# do your shrimp sleep?



## shrimpster (Jan 31, 2012)

Ok I'm sitting here getting ready to go to bed and I look in a tank that has the lights off for a while now and teh shrimps are picking away. 

Anyone know if they "rest" like fish do?


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

They don't have eye lids so I reckon they do rest.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

They never sleep.


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## Mike Hawk (Mar 9, 2012)

Sorry to op for hijacking but, because they don't sleep could you keep the lights on 24/7 in a non planted tank? you would need low enough lights to not cause algae maybe a ton of marimo balls for them to play on or something. Anyone know?


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## josolanes (Feb 28, 2012)

Interesting, I don't think I have noticed my shrimp sleeping or relaxing at all. I just have ghost shrimp in a community tank and the shrimp are always walking or swimming and searching for food. Whereas I do see my fish kind of just zone out


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## uMc (Apr 12, 2012)

i don't see my shrimps sleep


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## Psionic (Dec 22, 2011)

Zombie shrimp. They don't need sleep, only food. Braaaaains!

(it's too early)


-Val


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## Soothing Shrimp (Nov 9, 2011)

Here's the most logical answer I've found so far: "Shrimp don't sleep. Shrimp dont have a developed brain, instead having a nodocord structure that acts as a central nervous system."


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## xxbenjamminxx (Aug 8, 2011)

I can tell by the bags around my cherries eyes that they dont sleep, just like me lately. Lol


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## jasonpatterson (Apr 15, 2011)

Some invertebrates are able to enter a state called lethargus in which their metabolic rate drops dramatically and they basically go to sleep. It's a response to lack of resources in their environment though, usually, rather than the day/night cycle as in chordates. I don't know whether shrimp are able to do this or not, but there are a wide range of animals that can. Sleep-like states appear to have evolved independently a number of times.

All of that said, I doubt that our shrimp are ever in a situation in which they would need to enter such a state. We tend to keep them in more or less ideal conditions, except for crowding.


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## wicca27 (May 3, 2009)

i saw my oebt and yellow shrimp sleeping the other day they looked like horses sleeping some just sat there not moving while others picked around them and climed on them


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Mike Hawk said:


> Sorry to op for hijacking but, because they don't sleep could you keep the lights on 24/7 in a non planted tank? you would need low enough lights to not cause algae maybe a ton of marimo balls for them to play on or something. Anyone know?


Don't see why not. Besides the huge algae issue as you stated.


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## thechibi (Jan 20, 2012)

mordalphus said:


> They never sleep.


That makes shrimps sound like tiny Batmans or something.

Shrimps. Shrimps never sleep. *shrimp quietly cleans moss, motors off into the distance with pleopods a-flutter*

My shrimp don't seem as active when the lights aren't on, but I suspect that's more like chilling out than sleeping.


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