Freshwater Shrimp is an exciting addition to a community tank. Contrary to common beliefs, which had the perception that shrimps have dull looking unattractive colors, all these are actually not true. Nowadays, there are different varieties of aquarium shrimp which make perfect tank mates. One particular species noteworthy to be mentioned here is the Cherry Red Shrimp, which is getting popular among hobbyist as pet in new fish tank.If you intend to keep this live crustacean and raising them to be part of the aquarium community, first thing you need to do is to ensure that the fish staying together with it are not those that are aggressive or large size that can attack or eat your shrimp. There are different fish species, which you can consider such as neon tetra, guppy and hatchet fish that are generally harmless and will largely ignore your shrimp. Discus, oscar and angelfish are definitely not an option at all because they will devour and hunt down every shrimp that they can see.
Even if you intend to mix with your neon tetras, the best aquarium setup should be heavily planted tank so that the shrimp can hide amongst the leaves. Red cherry shrimp for instance, can only grow up to only an inch in length and therefore, it might be a good idea to avoid them from being harassed by the fish. Plants also provide good hiding spot for young shrimps and if properly cared for, combination of red cherry and neon tetra fish makes perfect aquarium setup. The shrimp not only help to eat and control algae growth but they also help to clear up uneaten and leftover food from your neon tetra.
The red cherry shrimps do not require much attention in order to survive in your home aquarium. As long as the water is clean and regularly changed, they should not have any problem adapting to the condition. They generally thrive in soft waters with pH ranging from 6.7 to 7.5 and with temperature ranging from 24 to 27degC. They are not picky when it comes to food and as mentioned earlier, they will even scrap off food waste from aquarium bed, which makes them the efficient tank cleaner.
Red cherry shrimp is also special and unique in the sense that they can change their coloration according to the aquarium substrate and background and what’s best is that the colors will show up bright red if there are fluorescent tank lighting. Finally, if all requirements are met with perfect water quality, they will breed and lay eggs amongst the aquarium plants and soon enough you will notice young tiny shrimp will start to appear in your tank. More in-depth details about ornamental shrimp breeding and other mistakes to avoid.
Other recommended freshwater shrimp to consider for your community aquarium are Ghost Shrimp, which appears as transparent, and Black Tiger Shrimp (also known as Black Diamond Shrimp) which is totally black in color with orange eyes.
