How much care does a pet shrimp need?

Question

I'm considering getting a couple of shrimp as pets. Kinda like fish, only I'd rather have shrimp. Does anyone know how much time it takes to take care of them and stuff?

Answer 1

they are very easy to take care for,but since they r invertebrates they are sensitive and may not withstand some medications.

Answer 2

If it is a ghost shrimp they don't need any care. They just eat the food that goes to the bottom of the tank. If I was you I don't think I would get any. They are fun to watch, but don't live long. Well, make sure they have hiding spots though where they can get away from fish. They are pretty skittish of other fish

Answer 3

lol. i like to eat shrimp.

Answer 4

A pet shrimp needs very little care.  They usually survive in a healthy fishtank when you have all of the things you would normally buy for a fish.  Things like an airator, a filter, gravel, a waterproof aquarium, some live plants to munch on, a place to hide when they're scared, and fish food to munch on (shrimp are omnivores and enjoy flake food just like fish do.  They will also occasionally eat algae).

To care for shrimp, you'd have to cycle the tank just like you would for any fish, and you'd have to do maintenance on the tank like water changes and gravel vacuuming.  But that's about it.  If you have fish already in an aquarium, most shrimp don't need any special care.  I added seven ghost shrimp to my ten gallon aquarium, which has bettas (a fish species) in it already, and the shrimp just moved around like normal.  They were perfectly fine in there.  When fish flakes sank down to the bottom, I'd watch a ghost shrimp pick it up and munch on it.  That was nice because then the extra fish food that's always left over after feedings doesn't just sit on the bottom and rot.  A lot of people keep shrimp as tank scavengers for that reason, to keep the aquarium clean.  

If you want shrimp as pets, I suggest a medium size (don't go too small.  Nothing less than five gallons, please) tank with gravel, and airator, a medium strength filter (not too strong, you don't want a huge current), and maybe some live plants if you can.  And toss in some veggies every now and then for them to munch on.  Oh, and also feed them pond snails if you have any in your other tanks.  I sometimes put my shrimp in a tank with a pond snail infestation so the shrimp will munch on the snails and control the population.  Shrimp think snails are yummy.

Yup, that's about all you need.  Oh, try to make a cave in the water for them with a couple tank decorations.  Most shrimp are brave, but every now and then they get scared and like a place to hide.  And don't forget a tank lid, since shrimp can jump out.  That's very important.

The time investment would be, I think, about an hour of maintenance a week to clean the tank.  Gravel vacuum and water change at least twice a month.  And you'd have to feed them at least once a day.

Answer 5

Well i had 5 shrimp and they ate the algae in the tank or algae disc.  They do need filters and heaters just like other fish thow.