19 Easiest & Hardiest Shrimps To Keep For Beginners
Recently, shrimp have become popular aquatic pets among hobbyists, whereas aquarists often love to keep only fish, turtles, etc. There are multiple varieties of shrimp that have different care guides. If you’re a beginner, you may be looking for the easiest shrimp to keep.
This article will help you choose shrimp for your aquarium if you are a new shrimp hobbyist. In this article, I’ve shed light on 19 shrimp suitable for beginners. You will know about the overview and detailed information about these shrimp that help you choose your favorite one.
So, let’s continue reading this article without any further ado.
Most Popular Neocaridina Shrimps As Pets: Infographic
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19 Types Of Hardiest And Easiest Shrimps For New Owners
1. Red Cherry Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Neocaridina davidi |
| Common Name | Red Cherry Shrimp |
| Size | 1-1.4 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Deep red to lighter red |
| Temperament | Docile and peaceful |
| Life Expectancy | Up to 2 years |
| Cost | 2.6$-3$ |
| Care guide | Easy |
The very first shrimp option that I want to suggest is red cherry shrimp for beginners. Its lucrative red coloration can readily catch the attention of any shrimp enthusiast. The coloration of red cherry shrimp varies from dark red to paler red.
Although you can keep as many as shrimp you want, you should start with a minimum of 10 red cherry shrimp. Don’t forget to keep only compatible tank mates with red cherry shrimp. Besides, you must ensure a high-quality diet and supplementation for these shrimp.
The required pH for red cherry shrimp should be 6.5-8. Besides, you should ensure to keep the water temperature 57-86 degrees Fahrenheit. If the tank condition remains ideal, an adult red cherry shrimp will molt every 3-4 weeks.
2. Chocolate Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Macrobrachium dayanum |
| Common Name | Chocolate shrimp, Brown shrimp, Sakura chocolate shrimp, Red Rusty Shrimp, Black Cherry Shrimp. |
| Size | 1-1.5 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Brown or translucent brown with or without lines of dots |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Life Expectancy | 1-2 years |
| Cost | $39.99-$69.99 |
| Care Guide | Easy |
Another hardy shrimp that you can choose is chocolate shrimp. These shrimp are easy to care for. Because of sociable traits, you can keep several other peaceful fish and shrimp with chocolate shrimp.
Besides, chocolate shrimp are omnivores and scavengers. So, you’ll find your aquarium clean when you keep these clean-up crews.
You should keep the water temperature within 64-84 degrees Fahrenheit in a chocolate shrimp tank. Also, the water pH, GH, KH, and TDS should be 6.0-8.0, 4-14, 0-10, and 100-200, respectively. If you keep these water conditions healthy, your chocolate shrimp will thrive for 1-2 years or more.
3. Ghost Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Palaemonetes paludosus |
| Common Name | Ghost shrimp, Glass shrimp, Grass shrimp, etc. |
| Size | Around 1.5 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Transparent |
| Temperament | Docile |
| Life Expectancy | 1 year |
| Cost | $1-$3 |
| Care guide | Easy |
If you want something unique in your aquarium, you can pick ghost shrimp. These shrimp are so transparent that you can smoothly see the inside of your shrimp. Also, when your ghost shrimp become gravid, it becomes soothing to be able to see the green eggs in the saddle.
These ghost shrimp are one of the easiest shrimp to keep. Ghost shrimp can thrive well with other peaceful shrimp. You should keep lots of hiding places in the tank, as ghost shrimp love to sneak out often.
The water of your ghost shrimp aquarium should be a bit hard, and the pH must be neutral. Besides, you must check that the level of ammonia, nitrite, and other toxic elements must be zero.
