What Do Cherry Shrimp Eat? Feeding Guide and Schedule
What to feed cherry shrimp, how much and how often. Biofilm, blanched vegetables, commercial foods and a simple weekly feeding schedule.
Photo: Atulbhats, CC BY-SA 4.0In this guide
Short answer: cherry shrimp are scavengers. In a mature tank they eat mostly biofilm and algae that grow on every surface. Add a small amount of shrimp food 3–5 times a week, only as much as they finish in 2–3 hours, and give them blanched vegetables or leaf litter now and then.
What cherry shrimp eat in the tank
Before you think about food from a jar, remember what shrimp spend most of their day doing: picking at surfaces. They eat:
- Biofilm: the thin layer of bacteria, fungi and organic matter on glass, plants, rocks and wood
- Soft algae, including the film on the glass and fine hair algae
- Decaying plant matter, such as old leaves
- Leftover fish food and dead animals
That’s why a well-established, planted tank feeds shrimp far better than a new, bare one.
Good foods to add
| Food | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shrimp pellets or sticks | 3–5× per week | Main food. Choose one made for invertebrates |
| Blanched zucchini, spinach or cucumber | 1–2× per week | Boil briefly, remove after a few hours |
| Leaf litter (catappa, oak, beech) | Keep some in the tank | Grows biofilm, slowly eaten |
| Powdered baby food / biofilm powder | When babies are present | Spreads through the tank so babies can reach it |
| Fish flakes | Occasionally | Fine in small amounts |
How much to feed
Less than you think. A good test:
- Put in a small amount of food.
- Check after 2–3 hours.
- If food is left, remove it and feed less next time.
In a 5–10 gallon tank with 20–30 shrimp, that usually means a single pellet or a pinch of powder.
Signs of overfeeding: leftover food growing white fuzz, cloudy water, rising nitrate, planaria or many small snails appearing. Overfeeding is a common cause of cloudy water in shrimp tanks.
A simple weekly schedule
| Day | Food |
|---|---|
| Monday | Shrimp pellet |
| Tuesday | Nothing |
| Wednesday | Blanched vegetable (remove after 3 hours) |
| Thursday | Shrimp pellet |
| Friday | Nothing |
| Saturday | Shrimp pellet or powdered food |
| Sunday | Nothing |
In a new tank with little biofilm, feed a bit more often but in smaller amounts. In an old, heavily planted tank you can feed even less.
Can shrimp go without food?
Healthy adult shrimp in a mature tank can easily go a week or two without extra food while you’re on holiday. They’ll live on biofilm. Don’t use slow-release “holiday feeder” blocks, which often pollute small tanks.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I feed cherry shrimp?
3–5 times a week in small amounts. Skip days are healthy and keep the water clean.
Why aren’t my shrimp eating the food?
They may be full from biofilm and algae, which is a good sign in a mature tank. New shrimp may also hide for a few days. Remove uneaten food after a few hours either way.
Do cherry shrimp eat algae?
Yes, especially soft algae and the film on glass and plants. They won’t clear heavy, tough algae like black beard algae.
Do cherry shrimp eat plants?
They pick at plants but only eat dead or decaying parts. If healthy plants disappear, the cause is usually something else.
