Cherry Shrimps, also known as Neocaridina Shrimps, only live at a maximum of two years. Not to mention that these inverts are pretty sensitive when it comes to water parameters. Therefore, you may see an occasional dead shrimp in your aquarium.
So, should you remove these dead Cherry Shrimps from your fish tank? You can find out in this article from Aquarium Blueprints.
What happens if you leave the dead shrimp?
If you leave a dead Cherry Shrimp in your tank, then it is very likely that the other shrimps will eventually find the corpse and starting devouring the body. If you have other inhabitants in the same tank, such as fish or snails, then they may eventually gobble up the dead shrimp as well.
If the corpse doesn’t get completely consume, then it will start to mold and/or decompose. If left in your aquarium, the dead shrimp will eventually turn into ammonia and nitrites, both of which are very toxic to your Cherry Shrimps.
If you have a full cycled tank, however, then the biological filtration may be able to help keep the ammonia and/or nitrite spikes in check from a dead shrimp. If you have multiple dead shrimps, then the beneficial bacteria may not be able to keep up with the increased levels.
To see how you can deal with ammonia and nitrite spikes, we recommend that you take a look at this article.
What are the benefits of leaving a dead Cherry Shrimp in your aquarium?
The only major benefit, if you decide to leave a dead shrimp in your aquarium, is that it will become an extra food source for the living shrimps and other inhabitants in the tank.
What are the disadvantages of leaving a dead shrimp in your tank?
As we stated above, if the dead shrimp is left uneaten, then it could lead to spikes in ammonia and nitrites in the tank. Cherry Shrimps are extremely sensitive to these compounds, which means that you may end up finding more dead bodies if you don’t address the elevated ammonia and/or nitrite levels.
Should you take out the dead Cherry Shrimp?
We recommend that you remove the dead Cherry Shrimp from your fish tank as soon as possible. As we stated above, the only real benefit is that the other aquatic pets in your aquarium may dispose of the corpse for you by eating it up.
If the dead shrimp doesn’t get eaten, then it may cause the ammonia and nitrite levels to increase, harming the living shrimps and other creatures in the tank.
Removing a dead shrimp requires some patience as the corpse is extremely light and can easily sway by even the slightest water movement. Not to mention that the body is also very slippery. We recommend using a net with one hand and then use your other hand to carefully wave the dead body into the net.
