Fresh water shrimp keeping

So I’m new to shrimp keeping. I knew they’re good clean up crews, and an ex coworker offered me some. I’ve had them a few months now, and they’ve grown from barely definable blue dots to discernible shrimp, I’d say the biggest is maybe just under an inch long. I decided today that I should make that a dedicated shrimp tank, did a complete change up of decorations, ended up finding I had a dragonfly nymph in there ( removed that, it probably came in as an egg from my summer tubbing, and it will be placed out in one of the tubs I used this summer) which explains the missing shrimp. These things are pretty cool to watch, and I’d like to get the colony well established, there are 10 now. From my research, I may have two males, less solid coloring, and on the smaller side. But as I watched them chowing on algae wafers, I noticed my big one constantly fanning her flappy things under her tail. Can’t see if there are any eggs, she’s not at a good angle, and light isn’t bright there. I tried to observe if others were, and saw occasional flapping from a few others, except the one that was swimming, which doesn’t count.
Anyone have experience with these and can pitch in?
Currently the tank ph is 8.4, which is a bit high from what I’ve read. Ammonia is negligible, didn’t show a color change that I could notice on the tests, nitrite was negligible, nitrate was 10 ppm, so I know I need to add more plants. It’s got a sponge filter and heater, just changed to the bigger heater that I can set the temperature on. My test kit doesn’t cover gh/ kh, but we do have rather hard water. And lucky me, it’s well water, so no need to use dechlorinater. Currently the tank has java fern, I’ll be repotting dwarf sag, and I have a few other plants in there I don’t recall the name of, but I’ll be moving a defunct waterfall filter in that has a cloth cover, in which I’ll put some pothos and spider plants to help remove the excess nitrate. I removed all but one tiny quick swimming guppy, and that will go in the other tank when I can get it.
Any info is good, I’d like to know more about these things than what I can get reading a few articles and watching on YouTube.
Attached photos for reference. The dirt looking stuff is the last of the substrate I’m trying to remove, it didn’t work like I wanted, so I’ll be trying something different. It was pure clay kitty litter, and I’m still working on removing all of it two years after I put it in. And yes, the tank has common pond snails, they’ve been living in my aquariums almost as long as I’ve had these going.

 

I didn't see you mention TDS (total dissolved solids) readings. Do you happen to have a TDS meter? Also, are you seeing molting or any new babies in the tank (they're very very small).

 

I use the API fresh water liquid test kit, it doesn’t have that either. It has ph, high ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. I have seen molting skins from the larger ones, but until yesterday, I had guppies in there so if any babies hatched, I didn’t know, and presumably the fish or nymph got them. I decided yesterday that I’d make it specific for the Shrimp so they could breed, and still have one guppy that I couldn’t catch.

 

Your water is pretty good for cherry shrimp. The fanning is to provide aeration for the eggs under them. The pregnant shrimps will be doing that a lot

Do you have any java moss? They are great for shrimp

 

I’m told by the guy I got these from these are blue diamond/ blue dream, so I’m gathering that they are the blue variant of cherry shrimp. No java moss, I’ve got java fern, will have a small pot of Anubias once I get it repotted, and dwarf sag. There are other plants I don’t recall the name of, but no tightly packed like java moss.