How Long Do Cherry Shrimps Live?

Almost every shrimp keepers I know have asked me how long do cherry shrimps live. I had the same question too. So, I did some research on my own and came up with some pretty interesting stuff.

So, how long do cherry shrimps live? Cherry shrimps can live for up to 1-2 years. However, under optimum conditions, they can even live up to 3 years.

The lifespan of cherry shrimp depends on many factors. You can’t just exactly say the exact number of years your cherry shrimp is gonna live. In the rest of the article, I’ll go over those factors in detail. So stick around to learn about the factors that influence the lifespan of cherry shrimps.

How Long Do Cherry Shrimp Live In A Tank?

The lifespan of pet cherry shrimp depends on several factors. When you keep cherry shrimp in captivity, you must ensure all of their requirements.

Generally, cherry shrimp can survive 1-2 years in a tank if you can meet all of their demands. If the tank conditions remain perfect, your pet cherry shrimp may live up to 1 year.

But, these shrimp do not live a long life in tanks usually. As these crustaceans are sensitive to fluctuations in environmental factors, pet cherry shrimp might survive up to only a few months. Hence, strict maintenance is needed to help your shrimp thrive in captivity.

How Long Do Red Cherry Shrimp Live For?

Red cherry shrimp are pretty easy to keep as pets. These hardy crustaceans can live long for 12-18 months. But, the tank parameters should remain stable if you want longer accompany from your red cherry shrimp.

How Long Do Cherry Shrimp Live In A Fish Bowl?

Keeping cherry shrimp in a fish bowl is not a good idea at all. Since cherry shrimp produce lots of wastage, they can’t thrive well in such little water of a fish bowl. Yet, you can keep your cherry shrimp in a fish bowl.

If you manage to do proper maintenance, your cherry shrimp can survive 8-12 months in a fish bowl. Make sure to do regular water changes. If possible, you can add a filter with the bowl of your cherry shrimp.

Factors That Affect The Lifespan Of Cherry Shrimp

There are many factors that can actively affect the lifespan of a cherry shrimp. Basically shrimps are very delicate creatures and sensitive to their environment. Everything you put in the tank can directly or indirectly affect the lifespan of your shrimp.

The main factors that affect the lifespan of cherry shrimp are:

• Temperature: Temperature is very crucial for shrimps in general. It can directly affect the lifespan, breeding even the offspring quality of your shrimps. We’ll dive into details a bit later.
• Water Parameters: As I’ve mentioned before, shrimps are very delicate. It is essential that the shrimps live in a tank where the water parameters are favorable for them. The main water parameters you should give attention to are pH, KD, TDS, and GH.
• Food: This is obvious. The better quality food you give to your shrimps, the better they will live. It will not only influence the lifespan, good quality food enhances the color as well as the quality of the offspring.
• Stress: Finally, stress can hugely affect the lifespan of shrimps. If your shrimp tank is in a place where there is constant noise or if your shrimps are always stressed, their lifespan will decrease significantly.

Now that we know what are the factors that directly influence the lifespan of cherry shrimps, let’s dive into a bit details.

How Temperature Influences Lifespan?

Let’s start with the most important one, Temperature. As I’ve said before, temperature can affect shrimps in many ways.

With higher temperatures, the shrimps will eat more. Not only that, they will molt more frequently. If you don’t know yet, molting is the process where the shrimps cast off their old exoskeleton and form a new one. With each molting, the shrimps get bigger and gain more weight.

Molting requires a lot of energy. So, if the shrimps are molting too often, they can’t reserve energy and stay in constant stress. This lowers the life quality of the shrimp.

Higher temperature also leads to quicker breeding. However, the offspring quality can decrease as the shrimps don’t have that much reservoir energy.

Also, with higher temperatures, the lifespan will decrease too.

Now, the reverse will happen if we decrease the temperature of the water. With decreased temperature, the shrimps will not molt that often.

As a result, they’ll have a good reservoir of energy which will not put them under any stress. Consequently, the shrimps will enjoy a better life quality and longer lifespan.

Also, at lower temperatures, shrimps breed slowly and the offsprings come out with much better quality.

The ideal temperature range for cherry shrimp is around 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (or 21 to 24 degrees Celcius). You should try to aim for 72 degrees Fahrenheit (or 22 degrees Celcius). This is the best temperature for cherry shrimps.

However, cherry shrimps can still live within a wide temperature range: 57 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (or 14 to 30 degrees Celcius).

Longer Lifespan Requires Ideal Water Parameters

Water parameters are extremely important for shrimps. It is essential to offer the right water parameters to your shrimp so that they can live a longer lifespan.