4. Amano Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Caridina multidentata |
| Common Name | Japanese shrimp, Amano shrimp, Algae shrimp, Yamato shrimp, etc. |
| Size | Up to 2 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Translucent light grey, green, or light reddish brown. |
| Temperament | Peaceful and friendly |
| Life Expectancy | 2-3 years |
| Cost | $29.99-$49.99 |
| Care guide | Easy |
Amano shrimp are popular among beginners for various reasons. These hardy shrimp have beautiful shell coloration.
Besides, Amano shrimp are considered the best algae eater among all shrimp. If you keep fish food, your Amano shrimp can survive on the algae, fish food, leftovers, and so on. However, you should maintain a good diet for your shrimp too.
The care guide for Amano shrimp is so simple that any beginner can keep these shrimp. To ensure good health and a fast metabolism rate, you should maintain keeping 6.5-7.5 pH level. Besides, you must change the water minimum of twice a week.
Although the maintenance of Amano shrimp is easy, their breeding might be a bit tough for beginners. You should follow the proper ratio of male and female ghost shrimp for successful breeding.
5. Bamboo Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Atyopsis moluccensis |
| Common Name | Bamboo shrimp, Fan shrimp, Flower shrimp, Singapore shrimp, Singapore flower shrimp, Wood shrimp, etc. |
| Size | $2-$3 |
| Diet | Detritivore/omnivore |
| Color | Yellow, brown, or a bit reddish |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Life Expectancy | 1-2 years |
| Cost | $8-$9 |
| Care guide | Easy |
| Breeding | Difficult |
The bamboo shrimp are pretty popular for their “fan-like” hands. For this, these shrimp are called fan shrimp. Since these shrimp are larger than other shrimp, you’ll need 20 gallons tank for keeping bamboo shrimp.
Due to being low maintenance, any beginner can keep bamboo shrimp as a pet without much hardship. But, you should keep in mind not making rapid water changes.
The bamboo shrimp prefer a water temperature of 70-78 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, you need to keep the water pH from 6.5 to 8.
These are one of the easiest shrimp that love to live in tons of vegetation. Hence, you can keep lots of plants in your bamboo shrimp aquarium, which can act as a natural food source for your shrimp.
In addition, you can add algae-based foods for bamboo shrimp. Because of being filter feeders, feeding bamboo shrimp might be a bit confusing for the new shrimp owners. However, the experts recommend not to try breeding bamboo shrimp in captivity.
6. Bumblebee Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Gnathophyllum americanum |
| Common Name | Zebra shrimp, Striped bumblebee shrimp, striped harlequin shrimp, etc. |
| Size | Maximum 1 inch |
| Diet | Carnivores |
| Color | Yellow or white in coloration with black stripes |
| Temperament | Territorial |
| Life Expectancy | 1-2 years |
| Cost | $15-$20 |
| Care guide | medium |
| Breeding | Difficult |
One of the easiest and most eye-catchy shrimp is bumblebee shrimp. You might fall for the striped coloration that makes a similar appearance to bumblebees.
Due to their small size, bumblebee shrimp have a territorial temperament. These shrimp can not tolerate the presence of their kind too.
You can keep bumblebee shrimp within the water temperature of 72-79 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep in mind that these shrimp are saltwater shrimp. So, you should keep the pH and KH of the water 8.1-8.4 and 8-12.
Unlike other shrimp, bumblebee shrimp aren’t algae eaters. To be specific, these shrimp are carnivores. So, you can offer meaty foods like small pieces of fish, worms, brine shrimp, etc.
7. Snowball Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Neocaridina cf. zhangjiensis |
| Common Name | Snowball shrimp, white pearl shrimp, etc. |
| Size | 1-1.5 inches |
| Diet | Algae eaters or omnivores |
| Color | Translucent white with some blue tint |
| Temperament | Peaceful and calm. |
| Life Expectancy | 1-2 years |
| Cost | Around $5 |
| Care level | easy |
| Breeding | Easy |
Snowball shrimp is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful shrimp. Their pure white coloration and low maintenance traits make these shrimp demanded among shrimp enthusiasts. If you keep a colony of snowball shrimp, you should bring a 10-gallon tank.
