Shrimp Population Control

[TexanGent]

I am looking to start a ten gallon shrimp tank, but I am not looking to start breeding. What do people do this spawns to keep your tank from getting overrun? Are there good tank mates that will eat the fry but not the adults?

[Bobbie]

You could maybe try a trio of guppies or platies, they also breed but will eat their young so don’t overpopulate. I’ve heard a single platy also works. 
 

Maybe a group of small corydoras? They happily eat live foods that I give them so shrimp fry will probably count as food to them. 

 

You could try a betta, but it might harass the adult shrimp. 
 

Overall, though, I think the population mostly controls itself (less food = less babies) and if need be you can always sell the young. 
 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Bobbie

[Guppysnail]

Celestial pearl danios keep my newborn shrimp in check. My population has stayed relatively consistent. I had a spastic guppy in their tank for awhile so they were getting over fed and they increased in numbers.  My guppies wiped out another shrimp colony. I had about 30 shrimp the adults didn’t bother them but the juveniles hunted the adults in teams like a wolf pack…I actually kept those girls and got them their own tank and named them the wolf pack.

[TexanGent]

I was thinking a single betta but I wasn’t sure if one would be able to keep up with 6-12 shrimp breeding. Ideally I don’t want to add more bio load and I can’t do a larger tank to support a schooling fish too. 
 

Thanks for the input!

[Wonder Boy]

You might consider a good nano fish - CPDs, WCMM, Rasboras - and decorate the tank with minimal hiding locations for the shrimp fry. If the shrimp can hide until they get big, they will multiply. 

[JettsPapa]

I've never worried about controlling shrimp populations.  Their bioload is very small, and hundreds can fit in a 10 gallon tank without being crowded.

[CT_]

On 7/7/2021 at 12:42 PM, JettsPapa said:

I've never worried about controlling shrimp populations.  Their bioload is very small, and hundreds can fit in a 10 gallon tank without being crowded.

When I had 10 shrimp they had almost 0 effect on my tank.  one day i had 100 and any algae they could eat was totally gone.  My otos also started to hide more.  Maybe its a coincidence but my theory is that my otos dig around less because there's nothing to find.  They're still fat because I throw something in for them 2-3x a week but they're more hide-y.

 

 

[theotheragentm]

I honestly wouldn't worry about shrimp over-population. You can give those away if it's a big concern, but shrimp typically have such a light bioload, you're not going to see the waste problems you will with even small fish like guppies. I have (8) ember tetras in a 20L with my cherry shrimp. They don't seem to be impeding the shrimp population, but the population doesn't seem to be an issue either.

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

On 7/7/2021 at 9:33 AM, TexanGent said:

I am looking to start a ten gallon shrimp tank, but I am not looking to start breeding. What do people do this spawns to keep your tank from getting overrun? Are there good tank mates that will eat the fry but not the adults?

Shrimplets are so small everything eats them. Id probably not worry about an overrun but for me nano rasboras ember tetras etc will eat shrimplets  when hungry and are somewhat less likely to go for adults but...  In my tanks anything that eats shrimplets has a chance and might go for antennae and pick at , damage or otherwise harass the adults.  The population control for me is to either trade extras or remove them as culls in whatever way you decide. If I had to have fish in the tank i would try ember tetras or similar and have some plant cover for the adults to molt and keep a stable population. 

[Streetwise]

Breeding shrimp is my favorite form of success in the freshwater hobby!

[Phantom240]

On 7/7/2021 at 12:28 PM, TexanGent said:

I was thinking a single betta but I wasn’t sure if one would be able to keep up with 6-12 shrimp breeding. Ideally I don’t want to add more bio load and I can’t do a larger tank to support a schooling fish too. 
 

Thanks for the input!

A single betta can wipe out a colony of 100 breeding shrimp faster than you can type "betta". A betta with a strong predator instinct can really stuff himself in short order. Not all specimens are this way, however. 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Phantom240