Choosing The Right Cherry Shrimp

Hello everyone! My new 23-gallon tank has now been cycled for a couple of weeks. It represents my step up from a 6-gallon, which at the moment hosts just three tiger endlers. Eventually, the endlers will be moved to the larger tank, in hopes that they can be left alone (with food) for three weeks when I travel. I would like, however, to add at some point a shrimp colony, too, and I am going to go for the Neocaridina DavidiI ones.

I can't bring myself to decide when to buy the shrimp, and which subtype to get. I am going to list all of my (rather disparate) questions, as others' feedback--I am sure--will make my decision much easier.

1) Since I plan to have both shrimp and (small) fish, I know it would be better to get the shrimp colony established, and then add the fish. Yet, that would mean buying the shrimp right away. I am traveling in late June though. Will it be too risky to leave the tank with the shrimp and the three endlers for three weeks? Shall I, instead, defer getting the shrimp to after I come back?

2) Does it make sense for a beginner to get cherry shrimp that are not red? I love the yellow ones. I read that the orange ones tend to be a little more difficult to keep. And I keep reading that the red ones are what a beginner should go for. Any strong views in that regard?

3) Looking ahead, can someone sketch for me what having a shrimp colony entails? For example, if I were lucky enough to see them breed, would I have to cull those that are not quite perfect representatives of whichever color I would have gotten? Frankly, to me, even the idea of having mix-grade shrimp seems attractive, as I would love to observe different color patterns (if still within the same colored shrimp type of course).

Any input anyone? Thanks!

Perhaps I should add that, in terms of color, I am mesmerized by the BLUE DREAM cherry shrimp

 

1- I would wait till I got back to add the shrimp.
2-I would suggest that whatever color shrimp you decide on, make sure its the only color you have in that tank.
3- I have a 10 gallon tank shrimp tank. Started with 6 RCS and now have 50 or more shrimps, even though I supplement my other 5 tanks with fresh protein.

 

1- I would wait till I got back to add the shrimp.
2-I would suggest that whatever color shrimp you decide on, make sure its the only color you have in that tank.
3- I have a 10 gallon tank shrimp tank. Started with 6 RCS and now have 50 or more shrimps, even though I supplement my other 5 tanks with fresh protein.

Thanks for your responses!

I know one has to keep the colors separate. That makes my decision, right now, harder.

Your experience, by the way, might suggest that I should not buy more than 10 or so to start. The Red Cherries I was looking at come in a shipment of 25 shrimp. That might be too many. (Are they easy to give away?)

 

Wow...That's a lot of shrimp to start with. Personally, I would make an arrangement with the LFS to take the extra shrimp.

 

Ehh well it's debatable and almost literally a 50/50 POV: A. He COULD introduce the fish first. Because this will leave enough detritus/fish waste for the shrimp to feed on while he's away. Or B. Although disconcerning, IF any of the shrimp were to die while he's away, it would likely cause unwanted ammonia spikes and probably kill the fish. Question #2: See answer #1, and also, FYI, RCS's breed rather easily under optimal conditions, and in a 23 gal. you may not even need more than 8-10, IMO. And to answer your question #3: In the end...it's really up to you. Shrimp don't really utilize a ton of bioload, but if you were to add any fish, then that's an entire separate concern. And also keep in mind that some RCS's are labeled as: "Red Cherry Shrimp", or "ThaI Red painted shrimp", or even just "Cherry shrimp", and the fact is, breeders or farm-raised or not, they can just...call 'em whatever they want to, but are essentially the same thing. The only major differences may be, is some coloration can and will vary. Some are paler red, some dark red. Some opaque red, some not etc. etc.

 

Any dead shrimp will just become food to the others. As long as they have a good couple of weeks to settle in before you go away, they should be fine. With any luck, once you come back you may see babies are berried females!


IMO, with shrimp the more you start out with, the quicker for the population to max out. Starting out with at least 6 ensures a good ratio so you can produce some offspring to keep the lines going, but more the merrier!


Culling low grade shrimp is only really for breeders. For the general pop, you don't have to cull unless you want to.

 

Thank you all, very helpful feedback!

Wife and I are really in love with the Blue Dream ones now, and that will probably mean 10 shrimp, as they are more expensive. That might be a good compromise between starting with too many and starting with too few.

I had read that the less typical color ones, like the Blue Dream, are a bit less hardy. I wonder whether that is a myth. I must say, however, that I tried introducing two orange ones in y six-gallon, and while they seemed to be doing great, after molting they disappeared. I thought they were hiding, but they never appeared again. The other inhabitants were well-fed endlers, which I thought did not eat adult shrimp; yet, maybe after molting they were very delicate. All that said, this time, in the 23-gallon, I would like to do it right.

