Breeding Amano shrimp: prepare the larval phase separately

Adult Amano shrimp, Caridina multidentata, are kept in freshwater. Their free-swimming larvae need separate saline-water rearing before juvenile shrimp return to freshwater. A female carrying eggs or larvae appearing in your aquarium therefore does not mean a lasting colony will establish there.

Keep the two systems separate

Do not convert the adult aquarium to saltwater to save a clutch. Prepare a separate setup where salinity, temperature, food and water quality can be controlled. Neocaridina juveniles are already small bottom-dwelling shrimp; that route does not directly apply to Amano larvae.

• First choose a complete account for C. multidentata, with identifiable provenance and evidence of development into juvenile shrimp. A method for another Caridina is not automatically suitable.
• Check the salinity unit and measurement method. Parts per thousand and specific gravity are different notations; do not guess from spoonfuls of salt.
• Arrange the specified larval food and a way to keep it available. An adult shrimp tablet or visibly green water does not establish a usable larval diet.
• Plan aeration, water replacement and transfers without losing larvae. Practise before eggs hatch.
• Find explicit criteria for metamorphosis and return to freshwater. A fixed number of days alone is insufficient.

What research does and does not resolve

Kondo and colleagues compare larval temperature and salinity treatments in three species. This supports species-specific conditions, not one universal shrimp recipe. A favourable experimental treatment is also not a complete home guide to food, hygiene and transfer.

Record the source, settings, food, observations and losses for each attempt. Resolve missing essential steps before moving animals. Adult care remains covered by the Amano profile. To first follow freshwater offspring, choose a suitable Neocaridina setup.

Sources and scope

• Kondo, Hamasaki & Dan (2021): Caridina larval performance
• The Shrimp Farm: Amano shrimp, diet and observed feeding behaviour
• LICG: Zoetwatergarnaal

Kondo, Hamasaki and Dan investigate larval development of three named Caridina species under laboratory conditions. The husbandry source concerns adult Amanos. Our preparation list is neither personal breeding experience nor a fully validated rearing protocol.