What Do Shrimp Eat in a Fish Tank? A Feeding Guide

The short answer

Aquarium shrimp graze on algae, biofilm and decaying plant matter, and most dwarf species accept almost any food offered. Care sources suggest adding a varied mix of sinking shrimp foods, blanched vegetables and leaf litter in small amounts, sized by each food’s label, with leftovers removed so the water stays clean.

This guide covers freshwater dwarf shrimp such as cherry, crystal, Amano and bamboo shrimp; saltwater shrimp are not covered. It is about food and water, not sick shrimp: if shrimp are dying, test the water and contact an aquatic veterinarian.

What shrimp find to eat on their own

UF IFAS Extension, a university extension service, writes of the cherry shrimp: “Like most shrimp species, ornamental shrimp are detritivores and opportunistic feeders. They will graze on algae, biofilms, and dead plants and animals on the bottoms of rivers.” In the wild, it says, the cherry shrimp “primarily feeds on leaf litter on the bottom of the rivers” and “also feeds on meiofauna, which are small microorganisms that live in benthic (bottom) regions.” After a molt, “They will feed on their molted exoskeleton to reabsorb valuable nutrients.”

In a tank, Aqueon, an aquarium and fish food maker, ties that natural food to tank age: “Mature aquariums are preferred as they are more stable and tend to have natural food sources for shrimp; never place dwarf freshwater shrimp in a newly set up aquarium!”

One owner feeds nothing yet. In a 2023 r/shrimptank thread, a few weeks after adding about 10 shrimp to a planted 10-gallon tank, they wrote: “So far, I have NOT been feeding them, since they seem to keep pretty busy between the plants and algae.” The owner added that this might change if the shrimp start breeding.

What each kind of shrimp eats

Shrimp	What it eats, per the source	Source
Cherry (Neocaridina)	Algae, biofilm, dead plants and animals	UF IFAS Extension
Crystal and bee (Caridina)	No diet statement found; Aqueon sells a “protein-based” disc for Caridina	Aqueon product page
Amano	Fish foods, blanched vegetables, biofilm, rotting leaves, algae	Aquarium Co-Op (retailer)
Bamboo	Micro-organisms and fine particles caught on its fans	Aqueon (maker)

Age and eggs shift the balance too. Chris Lukhaup of Shrimp King, a shrimp food line whose protein food his article then recommends for them, writes for Aquarium Co-Op, an aquarium retailer: “Egg-bearing females and growing juvenile shrimp eat slightly more food of animal origin as they need more protein, whereas adult males and females that are not berried seem to focus more on a vegetable-based diet.”

Foods to offer

Prepared shrimp and fish foods

Aqueon says dwarf shrimp “will eagerly accept virtually any food offered.” Hikari, a fish food maker, says its Shrimp Cuisine “utilizes a wide range of ingredients, including vegetable matter herbivorous shrimp prefer like seaweed and spirulina.” Fish flakes suit some owners: one in the r/shrimptank thread above feeds “finely ground up fish flakes”, and another’s shrimp “won’t eat anything besides fish flakes”, refusing Hikari algae wafers and both Aqueon discs.

For products, our shrimp food roundup compares nine shrimp foods on their makers’ feeding directions and ingredient lists.

Vegetables

Aquarium Co-Op suggests canned green beans “because of the nutritious content, soft texture, and ability to sink immediately”, canned sliced carrots, and zucchini blanched “so that they are soft enough for shrimp to graze on”. It adds a caution: “Just be careful not to overfeed the tank because the uneaten vegetables will fall apart eventually and may cause water quality issues if left to decay in the tank.”

Owners in a 2023 r/shrimptank cherry shrimp thread report mixed results: “Our dozen or so crushed a 1cm slice of zucchini in a couple days, once they noticed it”, and “I’m disappointed that my shrimp won’t touch the cucumber I put in for them.”

Leaves, biofilm and minerals

Aquarium Co-Op says catappa (Indian almond) leaves “grow a thin layer of biofilm as they break down”, which “contains nutritious bacteria, algae, and other microorganisms for baby shrimp to graze on all throughout the day.” Its cherry shrimp guide says “you also want to make sure to include calcium in their diet”, because shrimp keep molting.

Aqueon advises to “rotate their diet daily”, and Practical Fishkeeping, a fishkeeping magazine, ends its shrimp food test: “a varied, balanced diet is the key to success.”

Shrimp tanks often hold snails as well; Aqueon says “Dwarf freshwater shrimp can also be kept with Nerite and other snail species.” Our guide to what aquarium snails eat and our snail food roundup cover their side of the menu.

Copper in shrimp food: what makers and a retailer say

Aqueon’s warning is about plant supplements and medications; Hikari and Fluval, which list copper in their foods, do not address it.

Aqueon (care guide): “When using plant supplements or medications, avoid products containing copper, as it is toxic to freshwater shrimp.”
Hikari: lists copper sulfate in Shrimp Cuisine’s ingredients and calls it a “Safe form of copper in an exacting amount which aids in toxin elimination”.
Fluval, in an FAQ on its Bug Bites Shrimp page: “Copper is a necessary trace element that should be included in crustaceans’ diets”.
Aquarium Co-Op (retailer): “many shrimp foods such as Shrimp Cuisine contain trace amounts of copper that are necessary for the shrimp to make blood or hemocyanin”.
An r/shrimptank owner: “Some food is labeled for shrimp but contains COPPER, which you may know is poisonous to shrimp”.

