Cherry shrimp are a popular freshwater aquarium species prized for their bright red color. But as aquatic creatures, they depend on water to survive. So a common question for cherry shrimp owners is how long they can live outside their tanks if they jump out or need to be moved.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore cherry shrimp’s ability to survive out of water, ideal conditions for maximum time, and tips for safe transport.
Do Cherry Shrimp Breathe Air?
Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) are a tropical species native to Taiwan. As freshwater shrimp they have gills adapted to draw oxygen from water not air. Without water, their gills would rapidly dry out causing suffocation.
However, cherry shrimp can supplementally breathe air for short periods. Their thin exoskeleton allows diffusion of atmospheric oxygen into tissues. This cutaneous respiration provides limited ability to survive out of water.
How Long Can Cherry Shrimp Stay Alive Without Water?
On average, a healthy cherry shrimp can survive 15-20 minutes out of water before dying from oxygen deprivation. Some hardy shrimp may last up to an hour if temperature and humidity are optimized.
General guidelines for cherry shrimp’s survival time without water
- 15-20 minutes – Average under normal conditions
- Up to 1 hour – Maximum in cool, moist air
- 5-10 minutes – Minimum in hot, dry settings
- 1-2 minutes – If severely stressed
After an hour without water, cherry shrimp survival rapidly declines. Quickly returning them to water is critical.
What Factors Impact Their Survival Time?
Cherry shrimp’s out-of-water survival duration depends on several environmental factors:
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Temperature – Warmer temperatures increase metabolism, using oxygen faster. Cool 60-75°F temperatures extend survival.
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Humidity – Higher humidity above 70% helps retain body moisture. Lower humidity causes faster desiccation.
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Surface Moisture – Keeping shrimp’s skin damp with a wet towel preserves moisture and prolongs survival compared to drying out.
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Oxygen Availability – Rich oxygen environments enable more cutaneous respiration. Stagnant air limits gas exchange.
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Health – Weakened shrimp have shorter survival than healthy robust shrimp.
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Pollutants – Chemical fumes absorbed through their skin reduces survival time.
Optimizing these conditions can maximize cherry shrimp’s out-of-water survival duration.
Tips for Moving Cherry Shrimp
When moving cherry shrimp between tanks, follow these safe practices:
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Use container filled with old tank water to temporarily hold them. Maintains moisture and oxygen.
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Minimize air exposure time. Have new tank fully prepped and ready for transfer.
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Keep temperature cool. An insulated transport container helps.
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Include a damp paper towel to keep their skin moist.
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Move larger groups together. Their metabolite release can aid collective oxygenation.
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Slowly acclimate to new tank parameters once transferred.
With proper handling, most healthy cherry shrimp can tolerate short periods out of water for transport between tanks. But minimize air exposure time as water is still critical to their survival.
Can Cherry Shrimp Permanently Live on Land?
While cherry shrimp can temporarily survive for short periods in open air, they cannot permanently live out of water. Their anatomy and physiology is specifically adapted for aquatic life:
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Gills designed to extract oxygen from water only.
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Exoskeleton and tissues prone to desiccation without water.
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Organ systems reliant on water’s buoyancy, not gravity.
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Inability to metabolize nutrients in air.
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Lack of adaptations for terrestrial mobility.
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Mouthparts and legs optimized for filter feeding from water only.
All of cherry shrimp’s essential systems would fail without water to sustain them. Given their highly specialized aqua-adapted biology, cherry shrimp could survive at most a few hours outside a water environment before dying.
Providing Optimal Aquarium Conditions
While cherry shrimp are resilient, optimized tank conditions maximize their health and longevity in captivity:
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Temperature: 65-85°F, with 72-78°F ideal.
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pH: 6.5-7.5, slightly acidic.
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GH/KH: 4-8 carbonate hardness.
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TDS: ~200 ppm total dissolved solids.
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Decor: Plenty of moss and hiding spots.
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Substrate: Fine-grained sand or gravel.
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Filtration: Low flow rate, sponge filter ideal.
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Diet: Varied, vegetables, algae wafers, blanched spinach.
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Tankmates: Peaceful community fish, avoid predators.
