Can You Make Money Breeding Aquarium Shrimps?

We all know the hobby of keeping shrimp is increasing day by day. Adding to that organically raised aquarium shrimp demand is on top. You may think of starting breeding shrimps and getting into the business. So here’s the question arises can you make money breeding aquarium shrimps?

Keeping freshwater shrimps is really fascinating. As the demand is at peak the business is definitely profitable. You can also make money breeding aquarium shrimps. But it’s not going to be a piece of cake, you have to deal with a lot of issues including maintaining proper parameters, diseases, sudden death, marketing problems and so on.

So today I will be sharing my experience and research data to make this journey easy for you. This article has covered everything about how you can make money breeding shrimps, things you need to know before starting, the common problems in breeding aquarium shrimps and solutions to those problems and much more.

If you are thinking to start breeding aquarium shrimp, keep reading until the end to know more.

Can You Make Money Breeding Aquarium Shrimps?

There’s a high demand for aquarium shrimps as the hobby of keeping shrimps increasing day by day. You may think of starting breeding shrimps and getting into the business.

Honestly, there are a lot of possibilities to be successful in breeding aquarium shrimps and making some extra money. There is a lot of demand for shrimps that are raised organically without chemical foods for rapid growth.

But obviously, you have to face challenges at every step. If you are a complete newbie then this process may seem more difficult to you.

If you are thinking that you will start with 10-15 shrimps and in 1 month each of the female shrimp will give birth to 30-40 shrimplets and within 2-3 months you would earn 1000 dollars selling them, wait, it’s not that simple.

See, I’m not discouraging, I’m just trying to show you the actual picture without any sugarcoating.

You may have to fail a bunch of times before getting it right.

At first, you may have to go through a lot of trouble to keep all the parameters right.

There may be a time when 3-4 months will go without breeding.

Stress or sudden diseases like simple bacteria infections may wipe out all of your shrimp within a week.

Or even if you have the best shrimp, you may be wouldn’t be able to sell them at the right price because of the lack of proper marketing.

You have to be prepared for all the upcoming problems.

But if you can execute everything according to the plan and get good luck, you can earn a decent amount of money breeding aquarium shrimps.

If Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina) piqued your interest, this article will take you even further. Do Cherry Shrimps Eat Brown Algae?

How Much You Can Make Money Breeding Aquarium Shrimps?

It actually depends on many factors including the number of shrimps, quality, grades, market value, marketing and so on.

The rule of trump is a good amount of quality shrimp will bring you more profit.

Below I’ve suggested Neocaridinas and Caridinas for beginner shrimp breeders. So let’s have an idea of their market price.

Neocaridinas can be sold at $2 to $400-$500 depending on the grade and rarity. Caridinas calculation is also quite like this.

Things To Consider Before Breeding Aquarium Shrimps

Just like any other business you have to do some homework or calculations before getting into it.

Here are some important factors you have to consider before breeding aquarium shrimps:

1. Choosing The Right Shrimp Species

It’s the most important point. As a beginner, you have to choose some species that are easy to care take of, grow fast, breed frequently and are most forgiving to water parameters.

Sometimes I see beginners jumping into complex or sensitive species just looking at the demand and price of that shrimp. But after getting into the game, they face challenges in taking care of them and controlling their higher mortality rate.

So before going to the process of breeding aquarium shrimps you have to choose the right shrimp species.

2. Starting With Small Colony

I always recommend newbies start with a small colony.

At first, don’t invest in a large shrimp colony. Instead, start with a small colony, and gain some experience by taking care of them. If they survive and look healthy you can take a further step and extend the colony.

3. Market Demand & Prize

To ensure the best utilization of your investment, you have to do some research on market demand and price.

If you are thinking to sell your shrimps on the local market, firstly mark your competitors who are already selling aquarium shrimps in the market. If there’s high market demand for aquarium shrimps, you can sell your shrimps for a higher price.

The less people in the market, the higher the price you can sell your shrimp.

There are other interesting options. You can use your social media platforms. All you have to do is click some good pictures of your shrimps and post them on Facebook or other social media groups or forums.

Through this, you can get good paying and permanent customers.

Want to dive deeper into Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina)? This article has all the answers! Do Cherry Shrimps Eat Black Beard Algae?

4. Measuring Potential Cost

Before starting the business, measuring potential costs is a must. You have to invest in buying an aquarium and its setting, water filter and other supplies to maintain suitable water parameters, food and obviously some shrimps.

5. Tank Setup And Environment

Every shrimp species require different water parameters and environment. You have to set up the aquarium according to that. In a suitable environment, shrimps can grow and breed rapidly.  

