The short answer
In an established tank, shrimp can go a week or more without added food without any trouble — often longer. They’re natural grazers that spend all day picking at biofilm, algae and detritus on surfaces, so a mature aquarium quietly feeds them around the clock. A short fast is not just tolerated but healthy; overfeeding is the far bigger risk.
Why shrimp cope so well
Shrimp aren’t like fish waiting for a feed. In a settled tank there’s a constant carpet of microscopic biofilm on the glass, plants, wood and substrate, plus algae and bits of decaying plant matter. Shrimp forage on all of it continuously, which is why keepers barely see them stop moving. This natural buffet means occasional added food is a top-up, not a lifeline.
That’s why a holiday of a week or two rarely troubles shrimp in an established, planted tank — they simply keep grazing while you’re away.
Feeding without overdoing it
Because they forage so well, shrimp need very little from you:
- Feed small amounts a few times a week, not daily — a tiny piece of shrimp food or blanched vegetable.
- Remove leftovers after a couple of hours; uneaten food fouls the water, which shrimp hate.
- Let them fast now and then — a day or two with no added food does no harm and keeps the tank clean.
Uneaten food is a common cause of the parameter swings that stress shrimp, so restraint protects them twice over.
The bottom line
An established tank feeds shrimp naturally, so a week-plus without added food is fine and a short fast is healthy. See our cherry shrimp care sheet, and for the fish in the same tank, how long fish can go without food. Browse foods in the fish food hub.