Caring for Red Red Cherry Shrimp 

Keeping Red Red Cherry Shrimp is fairly easy for a dedicated aquarium hobbyist. Red Red Cherry Shrimp can be kept as long as the aquarium they are in has stable parameters, avoids harmful elements, feed them high quality food, and only contains acceptable tank mates. 

Stable water parameters are very important when keeping Red Red Cherry Shrimp. They have a wide range of acceptable parameters such as a pH range of 6.0-7.6 and an acceptable temperature range of 65-80°F. It is far more important that the pH, temperature, and water hardness stay stable than to pinpoint a specific number. As long as they parameters are stable with in the acceptable range Cherry Red Shrimp will flourish in the aquarium.

Bright red female Red Red Cherry Shrimp	Bright red female eating an algae waffer.

A good filtration system and frequent water changes help aid in keeping water parameters stable. Due to the small size of Red Red Cherry Shrimp a sponge filter, or power filter with a sponge pre-filter is recommended. Water changes of 20% a month is all that is necessary to keep Red Red Cherry Shrimp healthy as long as you do not over feed the tank.

There are a few elements that are commonly found in an aquarium that are very harmful to Red Red Cherry Shrimp. Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate are all very harmful. A cycled and well-maintained filtration system will eliminate Ammonia and Nitrate. Nitrate is the byproduct of the filter eliminating Ammonia and Nitrite and is removed by water changes or by growing plants.

Aquatic plants use Nitrate as a source of nitrogen and help reduce this element in the water column. While aquatic plants are good for helping eliminate Nitrate, other fertilizers used to maintain plants can kill Cherry Red Shrimp. Copper is found in many aquatic plant fertilizers contain trace amounts of copper, so it not recommended to dose fertilizers in tanks that contain Cherry Red Shrimp.

A peaceful community aquarium containing only small fish makes a good home for Red Red Cherry Shrimp, but almost any fish that can fit a Cherry Red Shrimp in its mouth will make a quick and tasty meal out of them. Recommended tank mates include tetras, guppies, and smaller barbs. If breeding Cherry Red Shrimp, a shrimp only tank is recommended.

Red Red Cherry Shrimp should never be put in a tank with other Neocaridina species to avoid cross breeding. They can be kept with Caridina species such as Amano Shrimp, Bee Shrimp and Crystal Red Shrimp. While Crystal Red and Bee Shrimp require lower pHs and temperatures than are common in the aquarium to breed, they will live just fine is most water parameters that Red Red Cherry Shrimp will live and breed in.

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