Tank’s size is also important. We all know that shrimps are lively in fact fickle. They need enough space to play around. Besides, big tanks give you more space to error.

So keep a large portion of our investment for a well-set-up tank.

Which Is Best Shrimp For Beginners?

For beginners, Neocaridina or Neo shrimps will be the best bet. They grow and breed quickly and are most forgiving to water parameters. Most of the experienced aquarists recommend neocaridinas to beginners.

For small sizes tanks, these shrimps are best. Nowadays in Neocaridina a wide range of colors and patterns are available. Red, blue, green, yellow, orange, black, white, blown all of them are there.

Depending on the color and rarity of patterns, there are different grades from C to SSS. They usually grow 1.5 inches in length. Their lifespan is 1-2 years.

If you can assure a favorable environment and temperature they can be matured to breed within 5-6 months.

If you have previous experience of keeping shrimps then I would suggest Caridinas. Crystal Red Shrimp or blue bolts are at the peak of popularity.

You have to maintain the perfect water parameters and feeding routine for these shrimps. If you can avoid bacterial infection, diseases and deaths, there’s a good earning opportunity.

You will see different grades of shrimp from C to SSS. SS or S+ is much better than lower grades. But their prize is too high for a beginner aquarist. 

A Grade shrimps are the most suitable to start with. They are affordable and at the same time, the quality is also good.

I would suggest collecting shrimp from local breeders. These shrimp can easily adapt to the environment. If you are purchasing 10 shrimps, pick 6 to 7 healthy A-grade females.

Want the inside track on Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina)? This post is your go-to guide. Do Cherry Shrimp Eat Hair Algae?

Common Problems In Making Money Breeding Aquarium Shrimps

When someone comes into the shrimp industry they face some challenges. Lack of proper knowledge and research can make them suffer a lot.

Here are some common problems in breeding aquarium shrimps:

1. Bacterial And Fungal Diseases

Bacterial or fungal disease is the worst thing that can happen to your aquarium. It’s the most changeling problem to deal with. Most of the aquarist has faced this at some point. 

 Bacterial or fungal diseases in the tank can blank your whole shrimp colony within a few days. It’s like a nightmare to any shrimp keeper.

2. Water Quality Management

Keeping all the water parameters stable is a challenge. The quality, growth and breeding rate of shrimps depend on it.

3. Investment Issues

Big profit requires a big investment. But beginners usually don’t come with a big investment and their budget management is not that satisfying.

Poor investment and knowledge can’t bring something great.

4. Finding Market & Buyer

Despite keeping the best quality shrimps, sometimes new aquarist can’t sell their shrimps at a fair price. Local markets are not that bad but sometimes when there are a lot of competitors newbies seem to fall behind.

5. Scarcity Of Aqua Feeds

As the hobby is getting popularity, more and more people are coming to the industry. It resulted shortage of aqua feeds.  

How To Overcome Those Problems?

1. Staying Up-To-Date With New Shrimp Species And Technologies

You have to stay up-to-date with aquaculture biotechnology to deal with bacterial or fungal diseases. Nowadays there are some species with enhanced productivity and economic viability.

These shrimps have a good immune system. Choosing these spices will double your chance to be a successful breeder and aquarist.

2. Sufficient Research And Investment Knowledge

Before investing in a business it requires enough research. Just like you need to check the temperature before getting into the water. This will cut off your extra expenses.

3. Use Social Media For Marketing

To make a good profit you need buyers who will give a good price for your shrimp. If you are not getting it from the local market it’s a wise choice to use social media for marketing.

Health-conscious people always want organic foods. If you can provide quality shrimps they will definitely give you a fair price.  

Discover more cool facts about Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina) with this detailed post! 5 Homemade Cherry Shrimp Food Recipes For Beginners

4. Producing Natural Aqua Feeds

You can swap chemical aqua feeds with natural feeds. There are many such institutions that produce natural aqua feeds. Farmed seaweed, soybeans, peas, barley, corn gluten, insects and algae are highly used as natural aqua feeds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How Many Shrimps Do I Need To Start Breeding?

It just takes 1 male and 1 female shrimp to breed. But more shrimps increase the chance of successful breeding. Always keep more females than males.

Starting with 6 females and 4 males to breed is a good choice.

Q. Do I Need A Heater To Breed Aquarium Shrimps?

Aquarium shrimps have different temperature requirements. They need a certain level of temperature to grow and breed properly.

A heater makes the water warm and stable as much as needed. So you need a heater to breed aquarium shrimps.

Wrap Up

Breeding aquarium shrimps can be really profitable if you follow a proven strategy or guideline. In this article, I’ve tried to highlight all the important factors you need to know to start making money breeding aquarium shrimps. Hope it helps.