Gold Amano Shrimp (Caridina multidentata)

Common Name

Gold Amano Shrimp

Scientific Name

Caridina multidentata – Gold domestic line

Origin and Habitat

Wild Caridina multidentata are native to clear, well-oxygenated mountain and foothill streams in Japan, Taiwan, and nearby island chains. Adults live in freshwater with rocky beds, submerged wood, and lush biofilm; larvae develop in brackish estuaries. The Gold morph is a selectively bred xanthic line with a pale champagne-to-golden body and translucent highlights—behavior is identical to standard Amano shrimp.

Temperature and Water Conditions

Preferred range: 68–76 °F (20–24 °C); tolerates up to ~78 °F (26 °C) with high oxygen. Wild pH usually 6.5–7.5, soft to moderate hardness. Stability is far more important than exact wild values. Provide excellent filtration, steady oxygen, gentle current over grazing surfaces, and regular partial water changes. Avoid copper-based medications and supply calcium/magnesium (remineralizer or wonder shell) for clean molts.

Appearance and Size

Pale gold to champagne body with faint tan/light-brown dot rows along the flanks. Females are larger with a continuous broken stripe of dots; males are slimmer with more spaced dots. Adult size: 4–5 cm (1.5–2 in); large females occasionally bigger. Color is brightest right after molting.

Diet in the Wild

Relentless biofilm and algae grazers—scrape diatoms, soft green algae, bacterial films, and decaying plant matter while picking micro-invertebrates.

Feeding in Captivity

Provide constant natural grazing (mature plants, wood, stone). Supplement with quality shrimp/algae wafers, blanched zucchini, spinach, kale, nori, powdered spirulina, and occasional protein-rich micro-pellets. Feed lightly—food should be gone within hours. Indian almond leaves or alder cones encourage extra biofilm.

Breeding

Important: C. multidentata is amphidromous—adults live and breed in freshwater, but larvae require brackish water to survive and metamorphose.

Freshwater Phase

Adults mate and females carry hundreds of small green eggs for 4–6 weeks at 70–74 °F (21–23 °C). Move berried females to a nursery a few days before hatching.

Brackish Larval Rearing

Target 15–20 ppt (12–25 ppt possible); use a calibrated refractometer. Provide bright light and suspended foods (green water, microalgae powders, fine yeast). Gentle air-driven circulation only. Larvae metamorphose in 4–6 weeks.

Return to Freshwater

Once miniature shrimp settle, dilute salinity very gradually over several days or transfer in small batches to a freshwater grow-out tank.

Reality Check

Breeding Amano shrimp at home is an advanced project. Most in the trade are wild-collected or produced commercially at scale. Expect trial and error; keep meticulous records.

Quick Facts

• Scientific name: Caridina multidentata
• Common name: Gold Amano Shrimp
• Origin: mountain streams of Japan & nearby islands; Gold is a xanthic line
• Adult size: 4–5 cm (1.5–2 in)
• Temperature: 68–76 °F (20–24 °C) preferred
• Wild pH: 6.5–7.5; stability key in captivity
• Temperament: peaceful community grazer
• Diet: biofilm/algae + prepared shrimp foods & vegetables
• Breeding: amphidromous—brackish larval stage required (advanced)
• Special care: no copper; provide minerals for molting

Tropical Fish Co. Notes

Nothing cleans a planted tank like a squad of Amanos, and the Gold line adds a soft champagne glow that looks stunning over dark wood and green plants. Give them mature surfaces, real grazing time, and plenty of oxygen, and they work nonstop. If you tackle breeding, treat the brackish nursery like a mini aquaculture setup—stable parameters beat perfect numbers every time.