I would like to get some Cherry Red Shrimp and am wondering about tank set-up. Do you need to put them in a cycled tank to begin with or can you start off with a shrimp only tank and add "new" water? Any information or referrals to a good website (can't seem to locate one) most appreciated.

Do cycle it beforehand. Even though it's not as much as fish, cherry shrimp still produce waste which could cause ammonia spikes if the tank isn't cycled. They're actually quite sensitive to ammonia/nitrate/etc. I have cherries in a well-planted 10g with feeder guppies... the filtration is doubled and water changes are done every week because the tank is also temporarily housing 4 3" catfish. Cherries primarily eat algae, so you will want a healthy build-up of that. Also you could give them broken-up pieces of algae wafers. I like to supplement mine with a few bits of crab food once in awhile; I think it may help their shells develop properly. Oh and speaking of shells, don't be alarmed if you see what looks like a white dead shrimp. They shed their shells when they grow and the cast-offs are just white hulls. I didn't realize this when I first got them and was mortified when I found one for the first time! :P

As far as good reference sites go, I have found petshrimp.com to be quite helpful. You could probably find more info by Googling "Neocaridina denticulata sinensis". All of the info I have found is pretty similar.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine :)