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Hoping to set up a home aquarium? Red Cherry Shrimp (RCS) could be some great new friends to keep and breed at home. Although RCS can reach up to 1.5 inches (4cm) in length in adulthood, these low-maintenance critters don't need any special tanks, foods, dances, or shamans to breed. We'll walk you through everything you need to know, so you can start breeding your RCS in no time.
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QuestionHow long does it take for an RCS to mature into an adult?Community AnswerIt takes about three months for a shrimp to mature into an adult capable of reproducing itself.
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QuestionI have a 50 gallon aquarium and an explosion of cherry shrimp. Do they inbreed?CaeiiaTop AnswererYes, they will breed with each other. But if you have enough in there (you can add more too), it's not a problem. Inbreeding usually isn't going to produce horrid results in shrimp.
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QuestionHow do I keep the nitrate levels down?Community AnswerHave plants in your aquarium, and change about 20% of your water. You can also purchase products to help rid of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. And do not put too much food in the tank, only what your water pets consume. Otherwise, left over food turns into ammonia, ammonia into nitrite, and nitrite into nitrate*. *Nitrate isn't as harmful as ammonia and nitrite.
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Tips
- Shrimps love a small piece of boiled carrot. It also improves their color. Do remove it within 24 hours or it will pollute the water.Thanks
- The biggest mistake a new person can make is using too many chemicals. If your ammonia=0, nitrite=0, nitrate<50 ppm, and ph is 6.0-8.0, you should be fine. You should never use pH up or pH down, stress coat, or other chemicals. They will only compound your problems. The only chemical you need is a dechlorinator which neutralizes chlorine and chloramines.Thanks
- Shrimp who are getting ready to molt will form a "u" shape. They will bend and try to touch their tail. If you are lucky will see them shed. It is very fast. They flick out of their old skin in the blink of an eye, leaving behind a perfect hollow replica of themselves.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- If you are wondering how to tell male and female shrimp apart, female cherry shrimp are typically larger and more vibrant. Male cherry shrimp are a little more pale or transparent.
- Red Cherry shrimp are graded based on the intensity of their color. Individuals with brighter, more solid coloration will usually have a higher rating and a higher price tag.
- Be careful having shrimp in a community tank with "algae eaters" like suckerfish and plecos. They eat shrimp and other small crustaceans too!
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Warnings
- Cardinal tetras will harm RCS babies.Thanks
- Do not remove any empty shells of molted shrimp. Many will consume this to get back valuable minerals.Thanks
- Shrimp in general are sensitive to, and can be killed by chloramines, chlorine, ammonia, nitrites, and high nitrates. Make sure your water dechlorinator takes care of chlorine and chloramines.Thanks
- Many fish will eat adult shrimp, as well as baby shrimp. Any type of catfish, predator fish, angelfish, oscars, clown loaches, or eels will eat shrimp. If you have lots of cover, more babies will survive. Java moss makes excellent cover and forage.Thanks
- Uncoated heavy metals like zinc, lead (from plant weights) and elemental copper will kill shrimp, especially copper. If a tank has ever had elemental copper in it, you will have a hard time keeping shrimp alive. Copper sulfate in fish foods is safe as it is a copper compound in low amounts. The dangerous stuff is elemental copper (copper metal). The copper compound found in snail killing concoctions is toxic to shrimp and inverts because it is so concentrated.Thanks
- Some copper compounds seem to be safe for shrimp. For example, tiny amounts of copper sulfate are commonly used as a preservative in almost all fish food. It is safe to feed shrimp the food with copper sulfate since it is not elemental copper.Thanks
- Despite a persistent myth, an iodine supplement is not needed for freshwater crustaceans. There is no scientific support that freshwater shrimp use iodine in the water column. They get enough iodine from their food. Saltwater crustaceans MAY have a need for supplemental iodine.Thanks
- Adult RCS are safe with guppies, mollies, platies, porkchop rasboras, or any fish too small to eat the shrimp.Thanks
- If your tank isn't cycled well, you may be forced to perform water changes frequently. This can up the chance of you sucking up tiny shrimp babies.Thanks
- Never keep betta with any kind of shrimps. They will eat the RCS.Thanks
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Reader Success Stories
- "I've been looking for a breedable food for my clown loach, and don't want the fight of a salt water tank for brine shrimp. I have a separate community tank of female fancy guppies, dwarf neons and cats. I'm hoping that RCS will do well and breed, there are lots of baby hiding places and live plants. RCS seem like the perfect alternative to brine shrimp and saltwater pickiness." ..." more
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"I've been looking for a breedable food for my clown loach, and don't want the fight of a salt water tank for brine shrimp. I have a separate community tank of female fancy guppies, dwarf neons and cats. I'm hoping that RCS will do well and breed, there are lots of baby hiding places and live plants. RCS seem like the perfect alternative to brine shrimp and saltwater pickiness."
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"I like the information about what shrimp find toxic in the water, such as metals, chlorine chlorine mines, and nitrates. Cool fact that darker gravel will accentuate color . And most importantly how much to feed. One flake is enough for two days."
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"This helped me out a lot. I started 2 10-gal. red cherry shrimp and neon yellow tanks. A lot of questions answered here. Thanks."
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