You won’t have to worry about scheduling a diversified diet for snowball shrimp. As these shrimp are scavengers, a well-matured tank will be enough for these shrimp. Also, you can keep several non-aggressive aquarium pets with snowball shrimp.
Make sure to acclimatize your snowball shrimp before putting them in the new tank. The pH of the water should be 6.5-7.5. In addition, you should keep the water temperature within 72-82 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Panda Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Pandalus borealis |
| Common Name | Panda shrimp, Black Panda shrimp, Black King Kong shrimp. |
| Size | 1/4”- 1/2” inches |
| Diet | Herbivores |
| Color | Rich creamy black and white |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Life Expectancy | 18-24 months |
| Cost | Around $7 |
| Care level | Easy to medium |
Panda shrimp are a bit like bumblebee shrimp since these shrimp are a bee shrimp variety. Due to their similar appearance to pandas, these shrimp have a unique name.
Their water parameters are a bit different than other freshwater shrimp. The pH, GH, KH, and TDS values of the water should be 5.5-7, 3-6, 0-2, and 90-120 for panda shrimp, respectively.
Also, these shrimp require 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit temperature whereas other freshwater shrimp can thrive at 77-82 degrees Fahrenheit. Since panda shrimp are too small, keeping fish as their tank mates will be risky.
9. Whisker Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Macrobrachium lamarrei |
| Common Name | Indian whisker shrimp, kuncho river prawn. |
| Size | Around 2 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Semi-transparent grey |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Life Expectancy | 2-5 years |
| Cost | Around $3 |
| Care level | Easy |
Whisker shrimp are pretty look-alike of ghost shrimp. So, you can count another easiest shrimp to keep here.
Under the basic conditions, whisker shrimp can thrive for up to 5 years. These shrimp prefer a plant-dense tank. Do not make the tank overstocked with plants. Also, you should maintain the water temperature within 72-82 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the case of keeping tank mates, you must be careful when you have whisker shrimp in your aquarium. You might know that these shrimp are aggressive and territorial. So, you shouldn’t keep smaller fish than whisker shrimp in the same tank.
10. Blue Tiger Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Caridina cf. cantonensis |
| Common Name | Orange-eyed blue tiger shrimp, blue tiger shrimp, etc. |
| Size | 1-1.5 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Colour | Dark blue coloration with black stripes and orange eyes |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Life Expectancy | 1-2 years |
| Cost | $60-$80 |
| Care level | Easy |
Any shrimp lover will surely fall in love with the appearance of the dark blue shell with black tiger stripes and orange eyes blue tiger shrimp. These magnificent shrimp are low maintenance. Since blue tiger shrimp aren’t picky eaters, you won’t have much hassle worrying about their diet.
To keep the tank environment right, you should keep an inert substrate for your blue tiger shrimp. Besides, these shrimp require a bit of acidic water. So, the optimum pH of the water should be 7.2-7.4.
Blue tiger shrimp thrive best in temperatures of 68-77 degrees Fahrenheit. You might not require a heater unless you live in a cold country. Since blue tiger shrimp are hardy, these shrimp can tolerate little temperature shuffle.
Besides, you’ll be surprised to know that these shrimp do not have any larval stage after hatching. So, breeding blue tiger shrimp is comparatively simple.
11. Blue Dream Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Neocaridina davidi |
| Common Name | Blue dream shrimp, green jade shrimp |
| Size | 1-1.5 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Deep sapphire blue |
| Temperament | Friendly and calm |
| Life Expectancy | 1-2 years |
| Cost | Around $9 |
| Care level | Easy |
Another stunning blue addition to your aquarium can be blue dream shrimp. Along with stunning coloration, these shrimp are easy to care for and maintain.
The experts suggest keeping these shrimp in hard water. So, the GH of the water should be 6-8. Besides, the water temperature should be within 68-78 degrees Fahrenheit.
