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.
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| 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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