How to Take Care of Amano Shrimp in an Aquarium – Since the rise of aquascapes in Indonesia , amano shrimp, has also become popular. That’s because of its incredible ability to eat algae as well as its beautiful appearance. In addition, its easy maintenance and peaceful nature make it the right choice to incorporate it in a community tank. Well, if you want to buy this freshwater ornamental shrimp , try reading how to care for this amano shrimp first!
Appearance
Before entering the treatment session, it’s a good idea to get to know this beautiful shrimp first. The name amano shrimp itself became popular because of Takashi Amano, as a cleaning animal to control algae growth in aquariums in the 80s. Because of its popularity, this shrimp is also known by several names, such as Japonica Shrimp, Caridina Japonica, Yamato Shrimp and Algae Eating Shrimp.
While the scientific name of the amano shrimp is Caridina multidentata, which belongs to the Atyidae family. Because amano shrimp are difficult to breed, so many KW or local versions are circulating, which function is not as good as the original version. If you want to keep invertebrates in an aquarium, these ornamental shrimp can be the right choice, partly because of their strength in survival. If you take care of the amano shrimp properly, it will accompany you for the next two to three years.
Natural Habitat
Amano shrimp are commonly found in Southern Japan, China, and are also found in Taiwan. Usually they inhabit the rivers in the area.
Character
Basically, the amano shrimp is a peaceful animal, but when you feed it, they will compete for it. This results in the larger shrimp being more powerful than the smaller ones. When it doesn’t have a shell, the shrimp will feel vulnerable and tend to hide. Therefore, you should make hiding places on the tank.
Physical form
Amano shrimp is a type of dwarf shrimp but can grow large, even up to 5 cm. But in general, these shrimp only have an average size of 2 to 3 cm. Physical characteristics are easily recognizable, with a stocky transparent or grayish body. There is also a long line of red/brown or blue/grey dots running the length of their body. The coloration of these dots can vary greatly depending on their diet. For example, shrimp that are fed algae and leafy greens will have a green tint in their dots.
You will also see its tail (Uropod) translucent.
Because of its slightly transparent body, you might have a hard time scooping this shrimp out, especially when it’s hiding in rocks. However, you can pick them up at night by turning off the aquarium light and shining a flashlight on it. Their eyes will appear to shine.
How to Distinguish the Gender of Amano Shrimp
There are several prominent differences that make the sex of the amano shrimp easy to identify, such as:
- Females tend to be bigger than males
- Females have dots like a long dotted line, while males the dots are more evenly distributed
The female will have a saddle (i.e. nest of eggs) under the abdomen where she stores her eggs
Original Amano Shrimp
It is difficult to distinguish the original amano shrimp from the KW one, considering that there are more than 200 types of Caridina. And in appearance many are similar. The most visible is his ability to clean tanks. The real Amano will constantly clean the tank, while the fake is a bit lazy. In addition, if you look more closely, the original amano shrimp has a larger body than the KW one. If you find the amano shrimp breeding in a freshwater aquarium, it’s probably the KW version, as the real one can only breed in brackish water.
How to Take Care of Amano Shrimp in the Aquarium
There are several important points in how to properly care for amano shrimp in an aquarium, such as:
- Aquarium Condition
- water condition
- feed
- Tank Mates
Let’s discuss one by one!
1. Aquarium Conditions
You can keep 5 amano shrimp in an aquarium containing 10 gallons or 38 liters of water. Basically they do not need a large tank size. Only if you want to add more than 5 tails, you can add another 2 gallons of water per head. However it also depends on the number of other animals in the tank. You need to provide a place to live like the shrimp’s natural habitat, where there are lots of hiding places and have natural substrate.
Plant water plants such as Java moss or green cabomba, provide roots and rocks for hiding.
2. Water Condition
Although it is strong enough to survive in unfavorable water conditions, the right water parameters can determine the health of amano shrimp. Water conditions suitable for amano are as follows:
- Level pH: 6.0 – 7.0.
- Temperature: 22 ° C – 30 ° C.
- Water hardness: 6.0 – 8.0 DKH.
3. Amano Shrimp Feed
The amano shrimp is an omnivorous animal, which means it eats everything. This shrimp is famous because it loves to eat algae in the aquarium, food debris that falls to the bottom, even dead fish. In addition, you can give him frozen food or submerged pellets. Blood worms and brine shrimp can also be the right choice for their feed.
4. Tank Mates
Because this shrimp has a peaceful temperament, it is suitable to be combined with shrimp and other peaceful fish. Some animals that are suitable as tank mates for amano shrimp such as Nerite Snails, Tetra, Guppy, Cherry Shrimp and other small non-predatory fish. He can also mingle with the same sex, but it’s best to keep more than 6 tails. The goal is to prevent domination. Make sure the ratio of the number of males and females is balanced.
Well, it’s been a long explanation on how to take care of amano shrimp in an aquarium. Hope this review helps you!