Depending on the type of life you are going to keep in your tank, there are different ways that you will need to maintain it. For most people, there are at least some fish in a tank, and in this case, you will need to make sure that you adapt your setup according to the kind of life you have in there. However, a lot of people opt to go for a shrimp only tank but there is an issue with this. Most people are not familiar with whether these tiny critters need a filter and a heater.
Where a heater is concerned, shrimp will thrive without one but this is based on the condition that you are able to keep the room at a consistent temperature. Furthermore, if you wish to breed the shrimp, you’ll probably fare better with a heater in place. As far as filters go, shrimp will die if there is not a good filtration system in place. That said, many aquarists have successfully kept shrimp by installing A LOT of plant life in place of filters.
Learning how to create the perfect home for your shrimp will give them the best chance of survival. While keeping them is a little different to keeping fish and corals, getting to grips with things isn’t as hard as you might think.
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Keeping Shrimp In An Aquarium
There are a lot of different shrimp species and whether you are keeping a freshwater or a saltwater aquarium, you will be spoiled for choice. Some of the most common freshwater species include the cherry shrimp, the ghost shrimp, and the blue tiger shrimp. Saltwater species include the blood red fire shrimp and the bumblebee shrimp, among others.
When you are setting up a shrimp tank, you will have a lot of things to think about. Not only whether you will need a filter and a heater but many other aspects. For example, finding the right tank mates is an essential task. Putting aggressive or predatory fish in with your shrimp will lead to disaster no matter how many hiding spots you provide in the way of plants and rocks.
Many people opt to keep only shrimp and this is a good way to remove the worry of having to balance the environment to suit all animals living in it.
Do Shrimp Need A Filter?
If you are new to fish keeping, then you may have found yourself pretty overwhelmed with the number of options and pieces of equipment. It can feel a little dizzying, to begin with, but once you understand the basics, it becomes a little more straightforward. So, before we go into whether you need a filter in a shrimp tank, we must understand what a filter does.
Imagine making a cup of tea in the wilderness; you’re using water from a stream and it’s a survival situation. You aren’t going to drink the water directly from the stream because you don’t know what’s in it. Instead, you’ll likely boil it and filter it through some material to remove any debris and particles.
This is exactly what a filter in a fish tank does. It is designed to remove anything from the water that is detrimental to the life you keep in your aquarium. But not only this, but your filter will also remove trace elements from the water that could potentially suffocate your shrimp and fish. This includes things like nitrite and ammonia.
As humans, we breathe air which is made up of various elements but primarily, oxygen. Now imagine if that air was filled with toxic gases; we would soon perish. The animals in your aquarium breathe underwater so the situation is much the same; if the water is filled with pollutants, the animals cannot breathe and they will die.
So, onto the question in point; do shrimp need a filter? In short, if you want your shrimp to survive, you are going to need to install a filter. Now, there are many aquarists that will tell you that using lots of plants will have the same effect. Of course, in the wild, shrimp don’t have the luxury of a filter and it is indeed plants that do the job instead.
It is possible for shrimp to survive in a tank that is filled with plant life but there are some downsides to this. Primarily, you will need to take into account that you are going to need A LOT of plants in order to mimic the job of an electric filter. Moreover, with such a great amount of greenery in the tank, many find that this takes away from the overall aesthetic.
We would recommend installing an electric filter and having a decent number of plants so that, in the event of a power failure, you have a back up.
If there is a power outage, this could affect your shrimp especially if the power doesn’t come back on for some time. In this case, you need to be mindful of the number of shrimp in the tank; the more there are, the more waste products will be produced, and the more quickly the quality of the water will deteriorate.
Do Shrimp Need A Heater?
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the idea of whether shrimp need a heater versus whether they can do without one. In reality, they will do just fine if there isn’t a heater in the tank, but this is conditional. The temperature of the water must remain consistent and so, if you aren’t going to use a heater, you’ll need to make sure that the room in which the tank sits stays at a stable temperature.
The majority of freshwater shrimp species have a good temperature range that they can withstand and most homes will remain within these parameters so a heater is not essential.
Another thing to consider is the shrimp species because some do require a higher temperature than others. The Sulawesi shrimp, for example, needs warmer water so it is worth thinking about installing a heater if you don’t think you will otherwise be able to maintain this.
There are pros and cons to having a heater in your shrimp tank so always be mindful of these when making a decision. One of the biggest advantages of having a heater is that you won’t need to worry about the stability of the tank and the heater will ensure that the temperature always remains stable. On the other hand, if you need to alter the temperature according to breeding season, this is far simpler when using a heater.
