Why Is My Cherry Shrimp Jumping Out Of Tank?

A few days earlier I discovered one of my cherry shrimps suddenly jumped out of the tank. I was shocked to see this kind of behavior. So I did some research and here’s what I found.

Cherry shrimps jump out of tank mainly if they are stressed. Some other reasons can be inappropriate tank water parameters, bad tank mates, high bioload in the tank, etc.

Jumping out of the tank is a pretty common behavior of cherry shrimps. They can do it for many kinds of reasons. Here I’ll be explaining each of them in detail.

Why Cherry Shrimps Jump Out Of Tank?

There are many factors that can drive a cherry shrimp to jump out of the tank. However, the most common factors are:

• Stress
• bad tank mates
• higher bioload
• current in water, etc.

Let’s take a look at each of these factors in details:

Stress

Stress is the #1 reason for cherry shrimps jumping out of the tank. Cherry shrimps can get stressed due to many reasons. But the most common one is water parameters.

Shrimps are very delicate creatures. They need specific water parameter range to thrive. If the water parameters are not suitable for them, they’ll start to get stressed.

If things get unchanged or worse, the shrimps will try to get out of the water. So, they just jump out of the tank.

So, if you see your cherry shrimps jumping out of the tank, the first thing you should do is check the water parameters. The most important water parameters are pH, KH, GH, TDS and Temperature.

Here’s what ideal water parameters for cherry shrimps should look like:

If you need a test kit for measuring the water parameters, 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!

Bad Tank Mates

In the earlier point, I said stress is a common reason for shrimps jumping out of the tank. I also said unsuitable water parameters are mainly responsible for it. But this is not the only culprit.

Bad tank mates also cause a lot of stress to the shrimps too. As cherry shrimps are very delicate and small, they can live peacefully with only a few tank mates.

If their tank mates are big, aggressive, temperamental and territorial, the shrimps will always be hunted down. This continuously adds to the stress of the shrimps.

As a result, the shrimps try to save themselves by jumping out of the tank. There is nothing else to expect, right?

So, before even thinking adding shrimps to your tank, check if the tank mates are ideal for your shrimps. If they aren’t, please don’t add the shrimps. Use a different tank.

If you want to keep and breed shrimps, I’ll always recommend to keep them in a dedicated shrimp tank.

Here’s a quick overview of good and bad tank mates for cherry shrimps:

High Bioload

High bioload can also be responsible for this kind of behavior. High bioload means there is too much livestock in the tank. As a result, the amount of dissolved oxygen starts to get lower.

The situation gets worse if there is no surface agitation in the water. If the dissolved oxygen level gets too low, the shrimps will try to get out of the tank in search of a better home.

So, what can you do to prevent this?

1. Don’t put too much fish, shrimp or any other livestock in the tank. Only put the amount that is appropriate according to your tank size. Too much livestock always results in a bad situation for your shrimps and fishes.
2. Use good filtration. A good filter will fight back the bioload and help to sustain a healthier environment in the aquarium.
3. For cherry shrimps, I often like to use Sponge Filter with air stones running inside it. When air stones run, it creates lots of bubbles. This bubbles goes upwards and agitates the surface. This creates more dissolved oxygen in the tank water.
4. Always perform regular water changes. No matter how good or powerful your filter is, you must perform regular water changes. I always do a partial water change on a weekly basis. I can’t stress enough how important water change is for cherry shrimps.

Current In Water

This is a good theory. However, I never saw or tested it personally. Let me explain this one.

If there is current in the tank water, the cherry shrimps think there might be an up and downstream. They get fooled by thinking there are more water and food on the other side of the glass.

So, the shrimps just jump out of the tank in search of more food and water.

You can’t do much to prevent this except using a tank cover or lid.

How Cherry Shrimps Jump?

Cherry shrimps use their tail to get out of the tank. Basically, the tail helps cherry shrimps to move very quickly.

If you observe closely, you might see that some times the cherry shrimps move lightning-fast from one spot to another. They do this by quickly kicking their tail and plunging them forward. This is a very smart way to get out of a bad situation or prey.

Cherry shrimps use the same tactics to jump out of the tank.

How To Prevent This Behavior?

If your cherry shrimps are jumping out of the tank, you’ll need to take some measures to prevent that. Fortunately, preventing this behavior doesn’t require a lot.

Here are the things you can do to prevent it:

Ensuring Proper Water Parameters

The first thing you’ll have to do is ensure proper water parameters. This is the #1 thing to do for keeping shrimps.

Even if your shrimps are not jumping out of the tank, they won’t be happy if the water parameters are not right. I can’t stress enough how important this is.

Get a proper water test kit and measure the parameters. If they are off, then take the necessary steps to push them the right way.

Add cherry shrimps to your tank only when the water parameters are in the right range.

Here are the ideal water parameters for cherry shrimps:

Getting Appropriate Tank Mates

First, I won’t recommend adding any type of fishes to your shrimp tank. I prefer a dedicated tank for my cherry shrimps. This ensures a healthier and safer tank for shrimps which results in good quality breeding.

However, if you want to have tank mates, research thoroughly first. Before buying any fish you like to have, check if it can live peacefully with the shrimp.

If you are getting a cichlid for your cherry shrimp tank, it will be a very bad idea. cichlids are very territorial and aggressive fish that can hunt your shrimps all the time.

On the other hand, if you are choosing small snails or tetras, then it might be okay.

But if you tell me, the perfect tank mate for shrimps is definitely snails. They both live peacefully and balances the ecology perfectly.

Here’s a quick overview of good and bad tank mates for cherry shrimps:

Using a Tank Cover

If the first two ways don’t solve the problem, then you might need to use a tank cover or lid.

You’ll find lots of tank covers in Amazon. You can also get one from the local fish store. Using a tank cover has its drawbacks, but it will definitely keep your cherry shrimps safe.

I like air screen cover for my tanks. This doesn’t create an airtight environment by letting air flow through the cover. If you want to check that out on Amazon, click here.

Not Filling Up To The Rim

Don’t fill your tank up to the rim. That’s a big NO-NO if your cherry shrimps are jumping out of the tank. Leave 1 or 2 inches gap between the water level and the rim.

This will discourage the cherry shrimps to jump out of the tank.

Getting Groups Of Shrimps

Shrimps love to live in groups. They are very social. If your shrimp is jumping out of tank, then it might be because of a lack of companionship.

I always recommend to get at least 10 cherry shrimps for starting out. This will ensure there are both males and females in the group. Also, you’ll get to see baby cherry shrimps pretty soon (if you do everything right).

So, don’t leave your cherry shrimp alone. If it is, then get her some friends and families. Cherry shrimps are supposed to live in groups.

Conclusion

So, I hope this guide solves your cherry shrimp jumping out of the tank problem. I followed these methods and my cherry shrimps are living peacefully ever since. I hope yours do too.

Happy shrimp keeping.