Newbie To Shrimp... Well Soon To Be

[BettaBoysGirl]

I've been contemplating trying out shrimp... still debating on a small species of shrimp. Suggestions would be great! Im getting ready to set up a 8 gallon tank in which they will live. I have plans to make it planted with Christmas moss, or peacock moss (Or any that might be suggested as a carpet moss), some marimo balls, maybe a few other live plants with a couple of fake mixed in. Is there a certain amount of shrimps that must live together? I want a small species for the tank, since its a nano.

I'm also contemplating putting a gourami, or some sort of tretra in the tank as well. Do they do well with these? Oh.. and since it will be planted, how do they do with fertilizers?

Any and all advice would be wonderful!

 

[rggardiner]

I'm new to keeping shrimp too. I've just bought 10 sakura shrimp. They've got a wonderful red colour. I think they're just a redder grade of red cherry shrimp. I was wondering is 10 enough to start a breeding colony?

 

[Baccus]

For a first attempt at shrimp I would go with cherry shrimp they are the most forgiving of shrimp with regards to water paramaters pH, dH and temp.

I wouldn't put a gourami with shrimp, because even my sparkling gouramis try to eat the sub adult cherry shrimp. A male fighter may or may not eat the old shrimplet even sub adult shrimp, you never know if he will until you try him. But for a nano tank with cherry shrimp (after the shrimp have begun multiplying) a single fighter would probably be a good addition to start picking off the odd young shrimp. About the only tetra I would trust with shrimp would be cardinal or neon but if they see a shrimplet swimming around in the open they will take a snap at it.

 

[lukeavaient]

Hello!

I started breeding shrimp a few months ago and I started in a 60ltr tank with moss balls, bogwood and live plants. I also had endler guppies in the tank too. I used fine gravel substrate and an internal filter. Since then I have started a new tank (also 60ltr) with large-sized gravel (I had a mass in my cupboard and couldn'y justify throwing it away and buying more) but I am keeping the shrimp in there on their own. They have live plants, christmas moss, bogwood and moss balls. Also, I decided to buy a sponge filter which I cycled in their previous tank for a few weeks beforehand. If you are looking to keep or breed shrimp I would definitely use a sponge filter.

Also, I popped a few tetras in with them and as soon as I did I saw a tetra eat a shrimplet. They aren't predatory at all but remember this cardial rule; if a fish can fit something in it's mouth then it will eat it. Fact.

Good luck!