# how long will shrimp resist without food in a planted tank?



## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

Will amano shrimp last for a week in a planted tank if not fed?I will also turn off the lights so the tank will receive ambient light only,which ,I believe it will lead to some plant decay...so they will feed only on that.Am I correct?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

They should be fine for a week if they're in a tank that's been running for at least a couple months. 

If you're super-concerned, maybe add an Indian Almond Leaf/another shrimp-safe leaf about a week before you're going to leave it without food.

Some people have gone several weeks without feeding their shrimp tanks with little issue.


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## inthepacific (Oct 21, 2012)

i've gone without feeding my CRS for 2 weeks but i have a bunch of leaf litter in my tank. i put dried up japanese maple tree leaves and indian almond leaves in my tank. and also cholla wood. that stuff packs a lot of biofilm on it and they can graze on that for days as well as moss. so yea with a combination of leaves and driftwood/ cholla wood and some moss, you can go a while without feeding them. also i used to only feed my shrimp once a week anyways with algae wafers but that got messy and scuds and worms happened so i switched to leaves and the sort.


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## CookieM (Feb 7, 2012)

Title is confusing. I thought you asking why your shrimps are refusing to eat.

Shrimp can survive on algae alone, so crank up the lights and leave it on 12 hrs a day for algae build up.


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## Puddles (Jan 5, 2013)

I have hair algae growing along the back and side walls of my tank and I almost never feed. They never go to the food I give, whether it is some fancy sample I have or kale or what have you. They live and breed so I know they're getting their food from the walls, moss, and sponge filter I have in the tank.

I would say your shrimp will be fine as long as it is a nice established tank.


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## Asphalt Art (Apr 18, 2013)

Same here, I actually had to stop and think about the last time I fed my Sakura tank. 3 weeks at least, and they are thriving. I have about a dozen very large java ferns and a gnarled chunk of driftwood, and probably about 2 dozen 4MM shrimplets.


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## dzega (Apr 22, 2013)

in a planted tank they will last much more than a week, not to say forever. there is always some algae, some decaying plant material and driftwood to grazzle on.


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## aprildawn (Feb 4, 2013)

I too rarely feed. With the driftwood, moss & algae in the tank, there seems to be plenty & mine are breeding rapidly.


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## Aplomado (Feb 20, 2013)

Why in the world would you turn off the light? They eat algae... Just put the light on a timer if you are gone.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

Aplomado said:


> Why in the world would you turn off the light? They eat algae... Just put the light on a timer if you are gone.


I don't trust timers.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

dzega said:


> in a planted tank they will last much more than a week, not to say forever. there is always some algae, some decaying plant material and driftwood to grazzle on.


Do they eat decaying pieces of driftwood too?I didn't know that...


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

PuddlesAqua said:


> I have hair algae growing along the back and side walls of my tank and I almost never feed. They never go to the food I give, whether it is some fancy sample I have or kale or what have you. They live and breed so I know they're getting their food from the walls, moss, and sponge filter I have in the tank.
> 
> I would say your shrimp will be fine as long as it is a nice established tank.


Is hair algae that white fluff growing on glass ,that is often mistaken with Hydra?


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

aprildawn said:


> I too rarely feed. With the driftwood, moss & algae in the tank, there seems to be plenty & mine are breeding rapidly.


I never kept shrimp before ,and they seem always hungry ....I just can't get used to the fact that they're just being shrimp.I also have a Giant African ,fan feeder ,and he needs some food in the water.....but now that I think of it.....there's plenty of Cyclops and Daphnia and stuff....


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

somewhatshocked said:


> They should be fine for a week if they're in a tank that's been running for at least a couple months.
> 
> If you're super-concerned, maybe add an Indian Almond Leaf/another shrimp-safe leaf about a week before you're going to leave it without food.
> 
> Some people have gone several weeks without feeding their shrimp tanks with little issue.


If I left them a couple of zucchini slices ,would they turn the water bad?I only have 4 shrimp in a 10 gallon with HOB filter


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

sleepswithdafishez said:


> I don't trust timers.


Why not? Also, please use multiquote instead of posting four times in a row...


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## Puddles (Jan 5, 2013)

sleepswithdafishez said:


> Is hair algae that white fluff growing on glass ,that is often mistaken with Hydra?


No, hair algae is green and looks like... well, hair. It waves in the current in my tank.


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## aprildawn (Feb 4, 2013)

Most of my shrimp stay on the driftwood. I don't know what they are eating on it but they like it.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

I have my branches close to the HOB intake.There is moss growing on it and loads of cabomba plants stuck in between.They like it there.


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