Conversely, installing a heater, unless it is a hidden one means that the aesthetic of the tank won’t be as pleasing. What’s more, if you are running more than one tank, it may be more economical to keep them all in the same room and maintain the overall temperature rather than running several heaters which is not very energy efficient.
What Is The Purpose Of Your Tank?
Another key thing to think about when deciding whether to install a heater for your shrimp is how you intend to use your tank. This can have a big impact on your decision because if you plan to breed the shrimp, then they will do this better when the water is warmer. This works because shrimp are cold-blooded and in order for them to breed, their metabolism needs to be sped up. But for this to happen, the shrimp need to be a little warmer. That said, it is worth keeping in mind that doing this will shorten the lifespan of the shrimp so it pays to weigh up the pros and cons before making a decision.
However, if you simply want to keep the shrimp to enjoy observing them, then you probably won’t need to worry as much. Furthermore, it pays to think about the other animals that are living in the tank. If you are keeping your shrimp with a variety of fish species, it is worth ensuring that all the animals have similar needs in terms of temperature and water quality.
What Is The Best Temperature For Shrimp?
It is difficult to determine the best temperature for keeping shrimp in a general sense because this highly depends on the variety. Moreover, you must consider whether they are freshwater or saltwater shrimp as the difference in temperature between the two can be rather significant.
Of course, when they live in the wild, shrimp do have to put up with very slight temperature changes and they can adapt to this. However, most shrimp that are kept in domestic tanks have been bred in captivity and may not take as well to this. If the changes are a couple of degrees in either direction, you’ll find that they don’t really mind. On the other hand, if the temperature drops significantly, this may pose more of a risk.
When speaking about freshwater shrimp, there are several types that are commonly kept in aquariums. Take a look at the table below which details the average temperatures needed for the most common aquarium freshwater shrimp species.
| Species | Best Temperature |
| Caridina shrimp | 72ºf |
| Ghost shrimp | 74ºf |
| Neocaridina shrimp | 72ºf |
| Sulawesi shrimp | 82ºf |
| Vampire shrimp | 81ºf |
Do keep in mind that these temperatures are ideal but there is room for a little movement either way. For example, caridina shrimp will quite happily thrive in water as cool as 62ºf but it is still important to try and find the perfect balance to keep the shrimp happy.
Shrimp FAQs
Can I keep shrimp in a fishbowl?
If you only have a small fish bowl then this is a perfectly viable home for your shrimp even if you do not have a heater. However, you must keep in mind that the bowl should not be overloaded. Furthermore, you will need to make sure that there are enough plants to act as a filtration system in order to keep the water clean.
Do shrimp like sand or gravel?
Fortunately, shrimp aren’t too fussy when it comes to substrate and you are free to use any type you like. The main reason for substrate in a shrimp tank is so that the animals have a surface that they can grip onto. For this reason, we would suggest going for a gravel that is much smaller; less than 3mm, or a fine sand.
Do shrimp clean tanks?
Shrimp are a marvellous addition to both saltwater and freshwater tanks and they serve much more of a purpose than just looking good. These animals are scavengers and so will help to clear up anything left over by your fish.
How many shrimp can live in a 5-gallon tank?
When keeping aquarium animals, it is important that they have enough space to move around. In the case of shrimp, we would recommend keeping no more than two or five shrimp per gallon. In a five-gallon tank, this would equate to no more than twenty-five shrimp.
Should I remove dead shrimp from my tank?
In the unfortunate event that one of your shrimp dies, it is important to remove it as soon as possible. This is even more important if you are using a smaller tank or fishbowl that does not have a filter.
Why are all my shrimp dying?
Aquarists will sometimes find that, no matter what they do, their shrimp population doesn’t seem to be able to survive. This could be for a number of reasons including a bad balance in the water, incomplete moults, and an improper diet. If you are having problems, it is worth testing the water and making adjustments to your shrimps’ care.
Conclusion
Shrimp are a popular aquarium animal and make a nice addition to a fish community as well as being a wonderful creature to keep on their own. But many people are unsure of how to properly care for the shrimp and question what equipment is needed.
You do not need to have a heater in a shrimp tank provided that you can keep the external temperature of the room balanced in order to maintain a consistent water temperature. However, many people find that a heater makes it easier to keep the tank stable and when it comes to mating, adjusting the temperature is much quicker.
Where a filter is concerned, shrimp, much like any other aquarium pet, need to have a filter in place unless there are a vast number of plants. This is because a filter removes waste, debris, and chemicals from the water leaving it much safer for the shrimp to breathe.
