What and how often to feed shrimp

Published October 16, 2026 · Updated October 16, 2026 · 5 min read

Three blue Neocaridina shrimp grazing on a branch of wood among green stem plants — Photo: TonyZimbinski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

Quick answer

Shrimp graze on biofilm and algae all day, so they need less food than most people think.
Feed a small amount once a day at most. In a mature, planted tank, every second or third day is often enough.
Give only what they finish in about 2 to 3 hours, then remove the rest.
Use shrimp pellets or powder, blanched vegetables and leaf litter, and avoid foods with added copper.

What shrimp eat in your tank

Cherry shrimp spend most of the day grazing. Watch them and you will see them picking at plants, wood and glass with their tiny front claws.

What they eat is mostly biofilm. Biofilm is a thin, slimy layer of bacteria, algae and tiny organisms that grows on every surface under water. It makes up most of a shrimp's natural diet. They also eat soft algae and decaying plant matter.

In a mature, planted tank, shrimp find much of their food on their own. So any food you add should be a small top-up, not a full meal.

Good foods for shrimp

A simple mix of a few foods covers everything cherry shrimp need.

Food	How often	Tips
Shrimp pellets or sinking shrimp food	Your main food	Start with a tiny amount. A small glass dish makes leftovers easy to see.
Powder food	2–3 times a week if you have babies	It spreads through the tank, so baby shrimp can reach it.
Blanched vegetables: zucchini, spinach, cucumber, kale	Once or twice a week	Boil leafy greens for 2–3 minutes, firmer vegetables longer. Remove leftovers within a few hours.
Leaf litter: Indian almond leaves or oak leaves	Keep a few in the tank	They break down slowly and grow biofilm. Boil them first.

Blanching means boiling a vegetable briefly until it is soft, so it sinks and shrimp can eat it. Wash vegetables well. Some guides suggest organic ones, to avoid pesticide residue.

How much and how often

Feed little. Most guides suggest feeding once a day at most. Many keepers feed only every second or third day, especially in a mature tank with lots of plants and biofilm.

Use the 2-to-3-hour rule: give only what the shrimp finish in about 2 to 3 hours. Then remove anything left over.

If food is still there after 3 hours, give less next time.
If it is gone in under an hour, you can give a little more.

A pinch about the size of a fingernail for every 10 to 20 shrimp is a good starting point. Adjust from there.

Your tank	How often to feed
New tank, or few plants and little biofilm	Most days, up to 5 days a week
Mature and well planted	About 2 to 3 times a week

Guides do disagree here. Some shrimp sellers suggest a small feeding once a day, while others feed only a few times a week. Both work if you keep portions small and remove leftovers.

Fasting days

Many keepers skip feeding on one or two days a week. A day without extra food makes shrimp graze on biofilm and algae, and it stops leftovers from building up. In a planted tank there is still plenty for them to graze on.

Signs of overfeeding

Overfeeding is easy to do, and also easy to spot. Look out for these signs:

Food is still lying around after 3 hours.
The water turns cloudy.
Small white worms (planaria) or tiny animals with tentacles (hydra) appear on the glass.
Pest snails suddenly multiply.
Your test kit shows ammonia, or nitrate rises quickly.

Leftover food rots and turns into ammonia, which is toxic to shrimp. If you see these signs, feed less, remove leftovers and do a small water change. Our guide to planaria and hydra explains what to do if they appear.

Avoid copper in food

Copper is toxic to shrimp. They need a tiny trace of it for their blood, but even a small excess can kill them.

Copper sulfate is a common ingredient in fish foods. Check the label before you give any fish food to shrimp. The simplest choice is food made for shrimp without added copper sulfate.

Feeding baby shrimp

Baby shrimp (shrimplets) are tiny and can't compete with adults for pellets. In their first weeks they mostly stay in one area and graze on biofilm.

Powder foods spread through the water and settle everywhere, so babies can reach them. Use a small amount, 2 to 3 times a week.
Leaf litter grows biofilm and gives babies places to hide while they eat.
Mosses and fine plants help for the same reason.

Read more about baby shrimp in our breeding guide.

FAQ

How do I feed my shrimp when I go on vacation?

For a week or two, a healthy colony in a mature, planted tank usually needs no help. Do a small water change before you leave and add some leaf litter. If someone checks on the tank, give them tiny pre-measured portions so the shrimp are not overfed.

How long can shrimp go without food?

Adult shrimp in a tank with plenty of biofilm can usually go about a week or more without extra food. In one study described by Shrimp and Snail Breeder, adult Neocaridina showed no damage after 7 days without any food at all. Baby shrimp are much more fragile.

Do cherry shrimp eat algae?

Yes, they eat soft algae and biofilm, but they will not clear a real algae outbreak. If algae is taking over, fix the cause instead, such as too much light or too many nutrients.

Can shrimp eat fish food?

Often, yes, in small amounts. Check the label first, because copper sulfate is a common ingredient in fish foods and copper is toxic to shrimp. Food made for shrimp is the simplest choice.

Sources

Shrimp Science: What Do Freshwater Shrimp Eat?
Shrimp Science: How To Prepare a Shrimp Tank Before Vacation
Shrimp Science: Red Cherry Shrimp care guide
Shrimp Science: Why Are My Freshwater Shrimp Dying?
The Shrimp Farm: Cherry Shrimp Feeding
Shrimp and Snail Breeder: Shrimp Feeding Guide: How Much, How Often, and When to Stop
Shrimp and Snail Breeder: Starvation and Survival: The Impact on Dwarf Shrimp
Shrimp and Snail Breeder: How Copper Affects Dwarf Shrimp
Aquarium Co-Op: Care Guide for Cherry Shrimp
Flip Aquatics: Cherry Shrimp Guide

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