Is My Stock Compatible With Cherry Shrimp?

[KCB]

I'd like to add a couple of cherry shrimp to my tank, just for something different really. Maybe about 3 of them? Here is my planned stock list, I have everything but the salt and pepper cory's at the moment.
5 Black Phantom tetras
6 Endlers
5 Corydoras habrosus

Are they compatible with shrimp? Also, I'm not sure how they breed and don't really want them going at it like rabbits

. Do they breed easily? And I have very little algae in my tank, would I need to supplement them special food (shrimp pellets) or would they do fine on leftovers, assuming the fish leave them some

.

If there is anything else important about their care I should know about, please feel free to tell me

.

Thank you!

P.S. Sorry forgot to put water parameters to make sure it is suitable for shrimp! pH 8.0, temp. 24oC, obviously ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrate 20ppm (same as tap), GH 16+, KH 15.

 

[scotty]

they should be fine with those fish,give them plenty of moss as they love it.they will breed quite easily.i feed mine shrimp pellets as it is a species only tank

 

[the_lock_man]

Yep, my colony pretty much lives permanently in a big clump of java moss. I don't specifically feed them, I overfeed the fish, on the basis that there needs to be something left over for the shrimp and snails.

 

[KCB]

Thanks for the advice guys, do you think I should add a couple of moss balls then? Also, I read that these shrimp only breed at a pH of around 6/7, as mine is at 8.0 will they still multiply?

 

[the_lock_man]

Not moss balls, this stuff

I think mine have bred (it's difficult to tell, as I'm not sure how many I bought, LOL), in fact I'm fairly certain mine have, and my pH is something like 7.8.

 

[Baccus]

If the cherry shrimp are going to breed, I very much doubt pH will stop them. Cherry shrimp would have to be the hardiest and most forgiving of all the captive kept/ bred shrimp.
Food wise you can get them special shrimp foods some of the foods aid in shedding and new shell development, but honestly cherry shrimp will be happy with the same varied diet you would give your fish. Oh and they love defrosted bloodworms too.
Moss is a great plant for shrimp and they will spend a lot of time in it especially if you only have a couple and any young ones. Other bushy plants will also keep shrimp happy picking up scraps etc from the fine foliage.

 

[the_lock_man]

I think I'm right in saying that the foliage of java moss is ideal for the development of little micro-organisms, which the shrimp also feed on.

 

[KCB]

Hmmm ok, I don't actually have anything for other moss to anchor to so it would have to be the moss balls. I'll give this some thought.

 

[scotty]

you can superglue your moss to rocks

 

[KCB]

you can superglue your moss to rocks

I hadn't thought of that. Maybe I'll try that then as I've been planning on adding a couple of rocks anyway. Could you recommend a brand of aquarium safe glue?

 

[the_lock_man]

Mine is wedged under a rock in one tank, and under a piece of wood in the other.

 

[scotty]

to be honest with you i have just used any superglue that i had,and never had any problems

 

[Baccus]

Many people use superglue, while others have used those hot glue guns. I usually use either cotton thread or zip ties to attack moss and ferns to various things in my tanks.
In the below picture you cna even see the sifter mesh I used to attach the fissiden to the log.\

 

[zain611]

What shrimps do you have baccus also i dont use any special food for my shrimps but i got some algae wafers when i got my corys and sometimes one of the shrimps takes it for himself

 

[Baccus]

I have a bit of a collection happening in the shrimp department

. Cherry shrimp, native Queensland chameleon shrimp (different to overseas chameleons), red nosed shrimp (another native), Typhus shrimp, Caridina confusa, Caridina indistincta, Macrobrachium lar, North QLD zebra shrimp, local (to my area) glass shrimp and there should also be some riffle shrimp scurrying about my tanks. In the new year once the worst of the heat has gone I will also be getting another QLD native that is not even named yet, only recently discovered and recorded

.

Food wise my shrimp get tropical fish flakes, sinking catfish wafers, defrosted blood worms, deforsted cyclops/ daphina, specific shrimp food and Hikari micro pellets, basically anything my fish are getting to eat the shrimp will also eat. I also give my shrimp a treat of Nori sheets every so often, these are the seaweed sheets that wrap around sushi rolls.