| Re: Cherry Shrimp setup |
Subject: Re: Cherry Shrimp setup by DaveGodfrey on 18/7/2012 21:21:42 The Edge (and similar sized tanks) are ideal for small shrimp. Unfortunately there isn't a caresheet for any other than the (significantly larger) Amano Shrimp, but in general terms their needs are similar. Neocaridina heteropoda (the species which Red Cherry Shrimp and the other colour morphs belong to) will happily breed in freshwater (which Amano's don't), get to about 2.5-3cm long, and are gregarious. If you're buying new I'd get five or six to start with (having fully cycled your tank first). They like a pH of between 7-8, and relatively hard, but to be honest they're pretty much indestructible, and will breed readily in most water conditions. If your water is very soft I'd add some limestone rocks or coral sand to buffer a bit, as they do need calcium for their exoskeletons. If you have acidic and soft water then the more demanding Crystal Red or Crystal Black shrimp (Caridina cantonensis a different genus and species) might be worth a look. They're available in various grades, which are progressively more inbred and each requires more exacting water conditions. Red Cherries are ideal from that point of view, and even the "high grade" Cherries like Sakura Shrimp, are pretty tolerant. (They're also not nearly so expensive- Red Cherries go for about £2-£3 each, Sakuras are about £6, but the Crystal Shrimp come in at £15, and the really high-grade ones are silly money). In a centrally heated house, and in a tank over about 100L I wouldn't bother with a heater, unless I knew there was a real cold snap coming, as the water volume will keep it warm enough, but in a 23L you'll need the heater as small volumes of water lose and gain heat much faster- set it to about 22-23 degrees and it'll probably only turn on when it gets really cold, but that will be when you need it most. Being only small they don't need much food- a tiny pinch of finely powdered flake is fine, or a crumb of algae wafer once a day or so. If you have Java Moss (or similar) they'll pick through it looking for tiny bits of food, and its worth encouraging some algae growth on pebbles for them for similar reasons. Substrate isn't too important, but shrimp generally have more intense colouration on a darker substrate, and get washed out if your substrate and lighting is very bright. You should also give them places to hide (small flowerpots, pieces of wood, plants, etc), as shrimp are right at the bottom of the food-chain, and know it- especially when they're moulting and are even more vulnerable to predation. The one thing you absolutely must avoid is copper in any form, as it will kill them stone dead. In a shrimp-only tank this is pretty easy to avoid as the most common source of copper in an aquarium is fish meds. A nerite snail or two, and a few Malaysian Trumpet Snails if you have sand, and you'll have a lovely little invertebrate community tank. |