Amano Shrimp has become a necessity in the aquarium world when it gets to dealing with algae. Nowadays, they are among the most popular types of shrimp due to their abilities. No other shrimp is as effective at consuming enormous amounts of algae.
Amano shrimp are easy to socialize. There are a few particular cases in which they could cause trouble but they are rare. We will discuss them below.
How Many Amano Shrimp Can You Put Per Gallon? You can keep 1 Shrimp per 2 Gallons on Water, It is safe to say that the smallest aquarium for shrimps starts from 10 gallons. However, for the smallest swarm of around five, you definitely need to start at 20 gallons to the least.
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| Tank Size | Number of Amano shrimp |
| 10 gallons | Up to 3-4 Amano shrimp |
| 20 gallons | Up to 5-6 Amano shrimp |
| 30 gallons | Up to 10 Amano shrimp |
| 40 gallons | Up to 13 Amano shrimp |
| 50 gallons | Up to 16 Amano shrimp |
You will find detailed information if you continue reading below but naturally, you are supposed to place one shrimp per 3-4 gallons of water.
How many can you put per gallon water?
As already mentioned, the suggested starting aquarium size for Amano shrimp is 20 gallons. For a tank this size, it is safe to have 5-6 Amano shrimps. Of course, you can put double that amount but it is not a good option overall.
The same thing goes for larger tanks. We will give you a table with the suggested numbers after all safety precautions taken considering the other inhabitants of the tank have been made.
Amano shrimp naturally feed on Algae and leftovers but this is actually not enough. When in high numbers, they will not be afraid of the larger fish and will fight for the food that floats.
This could cause stress among your inhabitants and we all know how this affects fish.What do we mean by safety? Amano shrimps have low requirements and are usually peaceful inhabitants. However, when in high numbers, especially higher than the recommended, they could become a treat to the other species in the aquarium.
To sum up, Amano shrimp are very likable and they are a great remedy for algae. However, you should not overpopulate an aquarium with them. Try to stick with the suggested numbers and you will have one clean and happy tank.
Everything else you need to know about Amano shrimps
What do Amano shrimps eat?
This species is an omnivorous invertebrate. They will eat everything but require a balanced diet. Although they will naturally eat the different types of algae, and leftovers that fall on the surface, they need an extra supplement.
There are variations of high-quality pellets for Amano shrimp on the market but you can also try frozen food or sinking pellets. In addition, they will also eat cucumbers, zucchini, and other raw vegetables.
Although they will eat the majority of algae types like Clado, String Algae, etc., they will not eat Black Beard algae. If this is your case, Amano shrimp will not serve the purpose.
What tank mates can Amano shrimps have?
Amano shrimp are naturally very small – around 5cm each. Therefore, they are viewed as food by the majority of large fish. That is why they are incompatible in tanks with large predatory fish. Normally, if a predatory fish can put a shrimp in its mouth, it automatically becomes a prey.
With this said, Amano shrimp are incompatible with species like Cichlids, Bettas, Arowanas, etc. You should be looking for other community species like them. Such are Tetras, Barbs, Discus, etc.
Here is a table with compatible and incompatible species.
| Compatible mates | Incompatible mates |
| Neon Tetras | Oscars |
| Discus | Cichlids |
| Tiger Barbs | Goldfish |
| Cherry shrimps | Crayfish |
| Cory and Otocinclus Catfish | Arowanas |
| Malaysian and Nerite Snails | Bettas |
Acclimatizing Amano shrimp
Over 90% of all Amano shrimp for sale are wild caught. This means that you need to be extra careful when introducing them to your tank. Make sure you have tested the water parameters entirely as Amano shrimp have some requirements.
Also check: Betta With a Ghost Shrimp
A good idea is to ask for the parameters of the shrimp tank in the pet store. If this is a possibility, consider it. This way, you can tune your own aquarium to be as close to their requirements as possible.
In order to prevent shock, try to keep the aquarium lights off during the first day. Do not change water under any circumstances. Sudden changes in the water parameters will cause imminent stress.
Here is a table with all the water parameters that are safest for Amano shrimps.
| Water Parameters |
| Temperature around 75F |
| Ammonia 0ppm |
| Nitrate <20ppm |
| Nitrite 0ppm |
| Around 7.0 pH |
* ppm – parts per million
The natural temperature of the Amano shrimp environment is between 70F – 80F which is around 22C – 26C. This means that your aquarium temperature should be somewhere in between.
In case you are not familiar with this fact, higher temperature results in faster metabolism. Therefore, if you increase the temperature, the Amano shrimp will most likely eat more algae in a shorter period of time.
As for pH, it normally should be neutral – between 6.5 and 7.5. Ammonia and Nitrite must be 0 at all times. As for Nitrate, it should be as low as possible. If you can keep it around 0 as well, it will be the best case scenario.
Additional questions
How big do Amano shrimp get?
Amano shrimp are naturally very small. This makes them incompatible with the majority of predatory fish, and a great addition to community tanks. They get up to 2 inches which correspond to 5cm.
How many Amano shrimp can I put in a 5-gallon tank?
Normally, it is not advised to put Amano shrimp in tanks so small. The starting aquarium size for shrimps is 10 gallons. However, if you want and need them in your 5-gallon tank, I would advise you to buy no more than two. For a more detailed answer, look at the shrimps per gallon table above.
What types of algae do Amano shrimp eat?
Most of the algae eating species are quite picky when it comes to the sorts of algae. Amano shrimp are so popular because they eat almost everything. For example, String algae, Green Spot algae, Clado algae. Although they are not particularly fond of Black Beard algae, in some cases they would eat it.
How long do Amano shrimp live?
Naturally, you cannot expect something so small to live for a long time. It takes about 5-6 months for an Amano shrimp to reach maturity. After that, they have several years of life. Their lifespan is normally between two and five years, but there have been cases of shrimps surviving much longer in captivity.
What temperatures do Amano shrimp-like?
Amano shrimp are native to waters in Asian countries like China and Japan. Fortunately, the temperature conditions there are close to those of regular freshwater aquariums.
Temperatures should be between 70F and 80F. This corresponds to 22C – 26C. In the end, it all depends on how productive you would like them to be.
For those that are unfamiliar, aquarium temperature is directly connected to the productivity of the species living inside. Coldwater leads to slow movements and lethargy. Increasing the temperature will fasten the metabolism and will make them more productive.
Therefore, if your algae problems are really serious, try increasing the temperature and the Amano shrimp will most likely clean it faster. However, always try to be close to the parameters discussed above.
Can Amano shrimp live alone?
As with any other species of shrimp, you can have a tank entirely for themselves. Shrimp tanks have been growing in popularity lately and are actually equally great when landscaped. Amano shrimp can live in groups of their own kind or together with other species of shrimp.
Can you leave a single Amano shrimp alone by itself?
In the smallest tanks, you really have no choice. This is why it is not advised that you place shrimps in tanks smaller than 10 gallons. Although there is no confirmed information that they get lonely, for example, there is rarely a species that would like to live by itself.
Are Amano shrimp easy to look after?
Amano shrimp have extremely low requirements as soon as they are acclimatized well. They will live under a variety of temperature and water conditions. The only issue, as mentioned, is the introduction to the tank.
This species gets stressed quite easily when moved into different water parameters. The process should be undergone with great caution or you could result in dead shrimps. As long as this period passes, your shrimps will not cause you any troubles.