Just curious: really one dead shrimp, in a 23-gallon, well cycled, with quite a few plants in a dirtied substrate, with a HOB filter, might cause an ammonia spike strong enough to kill the three endlers? I assumed I would have not to worry too much about that. (In contrast, feeding the fish and shrimp while away worries me more; yet, that's a different problem.)

So many choices!

At least, culling is not something I will have to do.

Bringing extras to the LFS, were the colony to become too big, is a great idea!

 

The rarer ones are indeed a lot more sensitive. Due to inbreeding to produce these strains, these varieties are genetically inferior and as a result, a lot less hardy than your typical neos... but still not demanding in comparison to other shrimp species IMO.

 

The rarer ones are indeed a lot more sensitive. Due to inbreeding to produce these strains, these varieties are genetically inferior and as a result, a lot less hardy than your typical neos... but still not demanding in comparison to other shrimp species IMO.

So, the dream blue ones are going to be more sensitive than cherry/Sakura grade ones, you think?

 

Yep. Fire reds and bloody Mary's are also a lot more snestive in comparison to the lower grades as well.

 

I have Sakura reds and you can see them across the room. They also breed like rabbits. I got mine from a local breeder on Craigslist. The water was from the same source and everything so it made for an easy transfer.

 

Yep. Fire reds and bloody Mary's are also a lot more snestive in comparison to the lower grades as well.

That's very helpful, thanks (if a bit disappointing, as I really loved those blue dream ones).

At the moment, the seller no longer has "cherries," which he described as coming from the fire red tank, but showing not enough solid color. He has these:

Shrimp will vary between Sakura grade and Fire Red grade or potentially better. I consistently add Painted Fire grades to the colony and cull lower grades to my "Cherry" colony.

MIGHT STILL BE IN THE VERY SENSITIVE CATEGORY YOU THINK?

HE ALSO HAS THESE YELLOWS:

These beautiful golden yellow shrimp are from 24k golden back lineage. Many, but not all, will exhibit the bright yellow stripe down their back.


More thoughts, on the above?

 

Hm, I would agree with what you said about them being in the sensitive category. His cherries aren’t cherries. If you think of them as a dog breed, just because the shepherd isn’t show quality doesn’t mean he’s not prone to the health issues of that breed. He should be selling them as grades, keeping the painted fire as a lower quality or grade b. You can’t just switch the breed because it doesn’t fit into the standards. Decrease the price and work on the lineage. I personally wouldn’t trust his lines and I wouldn’t encourage it by purchasing from him either.

 

Personal opinion, you should be ok with any of the neo colors, even if you want to go blue. They may be a little more prone due to the breeding, but get the color you like. You can even get a slightly lower grade of the blue if there's a concern about sensitivity. RCS are usually less expensive, so many people prefer to try something new with something that will be less expensive in case things don't work well.

I have never culled my colonies, since I'm not trying to breed a specific grade. Basically, it involves feeding them and keeping the tank clean, just like any other tank. If you're using a HOB filter, you'll want to have a prefilter sponge on it so they don't get sucked in. Live plants and places for them to hide are good too, especially with fish.

Late June would give you about a month and a half to see how things are going to work with the fish/shrimp together, so I don't think you need to wait until you're back unless you want to.

 

I have Sakura reds and you can see them across the room. They also breed like rabbits. I got mine from a local breeder on Craigslist. The water was from the same source and everything so it made for an easy transfer.

Interesting. I live not too far from New York City, where there is someone who sells the Fire Reds, I think. I am not that close, though, to make going to City a very easy project.

Hm, I would agree with what you said about them being in the sensitive category. His cherries aren’t cherries. If you think of them as a dog breed, just because the shepherd isn’t show quality doesn’t mean he’s not prone to the health issues of that breed. He should be selling them as grades, keeping the painted fire as a lower quality or grade b. You can’t just switch the breed because it doesn’t fit into the standards. Decrease the price and work on the lineage. I personally wouldn’t trust his lines and I wouldn’t encourage it by purchasing from him either.

I hear you, Lynn, and your explanation is very helpful. Indeed, I am (still) confused on this whole breed thing: as you point out, a lower grade Painted Fire is a lower-grade Painted Fire, not, say a Fire. Yet, the question, then, becomes When is a Fire a Fire, a Sakura a Sakura, etc.?

That said, I am not particularly in need to pure breeds, but of nice-looking and--most importantly--hardy shrimp.

I will keep researching for vendors, including folks on Craigslist!

Personal opinion, you should be ok with any of the neo colors, even if you want to go blue. They may be a little more prone due to the breeding, but get the color you like. You can even get a slightly lower grade of the blue if there's a concern about sensitivity. RCS are usually less expensive, so many people prefer to try something new with something that will be less expensive in case things don't work well.