In addition, keeping blue dream shrimp is inexpensive too. These shrimp eat so little that only a dime-sized fish flake will be enough for a colony of 10 blue dream shrimp. Moreover, breeding blue dream shrimp is more easy-going than other shrimp.
12. Bloody Mary Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Neocaridina davidi var. |
| Common Name | Bloody Mary Shrimp |
| Size | 1-1.5 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Bright red |
| Temperament | Sociable and peaceful. |
| Life Expectancy | 1-2 years |
| Cost | Around $9 |
| Care level | Easy |
In the list of easiest shrimp, Bloody Mary shrimp comes with a striking deep red coloration. These shrimp can grow up to only 1.2 inches.
You can keep these beautiful shrimp in a 5-gallon tank. Make sure that the tank is well-matured. The optimum temperature should remain within 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Also, you can fulfill your desire of keeping multiple pets in your aquarium. Since Bloody Mary shrimp are so peaceful, you can keep other shrimp, fish, and snails of similar requirements. In addition, breeding these shrimp is pretty simple.
13. Babaulti Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Caridina cf. babaulti |
| Common Name | Babaulti shrimp, Green Babaulti shrimp, zebra Babaulti shrimp |
| Size | 1.4 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Red, brown, green, or yellow zebra stripes |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Life Expectancy | Up to 2 years |
| Cost | Around $9 |
| Care level | Easy |
For beginners, Babaulti shrimp can be an excellent option as these shrimp are one of the easiest shrimp to keep. Being hardy shrimp, Babaulti shrimp can withstand environmental changes.
There are several opinions about the water parameters for Babaulti shrimp. But, you can follow the general rules for freshwater shrimp. Also, you can make the tank heavily planted.
Babaulti shrimp love to thrive within many hideouts. Also, these plants will become natural sources of food for your shrimp.
However, these shrimp are versatile and adaptable. You can also breed Babaulti shrimp without much maintenance.
14. Blue Bolt Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Caridina catonensis |
| Common Name | Blue dream shrimp |
| Size | 1-1.25 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Blue or white coloration |
| Temperament | Docile |
| Life Expectancy | 1-2 years |
| Cost | $16 |
| Care level | medium |
You can find blue bolt shrimp in higher, medium, or lower grades. These beautiful shrimp are sensitive to water changes.
You should keep the pH level of the blue bolt shrimp tank around 5.5. Besides, the KH of the water should remain within 0-1. Otherwise, your blue bolt shrimp may struggle to molt.
However, you need to feed them regularly. If you leave these shrimp in a well-matured tank, these shrimp can survive on algae, microorganisms, plants, etc.
15. Sulawesi Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Caridina dennerili |
| Common Name | Sulawesi shrimp, white-glove shrimp, etc. |
| Size | Up to 1 inch |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Bright red color with white spots |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Life Expectancy | Up to 2 years |
| Cost | Around $20 |
| Care level | Easy |
Another underrated shrimp that are easiest to keep is Sulawesi shrimp. These shrimp do not require much maintenance.
You should maintain the water temperature around 26-30 degrees Celsius for Sulawesi shrimp. Also, these shrimp need higher pH to survive. The optimum pH range for these shrimp is 7-8.2.
To keep Sulawesi shrimp active, these shrimp prefer medium lighting. Since these shrimp tend to hide a lot in the wild, you should provide lots of hiding places in the aquarium.
16. Rili Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Neocaridina davidi var. Rili |
| Common Name | Rili shrimp, Red Rili shrimp |
| Size | 1-1.5 inches |
| Diet | Herbivores |
| Color | Red or orange |
| Temperament | Sociable and docile |
| Life Expectancy | Up to 2 years |
| Cost | $34-$64 |
| Care level | Easy |
Although you might be confused between red cherry shrimp and Rili shrimp, Rili shrimp can get identified due to their middle transparent part. Rili shrimp are so hardy that these shrimp can tolerate various conditions of the water.
