uprightandlocked

Hello All!

I have been debating on-and-off as to whether or not to introduce 10 Red Cherry Shrimp to my betta 10g aquarium. I have decided against it as I do not want to have the shrimp become betta food!

Instead, I would like to create a "Shrimp Only" habitat that might have a trio of corycats for added interest. I would like to know what kind of habitat Red Cherry Shrimp thrive in. I'm assuming heavily planted? Do they enjoy logs, caves, bubbles, etc? What kind of food do you feed them and what size tank do you recommend?

Thank you!

zdam20

I've heard of everything from 5 gallon to 150 gallon. Yes to plants (they like to climb) and in particular java moss. The java seems to supply hiding places and also food, especially for the young. They seem to also like some driftwood in the tank. They also need some calcium and alk in the water for the shells although almost all domestic water has enough in it. Just don't use 100% RO water and you should be fine. I feed mine algea wafers (although these make kind of a mess), and squash, zuccine, broccli all blanced for 2 minutes in the microwave. Put these in the tank for no more than 1 day and then remove. I feed mine every other day. Facinating animal. Best of luck.

Ricardo_NY1

Here's my suggestions.............

I'd start out with a 5 gallon tank because the population will grow......cherry shrimps will breed. (You can easily house 10 RCS in a 2.5 gallon tank) If your situation allows for a tank larger than 5 gallons, even better I'd say.

In my opinion and from observation, these dwarf shrimps enjoy driftwood the best.......they will hang out there more than anything else. They will climb onto moss, but shrimps are mostly bottom dwellers, so place the moss low. If it's floating on top, you will rarely see them on it.

At the start, do not plant or decorate the tank too well........you want to keep an eye on the shrimp to make sure everything is going well. In a 5 gallon tank, 10 cherry shrimp can hide to the point where you will rarely see them. You want to keep an eye on them to make sure they're not dying. And if you have too much stuff in the tank, you will not be able to spot problems.

As for Cory's, I'd say ditch them and find another species of fish. Cory's move around alot and do so at the bottom where the shrimp will be. I don't think they'll appreciate this and will probably hide more. In addition, they'll more than likely find and eat your baby shrimp alot easier than a fish that swims more in the middle to upper region of the tank.

As far as feeding, I feed mine regular flake food once a day for what they can eat for a couple of hours. I'm not a chef for the other preparations I hear about.

I'd stay away from any fish until your shrimps have bred a few times. 10 cherry shrimp in a 5 gallon or larger tank will seem like nothing. You'd need at least a good 30 in there for the tank to look alive with shrimp.

Stick to a sponge filter for better success with the shrimp babies.

In maintaining the tank, do very gradual water changes........I put one of those air tube things with a valve to restrict the water flow to a trickle, and as an example, when doing a 20% water change on a 5 gallon, it would take at least two hours for that amount of water to flow into the tank.

Technically, your shrimp will thrive in a bare tank, but I've noticed that of all decor/plants, they prefer the little hiding places/holes that driftwood offers. I keep Blue Pearl Shrimps btw but am looking to acquire some RCS or CRS sooner than later.

Lastly, be prepared for some more MTS, as shrimps are just as addictive as fish, if not more.