Amano Shrimp

Amano Shrimp, Algae Shrimp, Yamato Shrimp
Caridina Multidentata (>2006), Caridina Japonica
Origin	Japan, Taiwan
Size	3.5 ~ 5cm
pH	6 ~ 7.5
Temperature	10 ~ 28ºC
Breeding Type	Low Order Form

Origin

The Amano Shrimp is found in the Yamato River area of Japan and parts of Korea and Taiwan. In Japan, it is a.k.a Japanese Swamp Shrimp, Japanese Marsh Shrimp, Yamato Shrimp and Yamoto Numa-Ebi. Introduced and popularized by famous Aquascaping professional, Takashi Amano, this shrimp is named after him and hence the name "Amano" Shrimp. Following a study by a team of scientists from the National University of Singapore, the University of the Ryukyus and the National Institute for Environmental Studies the scientific name was rename to Caridina Multidentata from Caridina Japonica in 2006.

Characteristic

Transparent grayish or light green body with red-brownish spots on its sides which may look like broken lines, the dorsal surface has a white stripe that runs from the head to the tail. The female is easily distinguished from the male; males are slightly smaller (about 3cm) with more distinct spots while females is larger (about 5cm) with elongated spots forming like broken lines in adulthood.

In the Aquarium

Most (if not all) of the Amano Shrimps selling in aquarium shops are wild caught. As with all other shrimps, proper acclimatizing into the tank is needed. Once acclimatized in the aquarium tank, they are rather active and constantly searching for food. They can be kept with other species of freshwater shrimps except with the aggressive macrobrachia species. Due to their sheer size (compare to smaller species) they can easily pick up and carry the food away, leaving nothing behind for other smaller shrimps. Thus, additional food will be required for a community shrimp tank. Amano Shrimp can be kept with small fish like Rasbora, Badi Badi, Otocinclus.

Food
Being a diligent algae cleaner, with algae and decaying plants as the main source of food, aqua-scaping hobbyists will appreciate this shrimp especially in aquariums with moderate rock decoration and heavy live plant decoration. However, caution must be taken as it will also feed on tender buds or young plants when food is insufficient.

Water Conditions
This shrimp is highly sensitive to ammonia, nitrite and an excess of nitrate, and also be mindful that copper based water additives or medicines should never be used in the tank.

Breeding
It is believed that the mating season lies in late spring or early summer. Breeding the Amano in tank is somewhat difficult and very few have succeeded in raising the fry. In nature, young larvae will swims to the sea, returning only when they are large enough to swim back to the river.

Yellow Shrimp

The Yellow Shrimp has a nice yellow coloration that seems to radiate from inside the flesh of the whole body rather than from its shell. Depending on its maturity and wellbeing, the color can range from pale translucent to vivid radiant yellow. This coloration is the result of recessive breeding as the wild species is either grey/white or light brown. If the shrimp is spotted with a blue tint when it first arrives, this is probably due to stress during transportation; once it is settled down in the new environment, the blue tint will disappear.

Like all Neocaridina species, the Yellow Shrimp is adaptive and will do well in most water parameter, as long as the extremes are avoided. However, some hobbyists have observed that Yellow Shrimp breeds and survives best in higher pH and water temperature ranging from 22-28°C. Matured female has a yellow saddle which disappears when it is carrying eggs. The young shrimp that hatches is the exact miniature version of the adult.

Wood Shrimp

Currently, the Wood Shrimp (Atyopsis Moluccensis) is mostly found and bred in the South East Asia region. It can vary in colors, predominantly brown, red and orange to match its surroundings. A distinctive feature of this shrimp is a yellow stripe running across the back from the rostrum to the tail with brown or yellow stripes by the side of its body.

Being an excellent filter feeder, this shrimp has two pairs of specialized feathery, fan-like appendages instead of claws. These are used to collect suspended algae and planktonic microorganisms from the water. Also nicknamed as Fan Shrimp, it is required to be kept in a strong current tank and effectively act as a biochemical filtration system.

