The dazzling freshwater cherry shrimp is a beautiful variety of fish originating from Taiwan that has become increasingly popular over the years. Although its most natural coloration is green/brown, it is available in a wide range of colors, such as black, violet, blue, green, orange, and yellow, but the red morph is undoubtedly the bestselling variety.
If you are interested in purchasing a cherry shrimp or have recently welcomed one to your home, you may be looking for some advice on how to take care of your new fishy friend to ensure it has a long, healthy, and happy life. That’s what we are going to discuss in this post.
Stable Water Parameters Are Crucial
It is not the trickiest fish to look after for any passionate hobbyist aquarium keeper, but there are some crucial things you need to bear in mind. For starters, stable water parameters are vital. When keeping cherry shrimp various parameters are acceptable. For instance, you can keep them in temperatures ranging from 60 to 80-degrees Fahrenheit and ph. levels ranging from 6.0 to 7.6.
More important, though, than the actual readings and aiming for a specific number of either of these metrics along with the water hardness, is ensuring that it is stable. No matter where the numbers fall, as long as they are within the safe range and remain fairly stable, your red cherry shrimp will be happy as any fish in an aquarium can be.
Regular Water Changes and Good Quality Filtration Are Necessary
One way you can ensure that the water parameters remain as stable as possible is by getting into the practice of regularly changing the water and investing in a good quality filtration system. Because of its diminutive nature, it is recommended that you use either a power filter with a sponge pre-filter or a sponge filter. As for how often you change the water, it is suggested you aim for around 20% of the water every month to ensure it is healthy.
Eliminate These Elements Commonly Found in Aquariums
It’s not just about what you put into your aquarium that can ensure your cherry shrimp are happy and healthy, there are some things you need to make sure are not present as they can be dangerous to this species of fish. Nitrate, Nitrite, and ammonia are harmful. Nitrate and Ammonia are eliminated when you use a cycled filtration system that is well-maintained. The nitrate is created as a byproduct when the filter removes the nitrite and ammonia and removed by plant growth or water changes.
Nitrite is used by aquatic plants for nitrogen and can help to limit the amount this element is present in the water.
It is important to note that while aquatic plants are great for reducing and eradicating nitrate, other chemicals are used to keep plants healthy that are toxic to cherry shrimp and can kill them.
Peaceful Aquarium Community is Best
The best home for cherry shrimp is a relatively quiet and peaceful aquarium with smaller fish. Be aware that any fish that can fit something the size of a cherry shrimp into their mouth will most likely eat the cherry shrimp. Consider the likes of small barbs, guppies, and tetras. If you intend on breeding cherry shrimp, you should only keep shrimp in the tank.
As you can see, it’s not too difficult to keep cherry shrimp and for the minimal effort and important pointers to bear in mind, you are rewarded with their beautiful red bodies swimming around your aquarium setup.
