PH Range:  6.5 – 7.8
Size:  1 – 2 inches
Temperature Range:  70 – 80 F.
Diet:   Omnivore
Hardness Range:  3 – 10 dkh
Habitat:  Fully Aquatic
Life Span:  2 – 3 years

Many attribute dwarf shrimp breeding as a hobby in the United States to the Amano Shrimp. Since the mid-1990s, they have become quite popular among planted tank aquarists. Classification of its species is Caridina multidentata. Their name used to be Caridina japonica but was changed approximately 2005. This shrimp has been named after the man who introduced them to the aquarium, Takashi Amano. Originally found in the wild in Japan, it has become an established freshwater shrimp. Other names by which this shrimp is known are Algae Shrimp and Japanese Swamp Shrimp, Grass Shrimp, Yamato Nuna Ebi and several others. The Amano Shrimp are perhaps one of the more simply types to care for in a home aquarium. As long as the tank has clean water, free of contaminants such as metals and is fully cycled these shrimp can weather most conditions. If extremes in either temperature or ph occur there is a good possibility problems will arise. These shrimp are little cleaning machines; eating algae and anything they can scavenge. Their favorite is the soft algae. They will not, however, eat any black brush algae. By the nature of their love for algae, they will keep your tank clean. They will happily dine on food for most bottom feeding fish. Do take care not to overfeed. If you feed them too much, your tank will not get cleaned of algae and you will have trouble keeping the water clean. In the case of a large group of Amano Shrimp, you may need to feed them a little extra to supplement what they are getting from the algae in your tank. They are not as easily bred as you may think. Because these little shrimp are born in the form of larvae, they require saltwater in order to grow before they become freshwater shrimp. Males are differentiated from females by the lowest body stripe that runs along the entire length of the shrimp. These stripes are reddish brown in color and easy to see on their tan, transparent bodies. The line of the male consists of separated dots and the line of the female looks more like dashes along the underside of their bodies. Peaceful and non-aggressive dwarf shrimp, Amano Shrimp live in harmony with other residents of the tank. Since they are ferocious feeders, they are not above stealing food from other, smaller shrimp. They spend their days scavenging algae and any other edibles they can find on the bottom of the tank and without predators around a very active and fun to watch. Copper and anything containing copper must be kept away from the fish tank and the Amano shrimp as well as any other dwarf shrimp. Amano Shrimp should have plenty good hiding places. When they molt, they are very vulnerable and seek hiding places until their new exoskeleton hardens.