Alice White
Cherry shrimp are some of the crustaceans most loved by aquarists. They do not require large aquariums, are unpretentious in keeping and feeding, and multiply in suitable conditions simply unimaginably quickly.
Cherry Shrimp Aquarium
The maximum size of cherry shrimp does not exceed 4 cm. When choosing an aquarium, it is advisable that each shrimp gets 1-2 liters of water. At the same time, do not forget to take into account that they multiply very quickly, and after a while, their number will noticeably increase.
It is best to keep cherry shrimp in groups, so you can observe interesting behaviors and the breeding process of these miniature crustaceans. A 10-liter aquarium can hold up to 10 shrimps.
Water parameters
Cherry shrimp are one of the most unpretentious aquarium crustaceans that adapt well to various water conditions. The optimum temperature is 22-25 ° C. Water can be from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline (pH = 6.5-8.0), KH is recommended to be kept at a level of 3-20. It is not recommended to keep shrimp cherries in too soft water, problems with the strength of the shell may begin.
It is very important to only introduce shrimp into a well-balanced aquarium. High concentrations of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate negatively affect the health of shrimp. The use of water products (medicines, conditioners, fertilizers) must be approached with caution. Some of them may contain copper compounds that are extremely toxic to crustaceans.
Shine
It is necessary to select lighting in an aquarium with cherry shrimp based on the needs of the plants that will be planted in the aquarium. Considering that the height of most prawns is very small, the use of powerful light sources is not always advisable. Currently, the most popular are LED lamps. They are compact, provide good lighting, and consume little energy.
Priming
In aquariums with cherry shrimps, it is best to use fine dark soil of 0.5-1.5 mm fraction, on which crustaceans will look the most attractive, and live plants will like it. It is best to use natural snags or small grottoes as decor. The presence of shelters is necessary so that the shrimp can hide there during molting.
Plants
A shrimp cherry aquarium is practically unthinkable without live plants. They serve as a crustacean resting place, a refuge during the molting period, among them, shrimps find algae and a suspension of food for food.
The most popular in shrimp are various types of mosses (Javanese, Christmas, etc.), riccia, ferns, cladophora, you can throw a sprig of hornwort on the surface of the water.
Cherry shrimp feeding
It is not at all a problem to feed even a whole horde of cherry shrimp, because these crustaceans are almost omnivorous and eat everything that they find under their feet: the remnants of food from fish, algae, dead plant parts.
But such nutrition is not always enough for the full growth and development of cherry shrimp. Therefore, be sure to feed them specialized food for crustaceans.
Tetra has created the Tetra Crusta line of food, especially for shrimp lovers. They come in the form of sinking sticks and granules. The high content of nutrients and vitamins ensures a balanced diet and enhances disease resistance.
The Tetra Wafer (Mini) Mix universal tablets for bottom fish are also well suited. Funnily enough, shrimps usually get to catfish food much faster and can eat it so quickly that the fish won’t get anywhere.
Compatibility
It is difficult to find a more peaceful creature than the cherry shrimp. Most of the time, cherry trees are in search of food, searching for plant leaves, soil, decorations.
Crustaceans get along well with non-aggressive fish species, for example, guppies, mollies, neons, zebrafish, ototsinkluses, and micro-collection galaxies. But don’t forget about hiding places in the aquarium. Indeed, even the calmest species of fish can easily harm shrimp at a time when the crustaceans have shed their old shell, and the new one has not yet had time to get stronger. Newborn shrimps are also at risk.
Bad neighbors will be very active fish, as well as cichlids, even dwarf ones. Botia can also easily wipe out the cherry shrimp population.
Life span
The lifespan of cherry shrimp is a year and a half. Moreover, the higher the temperature, the shorter they live. However, the short life is compensated by the intensity of reproduction, therefore, other things being equal, the cherry population will maintain itself at a sufficiently high level.
