Though some shrimp are tricky to keep alive and well, many are perfect for beginners, whether it’s their first shrimp tank or their first tank at all.
The shrimp I suggest for beginners are Red Cherries (species Neocaridina davidi). These shrimp are extremely hardy, enduring through harsh conditions that would kill most other shrimp. As well as being hardy, Red Cherry Shrimp are quite beautiful (like all other shrimp). Their vibrant red color will stand out against almost all substrate, plants, driftwood, backgrounds, and most decorations.
Shrimp are scavengers so they will eat almost anything. You can feed them algae wafers, shrimp pellets, sinking fish food, etc. They will also eat the waste of their tank mates.
Although sizes depend on species, freshwater shrimp are generally a lot smaller than shrimp in marine environments. The bigger shrimp typically max out at about 3″.
Colors also depend on the species, varying from translucent, to white, to black. Color intensity will differ within the species.
Like many other animals, shrimp will breed faster in warmer water, but their life span will be decreased. If you want a specific color intensity, take out the shrimp that aren’t showing that color intensity. For example, if you want to get a deeper red in your Red Cherry Shrimp, take out the lighter colored shrimp. However, be careful because male shrimp are lot lighter than the females
If fish are the same size or smaller than the shrimp than the shrimp are usually safe, although you will lose some baby shrimp. Snails won’t eat the shrimp, except for assassin snails. Basically vegetarians won’t eat the shrimp.
You don’t need a strong current so a small filter will do. Using a sponge filter will prevent the baby shrimp from getting sucked into the filter. Add water in small increments to prevent fluctuations in the water. A bigger tank will be more stable.
If you find a white thing that looks like a shrimp in your tank, don’t worry, that’s your shrimp’s shed. You can just take it out or leave it there to compost.