The KH of the water should be within 1-8 of the Rili shrimp tank. Also, the optimum GH should remain between 4-10. These stunning shrimp thrive well in the temperature of 59-86 degrees Fahrenheit.
You should offer a balanced diet to your Rili shrimp. Among dwarf shrimp varieties, Rili shrimp is one of the easiest shrimp to keep for beginners.
17. Fire Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Lysmata debelius |
| Common Name | Fire shrimp, blood shrimp, scarlet cleaner shrimp. |
| Size | 2 inches |
| Diet | Carnivores |
| Color | Deep red |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Life Expectancy | Up to 2 years |
| Cost | $59-$69 |
| Care level | Easy |
In the list of low-maintenance shrimp, you can keep the name fire shrimp. These sweet reddish-colored shrimp do not have much aggression. As a result, you can keep several peaceful tank mates with fire shrimp that are compatible with them.
Besides, the diet of fire shrimp is carnivores. You might have heard of the popularity of fire shrimp as cleaner shrimp. So, these shrimp tend to consume leftovers, uneaten foods, floating foods, etc.
Since fire shrimp are saltwater shrimp, you must keep the salinity of the water at 1.023-1.025. in addition, you should ensure the water temperature is within 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit.
18. Peppermint Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Lysmata wurdemanni |
| Common Name | Candy Cane shrimp, Veined shrimp, Caribbean cleaner shrimp, etc. |
| Size | 2 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Semi-transparent with light reddish coloration |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Life Expectancy | Up to 2 years |
| Cost | $4 |
| Care level | Easy |
Peppermint shrimp are inexpensive saltwater shrimp that are easy to handle. These small shrimp consume whatever they find on their way to the aquarium.
Another interesting thing to share about peppermint shrimp is their nocturnal trait. These shrimp remain hidden during the daytime. But, peppermint shrimp are peaceful and shy shrimp.
These shrimp do not have such demands. But, make sure not to cause sudden changes that may give these shrimp shock.
19. Bee Shrimp
| Scientific Name | Caridina cantonensis |
| Common Name | Bee shrimp, Taiwan bee shrimp, king kong shrimp |
| Size | 1.5 inches |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Color | Brown and white, red and white, or black and white |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Life Expectancy | 18 months |
| Cost | Around $9 |
| Care level | Easy |
Bee shrimp can live long for 2 years if you ensure proper care. These small shrimp can not survive in hard water. So, you must keep the KH level of water between 0 to 2.
Due to peaceful temperament, you can keep compatible tank mates of bee shrimp in the same tank. Moreover, breeding bee shrimp is easy for any beginner. Since these shrimp are scavengers, they make a large portion of their diet from leftovers, decayed vegetation, and algae.
Which Shrimps Should Be Avoided By Beginners?
As a beginner, you might not be habituated to dealing with the special demands of all shrimp. So, you might need to avoid some specific shrimp.
For this, you should check the requirements of shrimp. If any shrimp species isn’t hardy, you should avoid such sensitive shrimp.
Also, you need to avoid selectively bred shrimp. The high care requirements might get difficult for beginners. For example – Crystal Red Shrimp.
How Many Shrimp Can I Keep In My Aquarium?
Shrimp are social creatures. So, these livings do their best in groups. You can keep 10-15 shrimp together in a tank. But, you should consider the temperament and requirements of shrimp before keeping different species of shrimp together.
Final Words
I hope this article helped you select any shrimp species to keep in your aquarium. For beginners, it must be hard to keep a new aquatic pet that remains sensitive to its environment. But, if you keep your shrimp with love and responsibility, your shrimp will survive for a long time.
About Author
Hello, I’m Muntaseer Rahman, the owner of AcuarioPets.com. I’m passionate about aquarium pets like shrimps, snails, crabs, and crayfish. I’ve created this website to share my expertise and help you provide better care for these amazing pets.
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