How Much Food To Provide Cherry Shrimps? [Feeding Schedule]

Thanks to the omnivorous nature of cherry shrimp, you can feed them with meat and vegetation. So, there’s no need to step back if you plan on feeding them with foods like pollen, snowflake pellets, decaying plant algae wafers, etc. Now the question is, how much food you should be providing them?

For a group of 5-10 cherry shrimp, provide a small amount of food every other day. Good foods include algae wafers or shrimp pellets broken into small pieces, blanched spinach or kale leaves. Only feed as much as they can consume in a few minutes to avoid uneaten food decaying in the tank.

But are these factors enough to understand how much food your shrimp will need? Well, no! Let me get you a proper guideline on that part. Now, all you have to do is scroll.

Key Takeaways

  • The amount of required food for cherry shrimp depends on the shrimp’s needs, your tank setup, and their reaction towards the food.
  • The feeding schedule should be done for 1 week or 7 days and repeated throughout the month.
  • Any feeding schedule for the cherry shrimp should be fixed based on frequency, quantity, and type of food.
it is possible to improve the quality of lower grade shrimp and turn them into higher grade shrimp through proper care and breeding techniques

Guideline to Fix the Feeding Schedule of Cherry Shrimps

Indeed, fixing the feeding schedule of your red spartans is a hell of a job without a proper guideline. So, let me fix the part for you.

Frequency

You’ve got two options here. Option one is to feed the shrimp once a day, and option two is to feed them every other day. But make sure you’re not overfeeding them. Otherwise, this might mess with the water quality.

According to studies, some shrimp species can consume up to 51.0% of food weight per body weight per day! 

Explore the fascinating world of Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina)—this post has everything you need! Do Cherry Shrimps Eat Brown Algae?

Quantity

I’d suggest you give them the amount of food that will take at most 2-3 hours for them to finish off. So, you can try something like a pinch of shrimp food. Make sure it’s high-quality. As an alternative, you can go for a piece of blanched vegetable.

But don’t throw a big piece, especially when you’ve got a moderate-sized shrimp colony.

Type of Food

The key to a balanced diet is a variety of food. I’d say go for a mixture of foods like shrimp pallets and fish flakes. Commercial shrimp foods will also do the trick here. And don’t forget to put in natural foods, such as algae wafers, and blanched vegetables like kale, spinach, or zucchini.

Though shrimps don’t need much food, a balanced nutrition is very important for their optimum growth. When it comes to balanced nutrition for shrimps, I absolutely trust and love Bacter AE. The product speaks for itself. Also, there are hundreds of reviews from shrimp owners! Check out details on Amazon!

Here is a table showing the nutritional breakdown of some common shrimp foods:

FoodProteinFatCarbs
Algae wafers5%3%70%
Shrimp pellets40%10%30%
Fish food (finely crushed)50%15%25%
Spirulina flakes60%2%30%
Blanched zucchini1%0%5%
Spinach3%0%2%
Commercial shrimp food35%8%40%
Brine shrimp60%15%20%

Observation

You need to keep an eye on shrimp’s activity, especially the part where you see how they’re consuming their food. If you’re seeing uneaten foods in the tank, you’re probably overfeeding them. So, adjust the food quantity accordingly.

Here are the signs of underfeeding and overfeeding in cherry shrimp and the recommended actions:

Feeding AmountSignsRecommended Action
UnderfeedingShrimp gather around food; no berried females; lethargic shrimp; deathsIncrease food amount and frequency; ensure variety of foods; improve water parameters
OverfeedingUneaten food debris in tank; spike in ammonia/nitrates; bacterial blooms; pest snails/other hitchhikersDecrease food amount; remove excess food and waste; improve water flow/filtration; partial water changes

Curious about Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina)? This post is packed with info you won’t want to miss! Do Cherry Shrimps Eat Black Beard Algae?

