Aquarium Shrimp

Marine aquarium shrimp are very popular additions to the marine aquarium. For the most part, they are inexpensive and easy to care for in captivity. Very easy to feed, most of them will consume almost anything offered from flake food, pellets, along with frozen and dry seafood. The stunning Harlequin Shrimp is the only one listed here that has specific dietary needs.

fire shrimp The most popular marine shrimp in the hobby today are the coral banded shrimp followed by the cleaner shrimp. Cheap and abundant, they are a common addition in most reef aquariums. The cleaner shrimp also have an added bonus of being great scavengers as well as cleaners of the fish present in the aquarium.

Some of them, like the pistol shrimp, form symbiotic relationships with specific species of fish. The pistol shrimp goby pair is a very unique addition. Anemone shrimp like the tiny Sexy shrimp, form a commensal relationship with anemones in the wild.

However, there pests in this group, namely the mantis shrimp. Mantis shrimp enthusiasts usually set up a tank specifically for the care of these potentially dangerous aquarium shrimp. Divided into tow groups that are called spearers and smashers, mantis shrimp are efficient predators in the wild that have highly effective weaponry. Commonly known as thumb splitters, they either have razor sharp blades or hammers that exert a force equal to that of a bullet.

peacock mantis shrimp They are somewhat uncommon hitchhikers that are imported through live rock and corals. They will attempt to consume fish and other shrimp as time goes by.

Tank rearing marine aquarium shrimp is limited to a few species, namely the peppermint shrimp, scarlet cleaner shrimp and the sexy shrimp. These species have been bred by numerous hobbyists in the past.

Marine Aquarium shrimp are very diverse in the colors and functions and are usually great additions to the reef aquarium.