Golden Shrimp (each)

Golden Shrimp are one of the easier shrimp species to keep and don’t have many specific requirements. No special soil types or fancy equipment needed! Like all dwarf shrimp they can be kept in aquariums of at least 20 litres, although for beginners and anyone concerned about water quality it’s always a good idea to go for a slightly larger setup.  As the name suggests this shrimp is selectively bred for its bright, eye catching yellow color. It’s not fussy about water values and breeds easily, which makes it a great option for anyone just starting out. Golden Shrimp originated from Taiwan but were developed (selectively bred) in Germany and started selling around 2000.

Behavior

If you plan on keeping Golden Shrimp it is recommended that you do not keep them alone. You should keep them in a group of at least 6 to help reduce any dominant behavior. In addition to keeping them with their own species, you can also keep them with other peaceful Shrimp such as Cherry Shrimp and Ghost Shrimp.

When kept in an aquarium they should live between 2-3 years. Usually, the risky time is the first few weeks after they are added to your tank. So if they survive that, they should live a long life.

Tank Conditions

Your tank should be thoroughly planted. This provides them with lots of shelters and gives them comfort.  Use plants such as Java Moss and Green Cabomba and if you want to add even more hiding places for them you could consider Shrimp tubes. You can also add wooden branches into the tank.  Second, only add them to established tanks; debris and algae are crucial for them and this won’t be present in newly setup tanks.  For substrate, use small rocks and pebbles to emulate the river beds of Japan.  A shrimp feeding dish is recommended to prevent food from dropping down between the pebbles and rotting.

Like their cherry shrimp cousins, Golden Shrimp are very adaptive and can survive in a wide range of water values and temperatures. As long as the water is conditioned, ammonia and nitrite are always at zero and nitrites aren’t too high your tap water should usually be fine. Be sure to do regular water tests using a liquid test kit to make sure everything is still in order and perform regular water changes.

They need to be kept in at least a 40 litre aquarium which you can keep at least 5 Shrimp.  As a rule of thumb, you can add 1 Shrimp per 8 litres.   But, it obviously depends on the number, and species, of fish you have in the tank.  They have such a small bioload that you don’t need to worry about overstocking the tank.

Compatibility

They are an incredibly peaceful species and have no real means to defend themselves. You can include peaceful, small to mid-sized, community fish, other shrimp or snails with your Shrimp. The following list of fish typically does well with them:

Cherry Shrimp, Ghost Shrimp, Bamboo and Vampire Shrimp, Mystery Snails, Nerite Snails, Malaysian Snails, Guppies,Tiger Barb, Neon Tetras, Otocinclus Catfish, Cory Catfish, Bristlenose Pleco etc.

You should not keep your Shrimp with any large or aggressive fish. The following list will give you a good indication of which types of fish to avoid:

Cichlids, Goldfish, Arowanas, Bettas, Oscars, Large Plecos, Crayfish, Gourami etc.

When choosing take mates use the rule of thumb: “if it can fit in their mouth, then exercise caution”.

Feeding

Golden Shrimp are omnivores (they eat both meat and plant matter) that thrive on a varied diet. They will love picking algae off any surface they can find, but unless your tank is very algae ridden they do need regular feedings. Use a high-quality shrimp food as a staple and supplement it with algae tablets, frozen foods (mosquito larvae, bloodworms), fresh blanched veggies and sinking fish foods. Also consider DBS Husk as a food. The shrimp either graze on the bio-film that will accumulate on the husk or eat the inner part of the DBS husk as it breaks down over a period of time.

They have also been known to eat dead fish. Unfortunately due to their reputation, many people believe that they only need algae and leftovers to survive, this is not true. They will always need their diet supplementing. Obviously the more amounts of algae and debris in the tank for them to graze on, the less supplementing they will need.

Care

Golden Shrimp are one of the hardiest and least demanding invertebrates and they don’t require much specialist care.

You should pay special attention to them when they molt; this is when they are most vulnerable. You should expect them to shed monthly if they are well fed and feel secure.

Just like Cherry Shrimp and most other invertebrates, you should avoid anything with Copper (medications and ornaments) in the tank as it is toxic to most invertebrates. Be sure to check the labels as many fish foods and medication contain Copper.

See Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment at Rebel Pets for help with diagnosing and treating diseases.