Freshwater Shrimp: Cherry vs Amano, Which Species Fits Your Tank

Cherry shrimp and Amano shrimp are the two species that dominate the freshwater aquarium hobby, and the choice between them comes down to what you actually want from a shrimp tank. Cherries (Neocaridina davidi) are colorful, breed in freshwater, and produce a self-sustaining colony of dozens within a year. Amanos (Caridina multidentata) are larger, eat more algae per individual, and stay as a static crew rather than a breeding colony. Both species are excellent additions to planted tanks and community setups, but they serve different purposes. This guide compares the two on water parameters, algae-eating habits, breeding, tank size, and compatibility with fish.

Species profiles

Neocaridina davidi (cherry shrimp and its color morphs)

Cherries are the freshwater pet shrimp standard. They originated as a wild grey-brown shrimp in Taiwan and have been selectively bred for color over the past 20 years. The main morphs:

• Red Cherry (RCS): the original, classic red, the easiest variant
• Sakura: deeper red than RCS, slightly more expensive
• Painted Fire Red: nearly fully red with very little clear tissue, premium grade
• Yellow Neocaridina: bright yellow body, easy to spot
• Blue Dream / Blue Velvet: deep blue, requires careful breeding to maintain color
• Snowball / White Pearl: opaque white
• Green Jade: olive green, the newest commercial morph
• Orange Sunkist: deep orange
• Black Rose / Carbon Rili: black with patches

Adult size: 1 to 1.5 inches. Lifespan: 1 to 2 years.

Caridina multidentata (Amano shrimp)

Amano shrimp were popularized by Takashi Amano, the founder of modern aquascaping, who used them to control algae in his nature-style aquariums. Wild populations live in Japan, Taiwan, and parts of mainland Asia.

Adult size: 1.5 to 2.5 inches. Lifespan: 2 to 3 years (sometimes longer in cooler water).

Appearance: translucent body with dark spots along the sides, a faint pale stripe running down the back. Less visually striking than cherries but elegant.

Water parameters compared

Parameter	Cherry shrimp	Amano shrimp
pH	6.5 to 8.0	6.5 to 7.5
GH (general hardness)	6 to 12 dGH	6 to 10 dGH
KH (carbonate hardness)	2 to 8 dKH	1 to 4 dKH
TDS	150 to 300 ppm	150 to 250 ppm
Temperature	65 to 78 F	64 to 76 F
Ammonia / nitrite	0 ppm	0 ppm
Nitrate	under 20 ppm	under 20 ppm
Copper	0 ppm	0 ppm

Cherries are noticeably more flexible. A tank with hard tap water (GH 10, KH 6, pH 7.8) works perfectly for cherries but stresses Amanos slightly. RO water remineralized to GH 8 and KH 4 works for both species.

The non-negotiable parameter for both: zero copper. Most municipal water carries trace copper from pipes. A Seachem Prime or API Tap Water Conditioner dose at water changes detoxifies copper.

Algae eating: who actually eats what

This is where many keepers get disappointed. Both shrimp species eat algae, but they have strong preferences.

What cherry shrimp eat

• Diatoms (brown algae on new tank glass)
• Soft green algae on plant leaves
• Biofilm (the slimy coating on glass and decor)
• Decaying plant matter (dead leaves on bacopa, melting crypt leaves)
• Fish food remnants
• Shrimp pellets and blanched vegetables
• Fish poop (the colony breaks down waste)

What cherries do NOT eat: hair algae, black beard algae, GSA on the glass, BBA on the wood. Cherries graze on biofilm in those areas but do not eat the algae itself.

What Amano shrimp eat

• All of the above
• Hair algae (the main reason people buy Amanos)
• Cladophora algae (the matted green-on-rock algae)
• Filamentous green algae
• Soft GSA when very hungry
• Detritus and uneaten fish food

What Amanos do NOT eat: black beard algae, blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), GHA when other food is abundant.

For hair algae control, an Amano shrimp is the single most effective freshwater organism. A group of 5 Amanos in a 40 gallon tank clears a hair algae outbreak in 7 to 14 days when supplemental feeding is reduced.

Breeding cherries

Cherries breed freely in any well-cycled freshwater tank. The female carries 20 to 30 eggs under her tail (called “berried”) for 25 to 30 days, then releases miniature shrimp that are immediately self-sufficient. There is no larval stage to manage.

A small colony of 10 cherries in a stable tank grows to 100+ within a year. Population stabilizes naturally when food availability limits new shrimplets.

Tips for successful cherry breeding:

• Stable parameters matter more than perfect parameters
• A planted tank with java moss provides cover for baby shrimplets
• Skip fish that hunt baby shrimp (most tetras, all gouramis, all cichlids)
• Feed sparingly, well-fed cherries breed faster
• A weekly 20 percent water change with TDS-matched water is the rhythm

Breeding Amanos

Practically, Amanos do not breed in home aquariums. The process requires:

1. Female releases larvae in freshwater
2. Larvae are moved to brackish water (specific gravity 1.015 to 1.020) within 24 hours
3. Larvae feed on phytoplankton for 30 to 45 days while ramping salinity
4. Post-larvae are moved back to freshwater
5. Survival rate is typically 10 to 20 percent

Commercial breeders run this process, but it is not realistic for a home keeper. Practical advice: buy Amanos as a one-time crew investment and replace as they age out (3 to 4 years).

Tank size and stocking

Cherry shrimp stocking

• Nano tank (5 gallons): 5 to 10 cherries
• 10 gallon: 15 to 30 cherries
• 20 gallon: 30 to 60 cherries
• 40 gallon: 60 to 100 cherries

Cherries self-regulate at higher stocking densities, so adding more than these numbers does not crash the tank.

Amano shrimp stocking

For algae control:

• 10 gallon: 2 to 3 Amanos
• 20 gallon: 3 to 5 Amanos
• 40 gallon: 5 to 8 Amanos
• 75 gallon: 8 to 12 Amanos

For aesthetic only (not algae control), 1 Amano per 5 gallons is reasonable.

Compatibility with fish

Safe tankmates for both species

• Most peaceful nano fish: chili rasboras, ember tetras, neon tetras, otocinclus, pygmy corydoras
• Snails (nerites, ramshorns, malaysian trumpet)
• Other invertebrates (ghost shrimp, bamboo shrimp, freshwater clams)

Tankmates that eat shrimplets but spare adults

• Most tetras (neon, cardinal, ember, glowlight): adult cherries safe, shrimplets eaten
• Endlers and guppies: adult cherries safe, shrimplets at risk
• Pygmy and dwarf corydoras: safe for all

Tankmates that eat all shrimp

• Bettas (most), gouramis, angelfish, all cichlids, all loaches over 3 inches, goldfish, larger tetras (serpae, congo)
• Anything with a mouth large enough to fit a shrimp

If you want a shrimp colony to thrive, run a shrimp-only or shrimp-and-otocinclus tank. If shrimp are added to a community fish tank, plan for it to be a static population (Amanos work best here).

Acclimation

Both species are sensitive to TDS shock. Drip acclimation over 90 to 120 minutes is the standard:

1. Float the bag for 15 minutes to match temperature
2. Open the bag and place the shrimp in a container with their bag water
3. Use air-line tubing with a knot or valve to drip tank water in at 2 to 4 drops per second
4. Triple the water volume in the container over 90 minutes
5. Net the shrimp out (do not pour bag water into your tank) and place in the tank

For shrimp-friendly setups, see our aquarium plants for low light and aquarium water parameters explained articles. The /methodology page covers our invertebrate trial protocol.

Frequently asked questions