Cherry Shrimp

Overview: If you are a beginner aquarist and want to add an invertebrate in the tank, Cherry Shrimp will be the best choice. Easy to care and maintain, undemanding, and easily fed, Cherry Shrimp could be a great addition to the tank. The vibrant color of this invertebrate makes it the center of attention instantly. They are also popular as Red Cherry Shrimp or RCS and belong to the Atyidae family of invertebrates. They love to feast on the algae and other dead and decomposing matters on the aquarium. So, if you are looking for the natural ways of getting a clean and tidy tank, introduce a Cherry Shrimp immediately. They act like a well-behaved cleaning crew member of the aquarium.

Habitat: Cherry Shrimp are native to Taiwan and prefer to live in freshwater. They are very flexible for the water parameters and are highly undemanding in nature. They get easily acclimatize in diverse water conditions. Better known for their algae easting capabilities, Cherry Shrimp are considered great for both beginners and expert aquarists. While in the wild, Cherry Shrimp can be seen in different colors; in trade, they are majorly bright red. 

Water conditions: Cherry Shrimp prefers tanks with a lot of vegetation as it provides them with ample space for hiding. If there are driftwoods in the tank, they love it. Likewise, java moss could also be a great addition when shrimps are in the tank. As far as water parameters are concerned, a specific range will be suitable.

• Temperature: 65 - 85 °F
• pH: 6.5 – 8.8

Care guidelines: Take at least 5 gallon tank if you are adding shrimps. As a thumb rule, 2-5 shrimps per gallon will be great. Since they breed too quickly and too easily, a bigger tank will always work in their favor. For a colony, have at least 20 gallon tank. They can live peacefully with all the tank mates. There are no concerns when feeding the cherry shrimps is in question as they are scavengers and eat whatever decomposing matter come though their way. For immature tanks, high-quality pellets will be a good option.

Do you know?

Cherry Shrimp are traded on the basis of the depth of their color. While the aquarists do not prefer the light red color shrimps, deep red color instantly brings the interest as they look very appealing. The following are their classification on the basis of their colors-

• Cherry Shrimp
• Sakura Cherry Shrimp
• Fire Red Shrimp
• Painted Fire Red Shrimp

WARNING- Copper is toxic to invertebrates; therefore, avoid all types of food products, plant fertilizers, and medications that have copper in them in any form. If you have shrimps in your tank, always read the labels and make sure that the products you are using are copper-free.