I have never culled my colonies, since I'm not trying to breed a specific grade. Basically, it involves feeding them and keeping the tank clean, just like any other tank. If you're using a HOB filter, you'll want to have a prefilter sponge on it so they don't get sucked in. Live plants and places for them to hide are good too, especially with fish.

Late June would give you about a month and a half to see how things are going to work with the fish/shrimp together, so I don't think you need to wait until you're back unless you want to.

Thanks, Bithala. Indeed, I have a (self-made) prefilter I will post a picture of my tank soon.

The plants are still establishing themselves. Hopefully, they will soon fill the aquarium spaces better. I have a dirtied substrate; so, that should help.

I'll keep thinking of colors. The Blues did have my heart. Had I been able to find them locally, for cheap, that would have been perfect. Yet, the LFS has them at, like, $10 each (!).

To be honest, I keep struggling with the What color to get? question. Now, I am wondering which Neocaridinas are best to observe such things as eggs and the like. I'd like this to be interesting and education for my daughter. On the internet, I've seen pictures of Cherries, and the yellow eggs seemed really visible; not so much so, it seems, with the Blue Dream's. Likewise, with the Yellows, I suspect that the eggs will be way less visible. Of course, the Rili's might be a good option in that respect; yet, they might be even more sensitive. Rili's are also more expensive--probably not a good option for a beginner?

 

Honestly, if you want a good learning experience where she'll be able to see more, I'd say wild or low-grade RCS, or pretty much anything lower grade. That will have the less strong colors so she'll be able to see more into the body. My light blues are also pretty good for that.

 

Honestly, if you want a good learning experience where she'll be able to see more, I'd say wild or low-grade RCS, or pretty much anything lower grade. That will have the less strong colors so she'll be able to see more into the body. My light blues are also pretty good for that.

Thanks, Bithimala! Indeed, I suspected that was going to be the reality: the more stunning they are, the more solid their color, the less you see inside them I'll keep thinking. Maybe the Rilis, with that transparent ring on their body, are also a good option.

 

Rilis would work too, but the dark color will block some of what can be seen. Whatever you choose to go with, make sure you like them, since if they're happy and healthy, you'll have a strong and continuous colony that will basically just keep going

 

Rilis would work too, but the dark color will block some of what can be seen. Whatever you choose to go with, make sure you like them, since if they're happy and healthy, you'll have a strong and continuous colony that will basically just keep going

I don't think I'll buy them right away. But when I do, I should definitely post some pictures!

 

I don't think I'll buy them right away. But when I do, I should definitely post some pictures!

Grabbed some pics for an example for you. These are from my cross breeding experiment.

 

Bithimala Thanks you SO much for sharing! Very interesting. Which breeds were you mixing? I imagine, down the line, you will have to separate them, or they might reverse back to the brownish, original Neocaridina, right?

 

Whatever color you choose, I’d suggest getting them from multiple places. You won’t be inbreeding the inbred shrimp. If they do well they will breed easily, they will be inbreeding before you know it. The only reason I don’t care for the blue is because you can’t see them as well on dark substrate. If I were to have not gotten the reds I’d have gotten the striped, they stand out and are so much fun to look for.

 

Thanks, Lynn78too Indeed, I have been wondering about the substrate (mine IS black).

When you say "striped," do you mean the Rilis?

Good point about getting them from different places. In that respect, somewhat sadly, if I were to get the Reds from PETCO, I could acquire a few of them at a time, and hence they would not be brothers and sisters.

 

Thanks, Lynn78too Indeed, I have been wondering about the substrate (mine IS black).

When you say "striped," do you mean the Rilis?

Good point about getting them from different places. In that respect, somewhat sadly, if I were to get the Reds from PETCO, I could acquire a few of them at a time, and hence they would not be brothers and sisters.

Sorry, I couldn't think of the name. I like the bumblebees, I like that white is solid instead of opaque. The rilI are also nice though.

 

I have blue diamond shrimp, and they are closer to black than blue IMO. I just got them a couple days ago, but I am already in love with them. I don't know if any of mine have eggs, but if they do, I can't see them. These are pictured of one of them, the other was in hiding.

 

Bithimala Thanks you SO much for sharing! Very interesting. Which breeds were you mixing? I imagine, down the line, you will have to separate them, or they might reverse back to the brownish, original Neocaridina, right?

RCS and what were listed as sky blue velvets. I actually have them together specifically because I wanted to see how long it would take to revert to wild colors, since everyone seems to be very concerned about that. I've had them mixed for about a year and a half so far. The RCS are becoming very mixed, some almost rilI with blue in the middle instead of clear, but the blues are all still very blue.