This guide does not settle it. Ingredient lists name the compound where there is one (copper sulfate, copper proteinate).

How much and how often to feed shrimp

The sources differ, and each covers a different case:

Source	Covers	How much, how often
Aqueon (maker)	Dwarf shrimp on its foods	“only what they can consume in 2 to 3 minutes, once or twice a day”; no food one day a week
Hikari (maker)	Shrimp Cuisine	Several times a day, what shrimp eat within a few minutes (feeding tab)
Fluval (maker)	Bug Bites Shrimp	Two minutes’ worth “once daily” (Fluval page); the Amazon listing for the same food says “two or three times daily”
Aquatic Arts (maker)	Pollen Granules (sold as a treat)	“once per week”; 4-5 granules for 10-15 gallon tanks
Practical Fishkeeping (magazine)	Author’s lightly to moderately stocked tanks	Every other day, with bacteria or minerals dosed on the off days; daily if highly stocked or new

Aqueon gives its reason for the fast day: “Withholding food one day a week helps them cleanse their digestive systems and encourages them to do more aquarium cleaning.” Practical Fishkeeping’s author says his lightly to moderately stocked tanks “could find sufficient biofilm even between feedings to keep them full. In a highly stocked or freshly started tank they need to be fed every day.”

How to feed shrimp without fouling the water

Start from the maker’s directions

Use the amount and frequency given for the food you have (see the table above). For foods without directions, Aqueon’s care guide, written for its own foods, says to feed “only what they can consume in 2 to 3 minutes”.

Use a dish or a leaf

Practical Fishkeeping says pellets that fall apart feed “even the tiniest shrimplets”, “but it can lead to increased water pollution, clogged soil and a boom in the snail population. To avoid this, use a feeding dish or a Catappa leaf as a dinner plate.”

Take out what is left

Hikari’s feeding directions say to avoid overfeeding and remove uneaten food after the feeding period. Aqueon explains why: “Uneaten fish food releases toxic ammonia and nitrite as it decomposes.”

Watch the snails

One r/shrimptank owner uses bladder snails as a gauge: “I guess thats how i know if i overfeed.” If snails are multiplying, our guide to why snails appear in an aquarium covers overfeeding and control.

Test ammonia and nitrite

For dwarf freshwater shrimp, Aqueon says “ammonia and nitrites should always be undetectable, and nitrates should be below 10 ppm”, adding that needs vary by species. Our freshwater test kit roundup compares the kits. If ammonia or nitrite shows up, see our guides to high ammonia in an aquarium and high nitrite in an aquarium, and keep testing until both read zero.

Eggs, shrimplets and lifespan

UF IFAS says cherry shrimp females carry the eggs under their bodies, and that “In the aquarium trade, the female shrimp that are carrying eggs are referred to as berried”. “The incubation time for the eggs ranges from 16 to 19 days” (one source; some care sites give longer times), clutches range “between 43 to 60 eggs”, and the young hatch as miniature adults “only around 1 to 2 millimeters” long. Amano shrimp are different: Aquarium Co-Op says their larvae “require highly brackish or salt water to survive”, so they do not breed in a freshwater tank.

Baby shrimp need food they can reach: Practical Fishkeeping says that with slow-dissolving pads “young shrimplets may have difficulties getting their share”.

Two sources give about the same lifespan. Reefs.com, an aquarium news and care site, says cherry shrimp “have a lifespan of around 1 to 2 years under optimal conditions” and credits “proper nutrition, water quality, and a stress-free environment”. Shrimpy Business, a store that sells live shrimp, says that “While cherry shrimp typically live for about a year, they are capable of living up to twice that long.”

Ready to buy?

Our shrimp food roundup compares nine shrimp foods on makers’ directions and ingredients, and our Tank Setup & Care section gathers the care guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the best food for Neocaridina shrimp?

No source here names one best food. Aqueon sells its Herbivore Shrimp Discs as “Ideal for shrimp in Genus Neocaridina, such as Cherry and Blueberry Shrimp”, and in Practical Fishkeeping’s 2016 test the Neocaridina were drawn to foods such as Hikari Shrimp Cuisine and stayed with Boss Aquaria Shrimp Crack, though the author advises not to stick to one food.

Q. How often should you feed Neocaridina shrimp?

No source here gives a Neocaridina-only schedule. In Practical Fishkeeping’s test, “16 contained Cherry shrimp” of the author’s 27 tanks; he fed every other day in lightly to moderately stocked tanks and says highly stocked or new tanks need daily feeding. The makers’ directions are in the table above.

Q. What fish won’t eat shrimp?

Aqueon says dwarf shrimp “are vulnerable to predation by larger fish” and that some species can be kept with “small, non-aggressive, non-predatory fish” such as ember tetras, Endler’s livebearers, otocinclus and pygmy corydoras; many keepers use shrimp-only tanks. Aquarium Co-Op’s rule of thumb: “if it can fit in its mouth then it’s a predator.”

Q. Is Hikari Shrimp Cuisine good for shrimp?

In Practical Fishkeeping’s 2016 test, its granules “had a long lasting attraction, especially for the Neocaridina”, though the author’s Taiwan and princess bee shrimp “didn’t like it too much”.

Sources (18)

Aquarium Tales Team

Written and reviewed by the Aquarium Tales Team. See the About page for how we work.