All guides

Twenty-two guides for beginners with cherry shrimp, grouped by topic. If you are new, start with Setup and Water. For shorter answers to single questions, see the blog. For profiles of single species and color varieties, see Species & Colors.

Setup

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  Shrimp tank shopping list: what you actually need

  The equipment a first cherry shrimp tank needs, what is nice to have and what you can skip.

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  What size tank do cherry shrimp need?

  The smallest sizes guides accept, why 10 gallons (38 liters) is a common first choice, and how many shrimp fit.

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  Substrate for a shrimp tank: gravel, sand or active soil?

  Which substrate suits cherry shrimp, how deep to make it and when active soil makes sense.

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  Sponge filters for shrimp tanks: how they work and how to clean them

  Why shrimp keepers use sponge filters, how to set one up and how to clean it safely.

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  How to cycle a new shrimp tank, week by week

  What the nitrogen cycle is, how to run a fishless cycle and when it is safe to add shrimp.

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  How to set up a 20-liter shrimp tank

  Equipment, substrate, plants, water and cycling, in the order you need them.

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  Best plants for a shrimp tank: 5 easy, low-light choices

  Java moss, Anubias, Java fern, Bucephalandra and floating plants, and how to use them.

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  How to buy healthy shrimp, in a store or online

  What healthy shrimp look like, what to check before you buy and what to do when they arrive.

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  How to acclimate shrimp (drip method, step by step)

  A slow, simple way to move new shrimp into your tank without shocking them.

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  Cherry shrimp tank mates: what can live with them?

  Which snails, shrimp and small fish can share a tank with cherry shrimp, and which to avoid.

Water

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  Cherry shrimp water parameters: the numbers that matter

  Typical ranges for temperature, pH, GH, KH and TDS, and what to do when a number is off.

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  Tap water or RO water for shrimp?

  How to make tap water safe, chlorine versus chloramine, and when RO water is worth it.

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  Cherry shrimp temperature: when to heat and how to cool

  The temperature range for cherry shrimp, when a heater helps and how to cool a tank in summer.

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  How to do a water change in a shrimp tank

  How much water to change, how often, and how to do it without stressing your shrimp.

Care

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  What and how often to feed shrimp

  What shrimp eat, how much to give them and how to avoid overfeeding.

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  Shrimp tank maintenance: a simple routine

  What to check every day, every week and every month, and what to leave alone.

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  Shrimp molting: what a normal molt looks like and when it fails

  What a normal molt looks like, the signs of a failed molt and how to prevent it.

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  Cherry shrimp breeding: males, females and berried shrimp

  How to tell males from females, what berried means and how to raise the babies.

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  Cherry shrimp colors and grades explained

  One species, many colors: what the color names and red cherry grades mean.

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  Neocaridina vs Caridina: which shrimp should you start with?

  Cherry shrimp versus crystal and bee shrimp: water, substrate, difficulty and sharing a tank.

Health

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  Why are my shrimp dying? 8 common causes and what to check

  The usual reasons shrimp die, and what to test first.

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  Planaria and hydra in a shrimp tank: what they are and what to do

  How to tell planaria, hydra and harmless detritus worms apart, and what to do about them.