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There are many different kinds of shrimp that are both interesting and colorful additions to an invertebrate or reef aquarium. All shrimp are scavengers, they help clean up leftovers in the aquarium while some perform other very important duties keeping a tank rid of aptasia anemones or providing a natural defense against ich outbreaks. All shrimp have an exoskeleton which means they have their skeleton on the outside. This hard outer shell called the carapace must shed (molt) for the shrimp to grow. Molting is a necessary process that shrimp must go through numerous times as they grow. When they shed their shell, they will be vulnerable to harm because their new shell is quite soft in the beginning. During this short period they will stay hidden.
As with any marine species, water quality plays an important role in ensuring reef aquarium shrimp remain healthy. Being an invertebrate, saltwater shrimp do not tolerate poor water quality. If you can provide consistent saltwater quality, you should have no trouble at all in being able to keep any reef aquarium shrimp healthy and free of problems. When using a salt mix, prepare the water at least two days in advance to allow it to age and become properly mixed and aerated. Prior to use, ensure the saltwater aquarium pH, salinity and temperature match the water the shrimp are in. They are easily affected by sudden changes so water changes need to be kept on the smaller side to not shock your shrimp. We recommend never doing any more than a twenty percent water change at a time, allowing a day or more rest between changes. As aquarium pets, taking the simple precautions of having all pump inlets protected and any possible predators removed, will make keeping this species a simple matter.
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