3 Reasons YOU need Cherry Shrimp in your Tank!

Shrimp have been in the hobby for a while, but only recently have been gaining the popularity they deserve in the Australian Aquatic community. 
Here are the top 3 reasons why!

Great tank cleaners!

Cherry shrimp are scavengers, they will eat a large variety of food, many of which is junk you don't want in your aquarium anyway! They primarily feed on the bacteria and algae growing on the surface of your tank, and will spend their time grazing on this. They also happily eat any leftover fish food, which otherwise would be left as food for nasty pests! Just the perfect addition to shore up your ecosystem and reinforce your clean up crew.

Self propagating and low maintenance!

Cherry shrimp are one of the hardiest dwarf shrimp species out there. They can survive temperature from 18 to 30 degrees Celsius however thrive between 21-27. They are happy in any standard PH range, from 6.5-7.5, and are only sensitive to excessive ammonia spikes. Their bio-load is very small, meaning they can be kept in an almost fully stocked aquarium and in small aquariums as well, however in tanks under 20 liters, younger shrimp may have trouble growing to full size. Cherries also like to breed readily. This means that once you have a colony going you won’t need to worry about getting any new shrimp! Colonies will tend to stay as big as their food supply allows, so as long as you are not overfeeding you won't be getting massive population explosions.
The general rule for fish is “if it fits in their mouth they will eat it” and this applies for shrimp as well. Adult cherries get to over 2cm in length while babies grow to juvenile size (about 1cm) quite fast, so unless you have very large fish you don't really have to worry about them being eaten. They will have a go at the babies however, but as long as you have some cover (live plants, rocks or other decorations are great) enough will survive to keep your colony going while being a good supplement to your fish's diet.

They are super cute!

I know! I didn't believe it at first either, and you can still find the question; "Why do people like shrimp?" in my search history. But when I got them, man. I did not expect how cute they are. When a female is ready to mate and the males are swimming all over the tank trying to find her, to finding a swarm of them covering the food you put in, they are just so entertaining and relaxing to observe.

If you would like to know more check out our Red Cherry Shrimp Fact-Sheet. If you would like to add some to your Aquarium you can get them posted to your door here.