By maintaining excellent water quality and environment, cherry shrimp will thrive and live full, healthy lifespans of 1-3 years in captivity.
Cherry shrimp can temporarily survive out of water from 15 minutes up to 1 hour depending on conditions. But they absolutely require water to live permanently. With proper aquarium care, transport methods, and emergency response, you can keep cherry shrimp happy and healthy for years. Just make sure to return them to water quickly if they happen to take an unexpected “walk on land”!
Authors explored both marine shrimp and freshwater prawns
To help shrimp aquaculture keep growing in places that can’t compete with cheap imports, a niche market that will pay more for shrimp raised in water needs to be used. The live market represents a very promising niche for these types of markets.
Importers find it hard and expensive to ship live shrimp over long distances. Live markets give shrimp-producing countries that aren’t very well developed a chance to sell live seafood products in their own countries that can fetch a higher price.
For example, Americans eat an average of 1 shrimp per person per year, making it the most popular seafood dish in the country. 8 kg. Over 90 percent of the shrimp consumed in the U. S. is imported, and the majority of imported shrimp is from farmed, not wild-caught sources.
The U. S. has significant interest in further developing its shrimp aquaculture industry. Technically, it is possible to grow marine shrimp and freshwater prawns in both ponds and recirculating aquaculture systems. Businesses already use both types of systems. However, production costs for U. S. growers exceed those of foreign competitors. The U. S. market value of commodity shrimp is depressed due to the high volume of foreign product available.
Since it is challenging for importers to ship live shrimp to the U. S, the live market presents a promising niche for U. S. -grown shrimp.
Temperature and levels of ammonia, oxygen, and carbon dioxide can be controlled so that live shrimp can be shipped in water. However, the weight of water can be cost prohibitive when product is transported over long distances.
If shrimp can be shipped live without water weight, significant savings would be realized. Accordingly, studies have been conducted to develop handling and packing methods for waterless shipment of live shrimp.
After shrimp are harvested, they must be prepared for shipping. This involves the following steps:
- Lower the temperature of the water where the shrimp are to put them to sleep by adding ice. Move the shrimp and culture water to a smaller tank that has air flow. Slowly add ice and monitor the change in temperature. Make sure the dissolved-oxygen concentration remains greater than 5 mg/L.
- Put the boxes in the same water as the shrimp to soak them. Take out the cold packing and put it in a layer on the bottom of a clear fish bag. Place shrimp in a single layer on the wet packing material.
- Put oxygen from a cylinder into a bag and tie it up so that air can’t get in. The authors used temperature control chambers to keep the holding temperatures for their experiments stable for up to 72 hours.
- To see if the shrimp are still alive, take them out of the package and check to see if their gills move or if they react to being poked. On the other end, process the shrimp or put them in tanks with shrimp farming water.
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FAQ
How long do shrimp stay alive out of water?
Can cherry shrimp come out of water?
How long do shrimp last outside of water?
Can cherry shrimp survive outside?
How long do cherry shrimp live?
On average, a cherry shrimp stays alive for about 1 to 2 years. If you maintain optimal conditions, you can extend the lifespan by an extra year or so. The length of your cherry shrimp’s lifespan depends on multiple factors including water conditions, diet, tank mates, and tank location.
How long do cherry shrimp live in a fishbowl?
The average lifespan of cherry shrimp is around 1 to 2 years. Under optimal conditions, you can keep your cherry shrimp alive for up to 3 years. The length of your cherry shrimp’s life will depend on multiple factors such as water conditions, diet, tank mates, and tank location.
How long can cherry shrimp live without feeding?
Unfortunately, cherry shrimp are less likely to live a long life in tanks. That’s because these creatures are very delicate, so they’re highly sensitive to changes in their environment. Without strict care, cherry shrimp may only survive for a few months in an aquarium. How Long Can Cherry Shrimp Survive Without Feeding?
What temperature does a cherry shrimp live in?
Cherry shrimp can live in pH levels between 6.5-7.8. As for temperature, they can tolerate temperatures between 57-86℉ (14-30℃). The total dissolved salts (TDS) in the tank’s water should be around 100-250. Additionally, the amount of carbonates in the water is measured by KH. The carbonate levels affect the water’s alkalinity.