[DragonFyre14]

So after about a month of looking for red cherry shrimp (or similarly colorful freshwater shrimp) I finally found some! I got them at a petco near me whose tanks usually look clean and I don't think I've ever seen dead fish in their tanks, but once I take my guppies home, they've always died within 3-4 days. So not a good track record. However, I took the leap and bought 5 RCS at $5 a pop. I asked the girl to make sure I got at least one female but left the remaining ratio up to her discretion. I came home and while acclimating it seems I have two females and three males, though it seems they are small enough that it is a tad difficult to determine. Anyway. Last night before bed, I found one of the males had died. So today I went back to receive my refund and replace him. Turns out they only had two left, a female and a male, and I just couldn't leave one of them there all alone so I took both home. I've decided on building up a colony in the ten gallon I'm currently using to quarantine them and then place a few in my brothers tank and try one or two with my betta.
I've realized I don't quite have enough live plants to make them comfortable so I'll have to work on that. But otherwise they seem happy and healthy.
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[thekoimaiden]

Wow. You paid a lot for those shrimps. RCS usually cost about $1. I just got in 30+ for $29 including shipping. And the death is kinda expected with shrimps. They do NOT take changing tanks well. I buy more than I need expecting to lose some. That said, if you have a male and female and enough biofilm, you will eventually get a nice large colony. It just takes some time.

Live plants aren't nearly as crucial as an established tank. Shrimp in a new tank with little biofilm to feed from often starve. Unless your tank has been set up for 3+ months I would HIGHLY recommend feeding them. Mine get half a sinking wafer every other day. You can adjust as needed for yours, but you only want to give them as much as they will eat in an hour.

 

[DragonFyre14]

It was incredibly expensive but ordering online at the moment isn't really an option. So, I'm hoping to be able to get a nice colony going and possibly sell back to the store. The tank they are in is one I've had guppy fry in for a little over 3 months and it seems to be fairly stable. I've tested the water every week or so and haven't seen any fluctuations in the readings whatsoever (granted I'm using the strips but still.) I'm thinking there might be enough algae and such for them to munch on but I still gave them part of an algae wafer last night and will give them another tomorrow.

I'm a bit hazy as to the hardiness of these little guys. Some say they are hardy and have survived through a lot and others say that any slight fluctuation and they start dying off. I'm going to say the one I had probably died due to something that was out of my control, whether that was stress from the move or illness contracted at the store. The reason for this is today when I went back they also had a container that had about 10 red and white shrimp and I know all were alive and well yesterday and today only one seemed to be alive. Poor things.
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[thekoimaiden]

Those red and white shrimp died because they are VERY sensitive. Those are crystal red shrimps, a different genus from the red cherries. Crystal red shrimp are not a beginner shrimp and some people claim they die if you look at them funny. But they are sooooo pretty. I'd love to have some one day.

The hardiness of red cherries really depends on what kind of breeding stock they come from. If the breeder is breeding for color, the shrimp won't be nearly as hardy. Some breeders will breed for hardiness, and those shrimp can take a lot. The good news about your little die-off is that those were the weakest ones. As long as you have at least one female, you can recover the population.

 

[KPainter]

I love RCS! I have about 5 pregnant females right now. The babies are so tiny and cute!

 

[DragonFyre14]

I'm excited for babies. I promised my brother a couple for his 2.5 gallon and I'd love to try some with my betta. However, I don't plan on doing either until 1. The quarantine period is up and 2. I have at least a couple babies. I really don't want to have to buy or order more of these adorable little guys.
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[Agent13]

Those red and white shrimp died because they are VERY sensitive. Those are crystal red shrimps, a different genus from the red cherries. Crystal red shrimp are not a beginner shrimp and some people claim they die if you look at them funny. But they are sooooo pretty. I'd love to have some one day.

The hardiness of red cherries really depends on what kind of breeding stock they come from. If the breeder is breeding for color, the shrimp won't be nearly as hardy. Some breeders will breed for hardiness, and those shrimp can take a lot. The good news about your little die-off is that those were the weakest ones. As long as you have at least one female, you can recover the population.

REally?? I guess that makes sense I do know that majority of my shrimp are sensitive but didn't notice difference between the redwhite ones and the RCS or the blue velvet. All surviving pretty well but only see them during water changes when forced out of hiding.

