Amano shrimp vs cherry shrimp: which should you choose?
AquaLog guide · Published
In short: Choose cherry shrimp for a small tank and a colony that breeds itself: they need just 20 L (5 US gal). Choose Amano shrimp if algae is the main reason you want shrimp: they are bigger at 5 cm (2 in), live longer and won't breed in fresh water. Both are peaceful and beginner-rated, and they share a tank well at 20–28 °C (68–82 °F) and pH 6.5–7.8.
How do they compare?
| Amano shrimp | Cherry shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum tank | 40 L (11 US gal) | 20 L (5 US gal) |
| Temperature | 18–28 °C (64–82 °F) | 20–28 °C (68–82 °F) |
| pH | 6.5–7.8 | 6.5–8 |
| Hardness | 4–18 dGH | 6–20 dGH |
| Adult size | 5 cm (2 in) | 3 cm (1.2 in) |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Group size | 5 or more | 10 or more |
| Care level | Beginner | Beginner |
| Lifespan | 2–5 years | 1–2 years |
| Diet | Omnivore: algae, biofilm, wafers, blanched veg | Omnivore/detritivore: biofilm, algae, shrimp pellets, blanched veg |
| Breeds in a freshwater tank? | No: larvae need brackish water | Yes: females carry eggs, and the young are miniature adults |
All figures come from our care guide: see Amano shrimp and cherry shrimp.
What is the main difference?
Breeding. Cherry shrimp breed in the aquarium: females carry eggs and the young hatch as tiny copies of the adults, so a small group becomes a colony. Amano shrimp larvae need brackish water, so they won't breed in a freshwater tank and you never get a population boom. Amanos are also bigger, 5 cm (2 in) against 3 cm (1.2 in), and live longer: 2–5 years against 1–2.
Which one should you buy for algae?
Both graze algae and biofilm. If algae is the main reason you want shrimp, our care guide points to the Amano, which is also known as the algae shrimp and is the larger of the two. The cherry shrimp is an omnivore and detritivore that eats biofilm, algae and shrimp pellets, and it breeds itself into a colony.
Neither shrimp removes the cause of an algae problem. Algae feeds on light and on nutrients such as nitrate, so if it keeps coming back, test your nitrate and keep the tank out of direct sunlight. Aquarium water parameters explained gives the nitrate target.
Choose cherry shrimp if…
- Your tank is small. Cherries need 20 L (5 US gal); Amanos need 40 L (11 US gal).
- You want a colony. Cherries breed readily; our data rates their breeding beginner, against advanced for Amanos.
- Your water is on the hard side. Cherries are listed up to pH 8 and 20 dGH; Amanos to pH 7.8 and 18 dGH.
- Your fish are small and peaceful. Good tank mates include chili rasboras, otocinclus and snails. Our data lists most fish over 5 cm (2 in) as ones to avoid.
Choose Amano shrimp if…
- Algae is the main reason you want shrimp. Fix the cause as well, as above.
- You don't want numbers to grow. Amanos won't breed in fresh water.
- Your tank runs cool. Amanos are listed from 18 °C (64 °F), cherries from 20 °C (68 °F).
- Your fish are a little larger. Amanos list tetras, rasboras and corydoras as good tank mates, and avoid large cichlids and puffers.
- You want a longer-lived shrimp: 2–5 years.
Can Amano and cherry shrimp live together?
Yes. Their ranges overlap at 20–28 °C (68–82 °F), pH 6.5–7.8 and 6–18 dGH. Both are peaceful bottom-dwellers, and neither lists the other among tank mates to avoid. Plan on at least the larger minimum, 40 L (11 US gal), and keep at least 5 Amanos and 10 cherries. The aquarium stocking checker runs the same checks when you add fish.
What should a buyer know?
- No copper. Both list copper medication among things to avoid, and copper poisoning among common problems. Read the label of any fish medicine before it goes near a shrimp tank.
- Moulting needs minerals. Failed moults are a common problem for both, and our cherry shrimp data links them to soft water. Keep hardness inside the ranges above, and test it: see aquarium water parameters explained.
- Fit a lid. Our Amano data lists jumping out of open tanks among its common problems.
- Start with a cycled tank. Add shrimp only once ammonia and nitrite read zero. See how to cycle an aquarium.
- Plan the fish around the shrimp. Both avoid puffers, and cherries avoid most fish over 5 cm (2 in). Compare adult sizes in fish for small tanks before you choose.
AquaLog keeps every hardness and pH test on a chart per tank, so a slow drift towards soft water is easy to spot.