Cherry Shrimp article

[Dancing Matt]

I am planning on trying to keep/breed cherry shrimp again (I tried keeping them early on but the few I had died out) and found this article. I thought it was pretty good so I thought I would share for those interested. I thought the "behavior" section was quite interesting.

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/cherry_shrimp.html

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by Dancing Matt

[Fish Folk]

This is why it is often recommended that neos be kept in a "mature" tank. Basically, they need something to clean up. In a "new tank" there's really nothing for them.

Best thing is to take a majorly gross tank that's been heavily stocked, remove all fish, add leaf litter to it (Oak leaves, Catappa leaves, etc), be sure an aged sponge filter is in there, add Java moss in abundance, and let it sit for a week or two. The Sponge filter + Leaf Litter + Java Moss provides ample context for microorganisms to multiply.

Then when you add the shrimp, they'll go to town cleaning up the place.

Edited May 10, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Streetwise]

I’m marinating my oldest tank for shrimp-only. I moved in a few neos from my other tanks. I added another Mopani piece from a bucket that I ran with a sponge filter for a year or two.

[Tihshho]

One thing that's key for any shrimp, QT them. Depending on the source, especially imports or farmed stuff, there is a high chance of them coming in with parasites. To have the most success you'll have to make sure non of the nasties come into the main tank. Once you have had the shrimp for a good bit, homing them in an established tank without predators as everyone else said will give you grounds for success. 

When QTing, pull a sponge filter from a display tank that is established and use that in the QT. Don't worry about substrate. If you can add plants in containers or a piece of driftwood with aquatic epiphytes you'll still get the biofilm they need to keep them fed while the filter will keep up with the water as well as be a source of food.

[Ben Ellison]

I have never really keep a strictly shrimp only tank with a lot of success. My most successful breeding tanks have had nirities and Otto's and Cory's. I believe the bio diversity helps could just be something else but that's what I've had the most success with

[Streetwise]

@Ben, I will probably also move in my shy little ember tetras, which I can't even really see in their current jungle cube. I also have bladder snails, ramshorn snails, and I should grab some more otocinclus. I have a couple of 2.5 gallon shrimp tanks, but I want to see the neocaridina take over this 20 gallon!

[Jeff]

Good article; surprising that they didn't include a section for care.

Re: the first pic - is it true that if you have multiple colors like that in a tank, that when they breed, the fry colors don't continue....aka they are brownish / mixed colors when they grow up?

[Dancing Matt]

@Jeff I am curious about this also. A multicolored tank seems pretty neat. I am vaguely remembering a video where Cory visited... LR Bretz(?)'s fish room and he had a "cull" tank where he put different morphs that didn't make the cut for quality but he would keep an eye on the tank and found some of his favorite(?) morphs or he would find interesting ones that came out of that tank. If my memory is correct, it makes me think that mixing morphs doesn't necessarily cause the shrimp to "revert" into wild coloration. I am guessing, my understanding, is that takes time and "neglecting" to cull for coloration.

Here are some comments from the forum about this topic:

 

[Streetwise]

I have all sorts of wild-type shrimp in my 7.5 jungle. They still have some color variations, but the patterns are what I really enjoy with those. You can tell that camouflage must be beneficial in the wild.

[Dancing Matt]

@Streetwise did you get them that way or did they "wild type" through breeding? (If so, to breeding, how long?)

[Streetwise]

@Dancing Matt, when I setup that cube, I dropped in about 15 shrimp of various colors and let nature happen. I’m sure it is all documented in my journal with photos.