Shrimp tank maintenance schedule: what to do daily, weekly and monthly
A healthy shrimp tank needs surprisingly little work. Dwarf shrimp have a small bioload, and the biofilm and algae they graze are part of a settled tank rather than dirt to scrub away. What shrimp do need is consistency: steady temperature, hardness and TDS, and no sudden big changes. A simple routine you can actually keep does that better than an occasional deep clean.
The schedule at a glance
| How often | Task | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Quick look: shrimp behavior, any dead shrimp, temperature, filter bubbling, light timer | Catches problems early; remove dead shrimp or snails promptly |
| Most days | Feed a small amount; remove leftovers | Leftover food fuels ammonia, cloudy water and pests |
| Weekly to every 2 weeks | About 10–20% water change with matched, dechlorinated water; top off evaporation with RO or distilled water | Keeps nitrate and waste down without big swings |
| At each water change | Check TDS (and temperature of the new water); test nitrate | A sudden jump means something changed |
| Weekly to monthly | Remove dead or melting leaves; clean the front glass if you like | Less decaying matter; leave the other glass and decor for grazing |
| Monthly (weekly while a tank settles) | Test GH and KH; check pH if you track it | Hardness drifts slowly and matters for molting |
| Every few weeks or when flow drops | Squeeze out the sponge filter or pre-filter in old tank water | Keeps flow up without killing filter bacteria |
| Monthly or as needed | Trim plants and thin floating plants; replace leaves as they break down | Keeps some open surface and fresh grazing |
| Every few months | Check heater setting, test-kit expiry dates, timer and air pump | Equipment drifts and kits go stale |
Daily: a two-minute look
Look before you feed. Are the shrimp grazing and moving normally? Any shrimp dead, swimming frantically or stuck mid-molt? Is the thermometer where it should be, the filter bubbling and the light on its schedule? Remove anything dead promptly so it doesn't foul the water. Seeing the colony daily is how you notice the slow changes; our guides on why shrimp die and frantic swimming cover what to do if something looks wrong.
Feeding
Feed small amounts, and only what the colony clears in a couple of hours; remove what is left. Many keepers skip a day each week so the shrimp clean up biofilm and leftovers. Overfeeding is one of the most common causes of cloudy water, ammonia spikes and pest booms such as planaria. See best shrimp food for a sample weekly feeding routine.
Weekly: water change and a quick test
In an established, lightly stocked tank, many keepers change about 10–20% of the water once a week or every other week. Treat tap water with a conditioner that handles chlorine and chloramine, match its temperature and hardness or TDS to the tank, and add it slowly. Top off evaporation with RO or distilled water, because evaporation leaves minerals behind. Our water change guide covers the method.
Check TDS at every water change and test nitrate before you change water. If nitrate stays low and TDS is steady, you can space changes out; if nitrate climbs quickly, change a little more often rather than more at once.
Monthly: hardness, filter and plants
- Test GH and KH. Weekly while a new tank settles, then monthly once readings are stable. See GH and KH explained.
- Squeeze the sponge filter in a bucket of tank water you removed during a water change, every few weeks or when bubbling or flow drops. Never rinse it under tap water; chlorine can kill the bacteria that keep ammonia at zero. See shrimp-safe filters.
- Trim plants and thin out floating plants so some surface stays open, and check for melting leaves.
- Siphon gently only where debris collects. A light pass over the surface during a water change is plenty; shrimplets often hide in moss and substrate, so check the bucket.
What not to do
- Don't scrub everything clean. Biofilm and soft algae on glass, wood and leaves are food. Clean the front glass if you like and leave the rest.
- Don't deep clean the substrate or filter at the same time as a big water change. Spread tasks out so the tank isn't disturbed all at once.
- Don't change lots of water at once unless there is an emergency such as an ammonia spike or a contamination. Large changes are often linked to shrimp dying after molting.
- Don't add new products on a whim. Avoid algaecides, copper-containing medications and fertilizers that aren't labeled shrimp-safe.
Adjusting the schedule
| Tank | Change |
|---|---|
| New tank (first few months) | Test ammonia and nitrite more often, GH/KH weekly; see cycling |
| Nano (under about 5 gallons) | Smaller changes, often weekly; small volumes swing faster |
| Shrimp with fish | More waste, so weekly changes and closer nitrate checks |
| Heavily planted, lightly stocked | Can often stretch to every other week if tests stay steady |
| Going away | Do a water change a few days before, not the day you leave; see shrimp without food |
Treat these as starting points from hobby references and owner experience; we haven't run controlled trials. UF/IFAS notes that ammonia is the main toxic waste product in aquatic systems and that regular testing is how you catch it, which is why testing sits at the center of the routine.
Track it
Print the free Maintenance Schedule printable and tick off water changes, filter care, feeding notes and light hours, and log readings on the Water Parameter Log. A written routine is easier to keep steady, and the record shows what changed when something goes wrong. Lighting has its own guide: shrimp tank lighting.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I clean a shrimp tank?
Little and often. Feed lightly and remove leftovers most days, change about 10 to 20% of the water every week or two, and test and do filter care about monthly.
How often should I change water in a shrimp tank?
In an established, lightly stocked tank, many keepers change about 10 to 20% weekly or every other week. Let nitrate and TDS readings guide you.
Should I clean the algae off the glass?
Clean the front glass if you want to see in, but leave biofilm and soft algae on the back glass, wood and leaves. Shrimp graze it.
How often should I clean a sponge filter?
Many keepers squeeze it out every few weeks, or when bubbling or flow drops. Always rinse it in old tank water, not tap water.
Do I need to vacuum the substrate in a shrimp tank?
Only lightly, where debris collects. Deep cleaning disturbs the tank and can pull out shrimplets, so check the bucket.
How often should I test the water?
Check TDS and nitrate at water changes, and GH and KH monthly once the tank is stable. Test more often in a new tank or after any change.
Sources: UF/IFAS, Ammonia in Aquatic Systems (FA16) (ammonia as the main toxic waste in aquatic systems and the value of regular testing); Cherry Shrimp Neocaridina davidi (UF/IFAS EDIS IN1301) (Neocaridina davidi biology and grazing on biofilm); Shrimp Tank Hub's water change, test kit, filter and food guides.