This shrimp is preferably kept in community tanks with other small, peaceful fish and/or shrimps. When kept correctly, the average life span is approximately 5-8 years. A fully grown male is about 8-10cm, and the female, which is slightly smaller, is about 6-8cm.

Breeding this shrimp in tank is somewhat difficult. In nature, the pregnant female will move from freshwater to brackish water prior to hatching the eggs. The young larva will then go through several stages of development in full strength salt water before finding its way back to the river.

Tiger Shrimp

The Tiger Shrimp, as the name suggested, is easily identified by its beautiful tiger-like black or dark brown stripes against the transparent body. Often, it is confused with the Chinese Zebra Shrimp which also has stripes on its body besides white spots. Growing to a maximum of 3.5 cm in adulthood, this shrimp is an excellent algae feeder, although it has a soft spot for fish food such as flakes and pellets.

As the Tiger Shrimp belongs to the Caridina serrataspecies, it has very similar habits and morphology as the Bee family, surviving and breeding best in soft, acidic water with a temperature of between 23-28 °C. Once hatched, the young is exactly a miniature version of the adult, hence it does not go through planktonic larval stage.

Snowball Shrimp

The Snowball Shrimp has an extraordinary translucent white body and the female species carries even whiter eggs which emit a glow against green plants and dark background. Even when the female is not carrying eggs, it has a snow-white saddle where eggs are developing in the ovaries, making it equally attractive. Apparently, this white variety of Neocaridina cf. zhangjiajiensis does not occur naturally but rather it was bred and developed by a German breeder.

Although the Snowball is believed to be adaptable and has high tolerance of a wide range of water parameters, it is most productive and suitable in soft to medium hard water with a pH in the alkaline range. After hatching, the young does not go through planktonic larval stage, but looks exactly like a miniature version of the adult. It may not be an excellent cleaner, but is growing popular with hobbyists for its radiant appearance.

Red Nose Shrimp

Originated from India, the Red Nose Shrimp has a unique slender transparent body with a long bright red rostrum, which attributed to its nickname – Pinocchio Shrimp. A health male shrimp has completely clear body and red markings on the rostrum, tail and body, although the female species is smaller and may be less colored.

This Shrimp is predominantly herbivorous, preferring algae of all sorts and is great for hair algae. However, if this food source is scare, it may turn to delicate leaves, mosquito larvae or leftovers such as flakes, pellets and small pieces of fish meat/shrimps. Hence, it is an ideal clean-up crew member of a suitably stocked community tank.

Unlike other species, Red Nose is not shy and will often drift in the water flow with its nose pointing towards the gravel and steer with entertaining paddling movements. Otherwise, it will just gracefully rest on driftwood. It is peaceful and adaptive but also an appreciated food source for many predatory fish and larger fresh water invertebrates.

Currently, almost all specimens available in the market are from the wild as the eggs are hatched in brackish water. Young larvae require full strength saltwater to survive before metamorphosing into post-larvae (miniature shrimp) and returning to freshwater.

Red Cherry Shrimp

The Red Cherry Shrimp originated from Northern Asia and provide a high value of appreciation to freshwater aqua-scaping for its beautiful bright red color. In the wild, the red variation of this species can never be found; rather, it is either reddish brown or brown. The red mutation is the result of breeding under several factors such as mood, water conditions and food. Hence, the shrimp can be extremely pale when it first arrives in a new environment after shipping. The color will return in time when it eventually settles in.

The Cherry Red is a tough, resilient and amazing creature, adaptive to wide range of water parameter – soft and slightly acidic to very hard alkaline. However, it is most productive in soft to medium water with a pH in the alkaline range. The female is easily distinguishable as it is larger and most of the time, carries a deeper shade of red. A sexually mature female will also display a yellow "saddle", whereby its eggs are developing in her ovaries, which disappear when it is carrying eggs. When she is ready to breed, she will molt, and mate during this period. Once the female has mated with the male she will drop her eggs under her tail and carry them for 2 weeks up to a month. Water temperature greatly determines the amount of time a female will carry the eggs before they hatch.

Once the eggs hatch, the young shrimp is a miniature version of it parents. Young shrimp does not go through any larval stages but live and eat just as adult cherry red shrimp do. It is highly recommended that any tank with new born should not have any other tank mates (except the parents) as they are rather small and easy target as food.