Water Quality

The water quality depends greatly on how much food you put in the tank. So, ensure better water quality by regularly changing the water. And make sure you’re using proper filtration as well. Otherwise, the uneaten food will impact the water parameters negatively.

amano shrimp and blue cherry shrimp feeding on cucumber
Owner: Natalie Skinner

Fasting

Putting food on your shrimp’s plate every is not a good idea. So, you can let them fast, at least for a day every week. It will make sure that you’re not overfeeding the shrimp. Another plus point is that it will trigger the natural behavior of cherry shrimp. Yes, I’m talking about grazing on algae and biofilm in the tank.

Specialized Foods

There’s always a chance that your shrimp is missing some essential nutrients. This can happen even if you’re giving them enough food regularly. In such cases, you can go for specialized foods that will fill the gap of those nutrients.  

Many successful cherry shrimp keepers suggest feeding every other day, or putting no food in the tank one day per week. This can help control waste buildup (source)

Ideal Feeding Schedule for Cherry Shrimp

When it comes to the feeding schedule, you need to have a specific plan for the whole week. Usually, shrimp enthusiasts start with a feeding schedule like this –

Days of the WeekFeeding Plan
Day 1Start with a smaller amount of shrimp pallets/granules. Provide an amount that can be consumed within 2-3 hours.
Day 2Make the cherry shrimp fast and skip giving them any food. It will make them graze on algae and biofilm in the tank.
Day 3Provide blanched vegetables in a smaller amount.If any uneaten food remains in the tank, remove it as soon as possible.
Day 4Use specialized shrimp flakes but in a smaller amount.
Day 5Have a break and let them fast again.
Day 6Try adding boiled egg shells for additional calcium. Make sure you’ve cooled them down and given only a small piece.Remove the leftovers after a few hours.
Day 7Repeat the Day 1 pattern.

Don’t forget, this is only a general guideline. It can vary depending on certain aspects, such as the size of the shrimp colony, tank condition, and the requirements of the shrimp.

A reasonable guideline is to feed cherry shrimp only as much as they can completely eat within two or three hours. This can vary depending on the shrimp population. (source)

Hungry for knowledge about Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina)? We’ve got you covered in this article. Do Cherry Shrimp Eat Hair Algae?

Why Your Feeding Schedule Should be Leftover-Free?

Too many leftovers around can create an unfavorable environment in your shrimp tank. It can even lead to the death of your shrimp. But how does something like that make the tank condition go so wrong?

Well, leftovers decompose quickly, triggering health issues, especially parasites. It even causes vorticella, hydra, ellipsidae, plantaria, Scutariella Japonica, or green fungus.  So, to keep your shrimp healthy, ensure no additional food fills the tank.

Can you overfeed cherry shrimp?

Yes, it is possible to overfeed cherry shrimp. Like most aquatic invertebrates, cherry shrimp will only eat as much food as they need. However, overfeeding can cause excess nutrients in the water which can lower water quality.

It’s best to only feed cherry shrimp small amounts 1-2 times per day. Uneaten food should be removed so it doesn’t decay and pollute the water. Overfeeding can lead to health issues for the shrimp.

Do I need to feed cherry shrimp in planted tank?

In a heavily planted tank with algae growth, supplemental feeding of cherry shrimp may not be necessary. The plants and algae will provide enough food for the shrimp to graze on naturally. However, occasional supplemental feeding 1-2 times per week can help support larger shrimp populations.

It also gives the shrimp an additional nutrient source. Some owners like to feed shrimp in planted tanks just to watch the shrimp forage and feed.

So while not absolutely required, light supplemental feeding is beneficial for cherry shrimp in planted tanks. It helps ensure they have enough food available.

Shrimp Feeding & Diet: Infographic

If you want a printable version of this infographic, click here!

Before We Go…..

From now on, you shouldn’t have any problem fixing your cherry shrimp’s feeding schedule. But there’s one part where you might get stuck – feeding shrimp during breeding. Well, this one is tricky as their nutritional need reaches the ceiling during this time.

So, to ease things up, check out my blog What Are The Best Foods For Breeding Cherry Shrimps?

Muntaseer Rahman

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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