How to Make a Shrimp Home in Your Aquarium

There is a variety of freshwater and saltwater shrimp that you can keep in your home aquarium. Adults may range in size from 1 to 4 inches long, depending on the species. Most freshwater shrimp are hardy and go well with other peaceful shrimp in your aquarium, but you must make concessions for them so they feel just comfortable as your other fish. Making your aquarium a proper home for shrimp includes providing logs and lots of hiding places and climbing surfaces as well as moss and a cave.

Things You'll Need

  • Java moss, one clump (freshwater only)
  • Live rock (saltwater only)
  • Aquarium logs
  • Plant pot
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a clump of java moss of java fern in your tank. A baseball-sized clump will provide shelter for a variety of small shrimp, like amano shrimp or cherry shrimp. It will keep other fish from harassing them. Java moss and fern can only survive in freshwater aquariums. Other good plant choices include anubias and dwarf lilies.

    • 2

      Bury a plant pot on its side at the bottom of the aquarium. One half of the pot should be jutting from the gravel or sand, which creates a makeshift cave. Your aquarium's shrimp will gladly use these caves for shelter.

    • 3

      Lay logs around the bottom of the aquarium. The logs will provide a surface area for algae to grow, which the shrimp eat, as well as provide an area for the shrimp to walk on and hide them when they feel threatened.

    • 4

      Set live rock all around your saltwater aquarium. Live rock is special porous rock that contains tiny crustaceans called copepods. The rock will provide shelter for the marine shrimp as well as provide food in the form of the small crustaceans. Live rock will not survive in a freshwater aquarium.