The Cherry Red is omnivore, although it will do just fine with a primarily flake diet. To help it grow larger, pellet foods provide essential iron and iodine beneficial for molting whereas plant matter such as spinach, zucchini or other algae type food enhance its color and vigor.

Rainbow Shrimp

The Malaysian or Rainbow Shrimp gains its name for 2 reasons; it originates from Malaysia, and secondly its ability to darken and change colors to match its surroundings. It usually becomes transparent like the Ghost Shrimp when drifting among plants but changes to brown or deep red when resting on driftwood. When in darker colors, a tan stripe down its back is evident. This species has also been spotted in bright blue, green and yellow coloration.

Growing to about 2.5~3 cm maximum, this shrimp is becoming very popular with aquarists for obvious reasons. It is relatively inexpensive and its life span is much longer than Ghost shrimp which typically survives a few months in tank. Besides feeding on leftover fish food, it is also known to combat green hair algae and bush algae. The Malaysian Shrimp thrives in a wide range of water parameters, be it water temperature or pH, and is adaptive in a suitably stocked community tank.

Orange Shrimp

Origin
The original habitat and definite species of the Orange shrimp has yet been established. All we know is, it is very similar to the shrimps of Cardina Propinqua family commonly found in swampy mangroves of Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Characteristic
It is easily recognized by its bright orange body with distorted red patches. Do not be mistaken it for Tiger shrimp, it has a leaner and longer body shape as compared to Tiger shrimp. If you look closely, it bears some resemblance to Ghost shrimp; with tilted head portion, lower back/tail portion and longer feeding legs.

In the Aquarium
Most hobbyists are attracted by its bright orange color which stands out and adds attractiveness in a planted tank against the greens and usually dull gravel. Orange shrimp is non-aggressive and adaptive, hence it can be housed with almost all other freshwater shrimps - like Crystal Red shrimp, Tiger shrimp, Snowball shrimp, Blue Pearl shrimp and Cherry shrimp - without the consequences of cross breeding.

Food
Being a thoroughbred scavenger, the Orange shrimp feeds on literally anything; algae, mosses, pellets, blood worms, etc.

Water Conditions
As it originates from a swampy/coastal area, Orange shrimp can adapt to a wide range of water conditions, be it temperature or pH range. However we noticed that in captivity, some Orange shrimps tend to lose the vibrant color and turn grayish instead.

Breeding
Some hobbyists may be excited to spot one or two female Orange shrimps carrying eggs in their tanks. However, after a couple of days, the female starts to drop the eggs for no apparent reason. This is due to the fact that Orange shrimp belongs to low order breeding form, meaning the eggs are hatch into larvae in brackish water. The larvae will go through several stages before fully develop into shrimps. The complexity of creating this environment makes it difficult to breed by hobbyists at home.

Purple Zebra Shrimp

The Purple Zebra Shrimp is a very rare shrimp, so much so that little information about this species is available. Unlike other freshwater shrimps, Purple Zebra has a missing rostrum, resulting in its eyes almost joining together. Coupled with a unique green crown, a transparent body and multiple purple stripes, this extremely tiny shrimp poses a dreamy appearance, hence acquired the name Dream Shrimp.

Although it is very shy in nature and likes to hide most of the time, Purple Zebra is specially fascinating after molting, where its stripes becomes red, then orange before returning to purple again. In nature, pregnant female swims to brackish water to lay its eggs. The young shrimplets require full strength salt water to survive before returning to freshwater as adult.

Ninja Shrimp

The Ninja Shrimp can change color as and when they like, color varies from red, orangey-red and black. When stressed, they will usually change to red or orangey-red. The body is irregularly colored and sometimes called "Marbled" shrimps in aquarium shops. Some strains of the Ninja Shrimp have reddish eyes. The origin of the Ninja Shrimp seems to be Japan and it is very popular there, probably due to the association of the name of the shrimp to Japan.