Without beating around the bush much, I am just laying it simple. Here are the water parameters you should give attention to along with the ideal range for cherry shrimps:

If you are not aware of these water parameters, then read below. I’ll shortly describe each of them:

pH

pH stands for Potential of Hydrogen. pH is measured on a scale from 0 to 14.

• 0 means the water is very acidic.
• 14 means the water is very Alkaline.
• 7 is the neutral range.

The ideal pH range for cherry shrimps is 6.5 to 7.5.

If you need a test kit for measuring the pH, I’ll recommend API Master Test Kit. With this master test kit, you can measure ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and many other water parameters. It is certainly a worthwhile investment for any shrimp keeper!

GH

GH stands for General Hardness. It generally indicates the amount of Calcium and Magnesium in the water.

GH is measured in ppm (Parts Per Million). The ideal GH range for cherry shrimps is 6-8 ppm.

KH

KH stands for Carbonate Hardness. Like GH, it is also measured in ppm. Generally, KH refers to how quickly the pH of the aquarium water can go up or down.

The older the aquarium, the lower the value of KH. The ideal KH range for cherry shrimps is 1-4 ppm.

With this GH & KH Test Kit, you can measure both the GH & KH of your shrimp tank water. There is no need to buy two separate test kits. Certainly a handy test kit that will help you a long way!

TDS

TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids. It measures all the elements in the water except for the H20 molecules. For example, TDS includes minerals, nitrite, nitrate, chemicals, ammonia, etc. It is also measured in ppm.

Don’t get too high up on the TDS. It is not as important as the other ones I mentioned earlier. I basically measure TDS to know if I need to perform a water change. Higher TDS means my tank needs a water change.

The ideal TDS range for cherry shrimps is 150-250 ppm. To measure TDS, you’ll need a TDS meter. I like this one as it offers the most accurate reading.

Stress Can Negatively Affect Cherry Shrimps

Stress also plays a big role in determining the lifespan of a cherry shrimp. Shrimps, in general, do not do well under constant pressure or stress. As a result, their lifespan decreases significantly.

In this section, we’ll take a closer look at the things that can stress your cherry shrimps the most:

Overfeeding

Overfeeding is one of the worst practices that shrimp keepers do. We love our shrimps so much that we don’t know when to stop feeding.

Shrimps in general require very little feeding. Overfeeding them can cause many problems such as:

• Overfeeding results in poor water quality. The uneaten foods quickly deteriorate and decompose. It results in a larger quantity of TDS. Also, overfeeding tips off the other water parameters. As a result, the cherry shrimps suffer a shorter lifespan.
• Overfeeding can also cause various diseases to cherry shrimps. Some of the common diseases are infection and fungus.

So, it is best to avoid overfeeding. Here are some of the good practices when feeding cherry shrimps:

• You don’t have to feed every day. It is a good practice to feed your cherry shrimps every other day. This way, the cherry shrimps can munch on the algae of your aquarium.
• If you are not comfortable with the first practice, then do this. Do not offer your cherry shrimps anything once a week. This should keep the water quality a bit better.
• Also, it is better to put the food on a food bowl. This way, the food doesn’t get scattered all over the aquarium. You’ll also have an easy time cleaning up the uneaten food.

Bad Tank Location

Do not place your shrimp tank in a place where there is constant noise. It can have a negative impact on your cherry shrimps.

Some bad locations to set up a shrimp tank are: TV room, Living Room, Kitchen or someplace where people gather and chat around all the time.

Unsuitable Tank Mates

Unsuitable tank mates can also be a major issue for your cherry shrimps. Before thinking of any tank mates for your cherry shrimps, research and find out if the new tank mate can be a potential danger for your cherry shrimps or not.

In general, most fishes will try to eat your shrimps. If it fits in their mouth, they’ll try to eat it. Even the most gentle Otto fish can try to hunt your shrimps. So, be very careful when introducing a new tank mate to your cherry shrimp tank.

If you choose the wrong tank mate, your cherry shrimps will be in constant stress and this will drastically decrease their lifespan.

Here is a list of the good and bad tank mates for cherry shrimp:

How Do You Know If Your Cherry Shrimp Is Dying?

Sometimes, the cherry shrimp owners do not understand when their cherry shrimp are dying. If you know the signs beforehand, you can save your sick cherry shrimp. Let’s see what a dead cherry shrimp looks like.

1. Change In Color

The most prominent sign of dying shrimp is their color change. The inside body of a dying shrimp will turn into a light pinkish color. Your cherry shrimp may look fleshy.

Sometimes, the dying cherry shrimp turns cloudy white, or pale. Usually, this happens when your cherry shrimp has a few days left to die due to old age. However, these shrimps may become pale because of being stressed.

