Building your very first cherry shrimp colony can be an exciting but daunting task. These are some of the tiniest aquatics kept as pets on the market. They look fragile, but don't let their appearance fool you—cherry shrimp are very hardy and easy for first-time aquatics owners to keep. You can find everything you need to know to keep them below.
Temperature Range: 68-82 degrees
Although cherry shrimp can survive in a wide range of temperatures (57-86 degrees) it's best to keep your cherry shrimp well within this range, as close to 72 degrees as possible.
Tank Size: 3 gallon per 15-20 shrimp
Cherry shrimp produce so little ammonia that you can easily keep 5-6 adult shrimp per gallon of water. If you have baby shrimp, you can keep around 20 shrimplets per gallon.
Tank Recommendation: Top Fin Shrimp Tank
This was our first shrimp tank, and it worked so well we still use it today! For the price, you get a lot to work with. It's the perfect size and setup for a beginner. It includes a filter, the filter media, the filter cartridge, plantable substrate, a lid, and a bright light so you can see your beautiful cherries.
Feeding Type: scavenger, omnivore
Cherry shrimp will eat just about anything they encounter in their environment, including the algae that grows in their tank. They clean their tank for you!
Food Recommendation: algae wafers & bottom feeding pellets
Feed a single algae pellet once per week and a few bottom feeding pellets every 3 days. We personally use the brand API, but you don't have to be picky with your brand. Cherry shrimp don't require any special diets!
Environment: heavily planted, including moss
Being so small, cherry shrimp require a lot of plants to hide in so they feel safe and secure. We recommend finding a combination of short grasses, medium plants, and tall, fast-growing plants for the best viewing, starting with short grasses up front. In addition, you should include moss. Cherry shrimp rub on moss to help them during the molting process. We use pieces of a bioactive rock with moss growing on it, but you can also simply plant a flat of moss on the bottom. Most pet stores can help direct you to their live plants and mosses should you need help, and we will always respond to questions about where we got out products.
Maintenance: weekly
Since cherry shrimp produce very little ammonia, you don't have to worry about water changes more than once a month. If you desire to change the water more frequently, we recommend only taking out less than 25% of the water at a time so you don't disturb your shrimp. Rinse out the filter cartridge & media weekly to prevent algae buildup. If algae builds up on the inside of the filter, use an old manual toothbrush to scrub it out under clean water. If algae builds up on the walls of the tank, simply take a paper towel and wipe it off, then throw the paper towel away. Always dispose of dead shrimp as quickly as possible to prevent ammonia buildup.
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