Green Dwarf Shrimp

The Green Dwarf Shrimp is easily identified by its beautiful bright green color and slender body, with almost all the females of this species having a white stripe down their backs. Unless stressed out or sick, the shrimp will maintain its color all the time. Since it comes from tropical regions, the water temperature should not drop below the recommended range for extended period of time and preferably soft neutral to medium hard alkaline in the long run.

The Green Dwarf feeds mainly on algae and fish food and does not have planktonic larval stage. In fact, after hatching, the young it is a miniature version of the adult and assumes a benthic lifestyle; it is extremely small and grows very slowly, unlikely to swim freely around but rather confining to the bottom of the tank. Hence, it is important to provide the shrimp ample hiding place.

Ghost Shrimp

The Ghost Shrimp, also known as Glass Shrimp, is completely transparent, hence the contents of its digestive tract is clearly visible. In the centre of its tail, there is a yellow/orange spot. It has a highly segmented body with ten pairs of legs, the front two pairs ending with small claws that aid in feeding.

As an excellent scavenger, it will feed on any leftover fish food or small pieces of plant and animal material that reaches the bottom. Growing up to about 2.5 cm at maturity and a relatively short lifespan of 1 to 1.5 years, Ghost Shrimp is a peaceful creature that requires a lot of hiding places if kept in a community tank. Although it is quiet popular with shrimp hobbyists, it is also stocked by some people as nourishment for other aquatic animals.

As long as the water is clean with low to neutral pH, Ghost Shrimp can tolerate a wide range of water temperature, even as low as 15ºC. It has been observed that at warmer temperature, this Shrimp becomes very active and sometimes turns aggressive enough to attack other small animals. If the shrimp is kept in large quantity together, it can breed effortlessly.

Pregnant female shrimp is easy to identify, carrying small dark developing eggs like balls under her swimmerets (legs) until they are ready to hatch. To keep the eggs well provided with oxygen, she mixes them about with her swimmerets when she moves around. Newborn shrimp looks much like insect larva and becomes a food source in a well stocked tank. It is usually too small to catch with a net; hence, it is necessary to move pregnant female to a separate tank for the hatching purpose.

Crystal Red Shrimp

Origin
Crystal Red Shrimp (AKA CRS, Red Bee Shrimp, Scientific name Caridina sp. "bee") is a breed variant of the freshwater Bee shrimp. Normal Bee shrimp can be found in Southern China or South East Asia. Because the breed form is more intense and vibrant in colour, it has gained popularity in Japan and is now greatly sought after by aquarium hobbyists around the world.

In 1991, Mr. Hisayasu Suzuki of Japan started breeding normal bee shrimps, which are banded with black stripes. He noticed a single red bee shrimp in a batch of about a thousand shrimps and was fascinated by it. This first red bee died but three generations later, he discovered 3 red bee shrimps among the thousands he had bred. After many cycles of selective breeding from redder offspring, he finally arrived at the true red bee. In 1996, he named it "Crystal Red Shrimp" and has been awarded a patent for this recessive red mutation of the normal bee shrimp. Since then Crystal Red Shrimp has been further refined by the founder and other breeders to produce specimens with larger white patches and intensified red.

Characteristic
Crystal Red Shrimp is a fairly small shrimp, growing to about 2.5 cm in adulthood. However, it is very active but remains quite peaceful towards other tank mates. The average lifespan is about 1.5 to 2 years but the gender is hard to differentiate, especially during juvenile stage. Between the ages of 4.5 and 5 months with a size of at least 2.2 cm, it is ready to reproduce in tank. As Crystal Red Shrimp can crossbreed with normal Bee shrimp and Tiger shrimp which are also of the Caridina species, it is highly recommended not to keep them in the same tank.

In the Aquarium
Crystal Red Shrimp is currently the most favorite freshwater aquarium shrimp. It's unique and distinctive red and white color is unlike any freshwater shrimps. Hobbyist have even refine the species to make it more intense red and white by going through selective breeding. They even grade the shrimps according to the intensity of the white and red patterns on the shell.