2. Lethargy

Generally, cherry shrimp are active and playful. You can often see them swim a lot. But, if your cherry shrimp is about to die, it will become idle and lethargic. These dying shrimp tend to hide.

3. Swimming Sideways

If you notice your shrimp swimming sideways, your shrimp may get stuck during its molting. No wonder it’s a terrible sign. Your cherry shrimp might die when they can’t get out of their old exoskeleton.

4. Loss Of Appetite

When you start keeping cherry shrimp as pets, you might notice their voracious appetite. But, it’ll be a matter of concern if your cherry shrimp do not show interest in food suddenly.

How Do You Save A Dying Cherry Shrimp?

To save a dying cherry shrimp, you need to recognize the symptoms as soon as possible. Then, you can take proper steps to save your dying cherry shrimp.

1. Isolate Dying Cherry Shrimp

The very first step that you should take is to isolate your dying cherry shrimp. If your sick shrimp suffers from contagious diseases, it’ll be risky to keep the shrimp with other tank mates. After isolating your dying cherry shrimp, you can closely examine your shrimp.

If you want to know about cherry shrimp diseases, you can check out this article to get the solutions too.

2. Find Out The Reason

By observing the signs, you need to find out the potential reasons behind your shrimp sickness. Check out the tank water parameters, temperature range, and other environmental factors. You should examine where these survival conditions of shrimp have gone wrong.

3. Take Proper Actions

After determining the causes, you should take proper steps. For example, if your cherry shrimp are dying due to wrong water parameters, you should change the water.

Sometimes, the cherry shrimp may be dying due to stress over temperature fluctuations. In such a case, you should keep a constant temperature range.

Moreover, you should provide proper treatments if your cherry shrimp are dying because of bacterial or fungal infections. So, you require taking appropriate actions depending on the reasons for your cherry shrimp distress.

To determine the problems of your shrimp, you might take help from this write-up, including 14 reasons for cherry shrimp dying.

Why Are My Cherry Shrimp Dying After Molting?

Molting is a vulnerable phase for any species of shrimp. Your cherry shrimp may die during molting.

In several common cases, cherry shrimp face white rings of death during molting. As a result, their old shell or exoskeleton gets separated into two parts.

Moreover, cherry shrimp may struggle to remove their old skin. In failed molting, cherry shrimp get stuck in the middle of the shedding of their exoskeleton. As a result, this leads to their death.

Besides, your cherry shrimp may die in the post molting time. Generally, they take 12-48 hours to recuperate. After molting, the body of the shrimp remains soft and delicate as they do not have any protection from the shell. In addition, their new exoskeleton does not remain hard in the beginning.

In this phase of post molting, shrimp can easily get attacked by their tank mates. Also, they can get stressed due to the fluctuations in water parameters, temperatures, noise, etc. For all of these reasons, your cherry shrimp may die while molting and after molting.

If you want to help your cherry shrimp in this vulnerable stage, you should go through this article: cherry shrimp molting problems.

Can Cherry Shrimp Survive In A New Tank?

You should not introduce your cherry shrimp in a new tank. If the tank has not become matured properly, your cherry shrimp won’t survive long in that tank.

In an empty tank, your cherry shrimp won’t get any biofilm, algae, or beneficial bacteria. Hence, it becomes hard for these shrimps to survive in a new tank. For this reason, you should let the shrimp tank for 4-6 weeks to get matured before adding shrimp.

If you are a beginner, you can check this article regarding the cherry shrimp care guide.

How Long Can Cherry Shrimp Survive Without Feeding?

As cherry shrimp are scavengers like other shrimp, these shrimps do not require much feeding. Generally, the experts suggest feeding 1-2 times a week to your cherry shrimp.

Without eating anything, the survival days of cherry shrimp depend upon the condition of the tank. If it is a bare tank, your cherry shrimp won’t survive more than a week.

You’ve to keep your cherry shrimp in a well-aged tank if you want to leave these shrimp without feeding. When the cherry shrimp tank contains a good amount of biofilm and algae, these shrimp may survive.

What Does A Dead Cherry Shrimp Look Like?

The very first thing to notice is the motionless behavior of your dead cherry shrimp. Although the exoskeleton may look normal, their inner body looks fleshy. Besides, you might see other shrimp or snails eating the outer shells of your dead cherry shrimp.

However, when you find your cherry shrimp dead, you should remove the dead shrimp as early as possible. Otherwise, the tank water gets foul when the dead shrimp starts decomposing.

Final Words

So, I hope by now you have a pretty good idea of how long do cherry shrimps live. Try to provide your cherry shrimps the ideal living condition they deserve. And they will live to their fullest.

If you are looking for the best quality Red Cherry Shrimps, check them out! Trust me, you’ll be extremely pleased with the shrimps you get from them!