Can Amano Shrimp Live in Brackish Water?

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So you just purchased your first Amano shrimp, and now you are wondering whether or not your new shrimp should be kept in brackish water? 

Amano shrimp cannot live in brackish water, and you should house them in freshwater. The salinity of brackish water is too high for the adult Amano shrimp and can result in death. However, baby Amano shrimp require brackish water to develop and mature before returning to freshwater. 

The rest of this article will take a more in-depth look at this topic. I’ll tell you what makes water brackish and discuss when and how to use brackish water for your pet Amano shrimp. I’ll also teach you how to acquire salty water for raising baby Amanos. 

Do Amano Shrimp Need Brackish Water?

Aqua Huna and Shrimpy Business experts agree that salty water isn’t a good fit for adult Amano shrimp, but why have you heard so much about these shrimp needing brackish water?

Amano shrimp don’t need brackish water, and adults should always be kept in freshwater. However, baby Amano shrimp do need brackish water to grow and develop. Upon maturing, the Amano fry should be relocated to freshwater to avoid sudden death due to the salinity of the brackish water.

The life cycle of the Amano shrimp is complicated, making it one of the most challenging shrimp to breed and raise in captivity. 

In the wild, Amano shrimp spend their lives in rivers. When their babies finally hatch, the larvae are swept downstream into estuaries, where they stay to grow and develop in the salty water. 

However, upon reaching maturity, the salty water becomes toxic to the Amano shrimp, and they must make their way back upriver to freshwater, where they will stay for the rest of their lives.

What Is Brackish Water? 

The term brackish water surfaces a lot when learning how to care for your Amano shrimp properly, but what exactly makes the water brackish? 

Brackish water is water with high salinity. In nature, this happens in an estuary where saltwater and freshwater sources merge. When these two water types combine, they create estuaries and marshes, a hybrid between saltwater and freshwater, also known as brackish water.

As previously stated, when Amano shrimp babies hatch in the wild, they’re swept off by the river’s current and into estuaries where they’ll stay until mature, after which they’ll make the trek back to freshwater. 

So let’s learn how you can replicate the proper water conditions for your pet Amano shrimp. 

Why Should Adult Amano Shrimp Be Kept in Freshwater Tanks?

Amano shrimp, or Caridina Multidentata, are known for their insatiable appetite for freshwater algae, making them a popular choice of aquatic pet. 

Adult Amano shrimp should be kept in freshwater tanks because that’s where they live in their natural habitat. In the wild, Amano shrimp generally live in the rivers and marshes of Japan and Taiwan, feeding on the algae covering the freshwater river bottoms. 

Amano shrimp only venture to brackish water when they’re carried downstream as larvae, after which they’ll return to live out their days in freshwater.

That’s why your pet shrimp will prefer to live in a freshwater tank. 

Do Amano Shrimp Need Brackish Water To Breed?

So, does your shrimp friend need salty water to breed? The answer is no. 

Amano shrimp don’t need brackish water to breed. The salinity of brackish water is too high for Amano shrimp and can cause sudden death. However, Amano shrimp babies do need salty water to grow and develop. 

The only time you should place your Amano shrimp in brackish water is when they’re babies and keep them there until they’ve matured past their larval stage. 

Once your baby shrimp have metamorphosed to look more like tiny shrimp, you should promptly relocate them into a freshwater enclosure.

It’s important to note that breeding Amano shrimp is extremely difficult, and there’s a low success rate for raising baby Amano shrimp to adults. 

Baby Amano Shrimp Need Brackish Water To Grow 

Baby Amano shrimp are delicate, making them challenging to raise when young. 

After your baby Amano shrimp have hatched, you must relocate them quickly or remove their parents from the tank before increasing the salinity of the water to make it salty. Amano fry cannot live more than 24 hours in freshwater, so you must act quickly. 

After the Amano fry have developed past their larval stage and have begun to resemble tiny shrimp more closely, it’s time to move your shrimp friends back to freshwater, where they’ll live out the rest of their days. 

How To Get Brackish Water for Your Baby Amano Shrimp 

So how does one go about acquiring brackish water without having access to any estuaries or marshes?

You might have luck purchasing some from a local pet supplier, but more often than not, you’ll have to make it yourself using tools such as: 

  • Marine salt
  • Water conditioner
  • A hydrometer

Creating the perfect conditions for growing your Amano shrimp fry can be complicated. However, Deb Tim has created a fantastic video breaking down the steps for creating brackish water: 

Remember never to add salt directly to your Amano shrimps tank! 

Conclusion 

The Amano shrimps’ need for brackish water is dependent on the shrimps’ age. Adult Amanos should never be placed in salty water as the salt levels are too high and will likely kill them. 

However, baby Amano shrimp are dependent on brackish water and must spend their first few weeks of life in the saltier water to grow and develop. 

So, as long as you aren’t planning to breed your Amano shrimp, you shouldn’t need to acquire brackish water for your tiny shrimp friend. 

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