Food
Probably due to its size, it is not a particularly great algae consumer; preferring soft mosses and a rich vegetable diet. Some hobbyist even go to the extreme of feeding them with boiled organic spinach. There are a lot of variety of flake/dry food made specially for the Crystal Red Shrimp, but make sure the food does not contain Copper. Copper is a heavy metal and even a small dose is enough to kill any freshwater shrimps!

Water Conditions
Crystal Red Shrimp is the most sensitive freshwater shrimps, due to the small shared common gene pool of the original 3 bee shrimps. Hence, maintaining a proper environment condition is utmost importance for keeping and breeding Crystal Red Shrimp. Although it may seems difficult to keep, it all drill down to the water conditions.

After years of keeping and breeding Crystal Red Shrimp, we have derived the following chart that shows the optimal water parameters for Crystal Red Shrimp. These are the water parameters that you can easily measured with available test kits from your local aquarium shop.
Water Temperature 23 ~ 24ºC
pH - Acidity 6.4 ~ 6.8
GH - General Hardness 3 ~ 6dH
KH - Carbonate Hardness 1 ~ 2dH
NH3 - Ammonia 0ppm
NO2 - Nitrite 0ppm
NO3 - Nitrate <15ppm
TDS - Total Dissolved Substance 90-120

The most common problem overlooked by most hobbyists is the dissolved substance in the water. You can have all the water parameters correct, but the Crystal Red Shrimp keeps dying. This is because of the different pollution factors or chemicals added by the source of the water. You can buy a TDS meter to measure the amount of dissolved substance in your tank. If the TDS exceeds 150 and your pH is on the higher range, nitrogenous waste in the tank can turn toxic.

Another important factor is the biological filter media in your filter system. A canister filter system is recommended for keeping Crystal Red Shrimp, as it provides the best mechanical and biological functions. A good biological filter media helps to remove organic waste from the tank and provide a balance in the ecosystem within the tank. Most of us at home cannot measure the amount of nitrifying or beneficial bacteria in the tank. Hence, investing on a good biological filter media is important. When choosing the biological filter media, it is important to compare the media surface area. The higher the surface area, the more bacteria will thrive and grow inside. Example of a good filter media would be Biohomme, Mr. Aqua Bio Rings.

Bumble Bee Shrimp

Commonly mistaken as the genuine (new) Bee Shrimp the Bumble Bee Shrimp has similar characteristics and appearance as the former. However at closer look, the head portion of the Bumble Bee Shrimp differs from that of the new Bee shrimp. It is slightly longer, triangular in shape and is either brown or black, whereas the new Bee shrimp is usually white in color. While both shrimps developed similar white bands over time, the Bumble Bee Shrimp retains its transparent and brownish body. The Bumble Bee Shrimp will turn bluish when stressed.

Nevertheless, keeping and breeding Bumble Bee Shrimp require the same amount of effort and attention as that of the rest of the Caridina species. Hence, it is important to keep the water parameter in the range of soft neutral to acidic pH (6.2~6.8) and temperature between 22~28 °C. With an average lifespan of 15 months, it starts breeding at the 5th or 6th month. The young shrimp does not go through planktonic larval stage; rather it is like the miniature version of the adult. Probable due to its size; maximum of 2.5 cm in maturity, this shrimp feeds very little on algae, preferring fish food, vegetable matter and soft moss instead.

Freshwater Shrimp Species

Amano Shrimp
Caridina Japonica




Bumble Bee Shrimp
Caridina cf. Breviata "hummel"




Crystal Black Shrimp
Caridina sp. "bee"




Crystal Red Shrimp
Caridina sp. "bee"




Ghost Shrimp
Paleomonetes sp.




Golden CRS Shrimp
Caridina cf. "golden crs"




Green Dwarf Shrimp
Caridina cf. Babaulti "green"




Ninja Shrimp
Caridina serratirostris




Orange Shrimp
Caridina cf. propinqua




Purple Zebra Shrimp
Potamalpheops sp.




