the eggs hatch into larvae. Unlike many other shrimp species, the Amano Shrimp young hatch into larvae instead of miniature versions of the adult. It is at this larvae stage that they are most delicate and require a lot of care. During their larval stage, the young Amano Shrimp should be kept in a brackish tank with low filtration, gently aeration and a constant temperature in the low to mid 70’s for about 20 days.

At this time they should have morphed into their post larval stage, at which point they will be ready to be transitioned back into a freshwater environment. It is best to raise the larvae in aquariums that are well established with plenty of naturally occurring algae present in the aquarium.