cherry shrimp care

[upside-down catfish]

I just traded some peppered cory catfishes for four cherry shrimp. I placed them in a 20-gallon tank with 2 snails and some java fern and cabomba.I was hoping some of you know how to keep a successful colony of cherry shrimp, because I am almost a noob at keeping cherry shrimp.

 

[OrangeCones]

Clean water, not too much circulation (they don't swim very well in strong currents), feed both meaty foods and veggie matter (but mostly veggie).

Without fish to eat the shrimplets, you will have more than you know what to do with, provided you have at least one pair.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Also I believe you will want to have a sponge or some such over your filter intake (unless you are already using a sponge filter).

 

[upside-down catfish]

I used a cut piece of filter sponge over the filter intake.

 

[upside-down catfish]

how can you tell if the cherry shrimp are male or female?

 

[FreshyFresh]

I've got countless red cherry shrimp in my planted 10g, that's got an AquaClear30 filter on it. I keep a piece of sponge over the intake and run two AC sponges, along with the AC bio media in the filter, so the flow is slowed quit a bit.

Anyway, I started with 6 red cherries and some ghost shrimp. I've got so many now, that I net them out and feed them to my oscar and severum.

I just feed them what ever food my fish wont eat.

Oh.. I've also got 8 celestial pearl danios, two old silver hatchets and some snails in this 10g as well.

 

[upside-down catfish]

In the beginning, I had 4 shrimp. But now I'm reduced to 2, because two mysteriously died with no body found. i'm really lucky that the remaining two shrimp were a male and a female.

 

[upside-down catfish]

Do you have to add calcium to the water?

 

[OrangeCones]

If you are doing regular water changes, you should not need to. However, if you don't, and its a heavily planted tank, the plants may take up the calcium (they would show signs of deficiency too). In that case, you would want to supplement.

A 20% water change every two weeks, even if the ammonia and nitrite stay zero, and nitrates are under 40, will give you all the calcium you need (providing its well or city water, not RO water).

 

[upside-down catfish]

I use aged water from a hose(probably tap water).

 

[upside-down catfish]

How big are the newborn shrimplets? are they visible?

 

[OrangeCones]

Yes, they are visible, but usually clear and will be very tiny. You will notice them when they move. They color up as they age.