 

[Oxon Fish]

I started about 8 months ago with 3 Amano's and I still have 3, how do you sex them? once I find out what I have I may have to introduce some more.

 

[GwenInNM]

I have lots of RCS, and find them hardy. I use many of the little ones for food for my other tank. I put a cucumber slice in (they love those!) and pull it out, and put all the "hangers on" in my tank with fish. An FYI, your Betta will eat the shrimp, so putting them in there isn't a good idea. I have a female betta in my tank, and she is usually the first to grab baby shrimp. Even an adult will likely get mauled and killed by a betta.

Let me add too, that they do prefer a lower ph, around 7.5 at the highest, and to breed you may want to shoot for lower than that. I haven't tested my ph in that tank in awhile. If you want to know what my water ph is at, let me know, and I'll tell you, because I constantly have berried females.

Gwen

 

[Austin]

I started about 8 months ago with 3 Amano's and I still have 3, how do you sex them? once I find out what I have I may have to introduce some more.

I do believe Amanos breed in brackish water so not really in the typical freshwater aquarium.

 

[Oxon Fish]

I do believe Amanos breed in brackish water so not really in the typical freshwater aquarium.

Hi, thanks, I have done a bit more research and won't breed in freshwater do need some salt, looks like I may add some different shrimp as Amino get on with almost anything.

 

[DragonFyre14]

I absolutely adore my shrimp. However, sadly they have all passed away. I think part of it is the tank not being totally ideal (it was only about 4-5 months old. and had no filter or bubbler) but it also seemed that they were most likely not at 100% when I got them. so, I'm going to wait a bit until i can get a filter and then thoroughly vacuum the gravel and maybe try again. Hopefully I can convince my parents to let me order some this time as it'll be cheaper.

 

[GwenInNM]

I absolutely adore my shrimp. However, sadly they have all passed away. I think part of it is the tank not being totally ideal (it was only about 4-5 months old. and had no filter or bubbler) but it also seemed that they were most likely not at 100% when I got them. so, I'm going to wait a bit until i can get a filter and then thoroughly vacuum the gravel and maybe try again. Hopefully I can convince my parents to let me order some this time as it'll be cheaper.

I'm sorry for your loss You need to be checking your nitrates. Do you do that? It sounds like you may have some problem with your water. Do you know if you have ammonia or nitrites? You don't need a bubbler to care for shrimp or anything for that matter. If for some reason your water gets too warm, like at 84, a bubbler will add oxygen that warm water lacks, but there is no other reason than appearance. No filter would be a problem, because that means you had no water movement and nowhere for healthy bacteria to grow and thrive.

 

[DragonFyre14]

I haven't been checking for nitrates or anything else lately simply because every time I have before for the past couple monthes they have remained the same and all at levels where it is practically non existent. I actually have a filter for the tank (that is running on my other established tank) but I don't have the right lid for the tank yet so I can't use it. I think the warmest the tank gets is 80 but I haven't checked in the past few days.
I've also heard that shrimp like Marimo moss balls and other plants and I have no live plants in the tank as of yet. Although I've heard they don't need them, I plan on getting a few for the tank before I get shrimp if only to help keep the water a bit cleaner.
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[Oxon Fish]

Definitely get plants, mine spend quite a bit of time in the plants, plus as you say it makes a big difference to water quality, i haven't lost any shrimp in about 7 months of keeping them.

 

[Silverfang]

Live plants. I have a layer of floating salvinia, two giant swords, some stem plants, and more moss than even I realize. All I have to do is top off, and I don't loose any shrimp. Or rather, if I have, they've bred fast enough to make up for any losses.

I started off with half a dozen females, then got another 3 or four boys... now

 

[DragonFyre14]

Wow. I'm hoping to get a nice colony like that set up so I can spread them to other tanks in my house I just need to wait until school starts because I'm going to be away from home for a little over 3 weeks and it would be unfair to the shrimp for me to get them and then leave so I can't take proper care of them. As it is I'm going to be worried enough about my betta and guppy tank. Also, I just recently caught about 14 bullhead catfish that are going to be going into a friends pond once I finish research to make sure they will be happy and healthy there. (I originally caught them thinking they were tadpoles but very quickly realized they were catfish and have since fallen in love.)