1. Are Cherry Shrimp Right for You?
Great for Beginners: Hardy, adaptable, and fine in standard UK tap water.
Low Maintenance: Minimal bioload and peaceful community temperament.
Easy to Breed: A small starting colony will naturally multiply in a well-settled tank.
2. Choosing the Right Substrate
Inert Substrate: Use plain aquarium gravel, sand, or inert branded shrimp gravel (e.g., Dennerle Nano Gravel).
Avoid Active Soils: Active buffered soils (like those used for Caridina) pull pH down too low. Cherry shrimp prefer stable, slightly alkaline to neutral water.
3. Ideal Water Parameters
pH: 6.8 – 7.8
Temperature: 18°C – 24°C (room temperature is often fine without a heater)
gH: 4 – 10
kH: 2 – 8
4. Cycling Your Tank
Never add shrimp to an uncycled tank. Their low tolerance for ammonia and nitrite makes a fully established nitrogen cycle mandatory.
Run your filter for 4–6 weeks until ammonia and nitrite read 0 PPM and nitrate is low.
Let biofilm build: Allow beneficial algae and microscopic biofilm to form on wood, plants, and glass before introducing your colony—this is their primary natural food source.
5. Drip Acclimatisation Step-by-Step
Empty the shrimp and shipping water into a clean, dedicated bucket or container.
Set up airline tubing with a flow-control valve (or tie a loose knot in the tube) to start a siphon from your tank.
Adjust the drip rate to 1–2 drops per second.
Allow the water volume in the bucket to double or triple over 1.5 to 2 hours.
Net the shrimp out gently and transfer them into your tank—never pour shipping water directly into your aquarium.
6. Maintaining Long-Term Health
Feeding: Feed sparingly 2–3 times a week with specialist shrimp pellets, spirulina, or blanched vegetables. Remove uneaten food after 2 hours to protect water quality.
Botanicals: Keep Indian Almond leaves or alder cones in the tank to provide constant grazing surface and natural tannins.
Water Changes: Perform small, weekly water changes (10–15% max). Always remineralise or condition new water and match the temperature to avoid triggering failed moults.
Copper Warning: Ensure all plant fertilisers and treatments are 100% copper-free.