FrozenFins Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 I'm looking to buy some pumpkin shrimp finally within the the next few days. I'm wondering how many a good number would be to start off a colony. The aquarium there going into is i beleive roughly 5 gallons. The company I am ordering on have a buy 10 get one free deal, should I get 11 then? Before I was thinking 8-10 would be a soild group, thoughts? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingFishKeeper Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 Hi, in March 2021 I got 10 cherry shrimp, which I've had good luck with so far (however sadly there was some die off in the beginning). Personally I would take the extra shrimp since the tank is 5 gallons which can definitely handle the extra and it's a free shrimp. Cory's advice of however much food you have available is connected to how many shrimp/snails you have is definitely applicable here. Best of luck, dwarf shrimp are a ton of fun to watch! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalmedByFish Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 My thinking. If you happen to know for sure that you'll receive them old enough to breed, then they won't need to survive long to make babies, so you could risk purchasing a low number. But if they might need to last 4 months before they can breed, it'd make sense to have a few extra. My shrimp experience is low. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to put 20 adult neocaridina in a well-seasoned and well-filtered 5 gallon. They're surprisingly wispy little critters. If the 5 gallon isn't seasoned and filtered, I'd start near 10. I actually put 2 juvenile neocaridina and 3 tiny endler fry in a 1 gallon fish bowl, half full of hornwort. Worked awesome for about 2 months, while the fry were still small enough for the water to stay clean. Point: Shrimp are basically no bioload at all. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 I always started with groups of 10 to get a good male female ratio to breed and account for die off. Local did fine for me. Shipped from various sources were hit and miss. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 Hi James! I'm going to be starting a 5 gal shrimp breeding tank and plan on getting 10. That's what I started with when I had yellow shrimp. A few didn't make it, and it took a few months to really see population growth - I'd have to search with a magnifying glass sometimes to find a single shrimp. Then suddenly it seemed everywhere you looked in the tank you could see shrimp of every age and size. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 If you have an established tank that is very seasoned I would do what everyone else has said and get ten, or as many as you think you can afford. In a seasoned tank they should do well and begin breeding shortly. But in a fresh setup I would be a little more cautious. Buying ten may also be a great idea because if there are any issues you may have enough to insulate any losses. Hope you enjoy your new colony. I love to sit and watch my cherries in the big tank. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoeyFish Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 Just confirming that 10 should be plenty. I wouldn't get fewer than 10 and if you can afford it I'd probably go with 20 to account for any die off you may experience in your tank. If you're on a tight budget then 10 will be fine assuming the aquarium they'll be living in is seasoned and ready to go. Personally I started with 15 RCS and it was great to watch the colony increase over time. I have around 150-200 in my 75gallon tank right now and as the tank changes that number may decreased or increase over time. Good luck! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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