Rainbow Shrimp
Caridina cf. Babaulti var. "malayan"




Red Cherry Shrimp
Neocaridina denticulata sinensis




Red Nose Shrimp
Caridina Gracilirostris




Snowball Shrimp
Neocaridina cf. zhangjiajiensis var. white




Tiger Shrimp
Caridina cf. cantonensis "tiger"




Wood Shrimp
Atyopsis Moluccensis




Yellow Shrimp
Neocaridina heteropoda var. 'yellow'

Introduction to Freshwater Shrimps

Freshwater shrimps (Atyidae) are similar to crab, lobster and spider as they are segmented with an outer exoskeleton to protect their fragile body. Freshwater shrimps, mostly belong to the Atyidae family (family of Caridean atyid shrimp), are found in all tropical regions in the world with some in temperate regions as well. Adults of this family usually confine to fresh water, although some species require salt water or brackish water to hatch their young. Young freshwater shrimps that lives in salt water will molt 8-12 times before returning to freshwater.

Difference between Shrimp & Prawn

Drawing illustrating the differences between a shrimp (left) and a prawn (right).

Most people are confused about the differences between a shrimp and a prawn, physically they look alike. Some of us were taught in schools that larger shrimps are called prawns, whereas smaller ones are called shrimps. Since most prawns belong to the Penaeidae family, it is easy to tell the difference between a shrimp and a prawn. Prawns have all the abdominal side plates overlapping tile-like from the front, while shrimps have only the second abdominal plate overlapping the front and back.

With aquatic plants landscaping getting more popular and the introduction of freshwater shrimp as an algae cleaner, aquarium hobbyists are constantly in search of new varieties and information; the demand for shrimps has been increasing in the past few years. Although all freshwater shrimps are omnivorous (scavenger) and will feed on literally anything that are left over, they generally prefer vegetable matter when it's available.

Molting
As the exoskeleton (commonly know as shell) of a shrimp is rigid and hard, shedding the shell is essential for it to grow. This process is called Molting. New layer of soft shell is constantly growing underneath the existing exoskeleton until a hormone is released to encourage the molting process.

In the course of molting, the shrimp will pull back and emerge out of the old shell via a split between the Carapace and Abdomen region. The soft and discolored new shell requires a few hours to harden. During this period, the shrimp becomes lethargic and vulnerable to attack, and death can also easily occur due to bad water conditions.

Crystal Black Shrimp feeding on a molted shell.

Most shrimps regard their own old shell as one of their food sources, hence removing the old shell is not necessary.

Breeding
Breeding freshwater shrimps is either very easy or complex, depending on the species. Some can be easily breed with freshwater, while others requires brackish water or even full strength salt water. The two forms of reproduction are the primitive form and the higher order form.

Typically in primitive reproduction, small eggs or larvae are released into brackish or full salt water environment. The eggs will hatch into larvae and will go through several stages of development before they can live in freshwater. With each stage, the larvae molt and add new body segment to the existing body. The complexity of creating this required environment makes it almost impossible for hobbyists to breed freshwater shrimps in this form. Furthermore, the larvae will require special algae or tiny planktonic food that live in such environment.

In higher order form, the eggs are larger and will hatch into a fully developed offspring similar to their parents. Although much smaller in size, these tiny shrimps live in the same environment with the adult shrimps. These type of shrimps are easy to breed by hobbyists, as there are no special requirements on environment and food for the baby shrimps.

Environment
The environment for each freshwater shrimp species varies from different water condition like pH, temperature, water hardness, etc. Nevertheless, water condition should be free of ammonia and nitrite as these are fatal to the health of shrimps, hence investing in a good filtration system is paramount. The tank setup should preferably have plants, rocks and driftwoods to cater for hiding places, especially if other small animals co-exist in the tank.

About Us

We have been keeping and breeding Crystal Red Shrimp since 2003 as a leisure pursuit. We develop this site to promote freshwater aquarium shrimp as a hobby and provide as up to date and accurate as possible information.

Putting together our knowledge, observation and research, as well as participation in exchanges with other shrimp enthusiasts around the world, we consolidated the essence of keeping freshwater shrimps for the interest of hobbyists like you as follows:-

• Know the basic anatomy of a freshwater shrimp
• Differentiate between a shrimp and a prawn
• Identify various species of freshwater shrimps
• Understand their different environment and water parameters
• Discover the secrets of breeding and caring for your shrimps