algae eating shrimps

There are many kinds of small shrimps for sale, so not sure which one LFS is selling you.
Ghost shrimp are not really algae eaters but will eat anything (it is a better scavenger).

ghost shrimp will eat algae but it should not be there main food

Second the Ghost Shrimp being scavengers. Actually most people I know use them as feeders because they are so cheap and many fish just love to munch on them. The algae eating shrimp are probably Amano shrimp. Here is a link so you can compare the picture http://www.petfish.net/amano.htm. I have 4 of my original 6 Amanos left. They are good algae eaters (I've watched them go at the stuff) but I think shrimp in general are not very hardy.

I've got 9 Amanos now, they're great little algae eaters, with terriffic personality (they push my cherry barbs around - they're fearless!)
Is the price $2.65 US, or Canadian (not sure where you live)? I picked up five Caridina japonica for $9.99 CND yesterday, they seem to be fairly cheap here in Toronto.
peleg38, I don't think they're terribly long lived - AFAIK, many small shrimp don't live much more than a year, maybe two.

Amanos live several years. Ghost not long (~18months avg, 2 yrs is old for me). Red Cherry not long, but they can multiply.

The red cherries do multiply fast so count on large numbers of them eating more algae. The amanos can't be breed in the aquarium as far as I know. I think they are all caught in the wild.

Just make sure you don't have big fish with these shrimp. Some of them, like the cherreis are very small. Angelfish might be able to take out cherries depending on the size of each of them. The fry cherry shrimp are food to any type of fish (even the smallest) so they need a species only tank for best breeding results. The adults can be kept with other fish.

I think if you're really interested in breeding Amanos it can be done, I remember reading that they need a period of salinity in order to hatch and survive at first. I'm not sure if anyone actually does it, but I'm pretty sure I read it can be done, it's just difficult.