Crystal Bee/Crystal Red or Red Cherry Shrimp? Oh, and any compatible fish?

Piranha86

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Dec 26, 2009
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Harford County Maryland
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Will
I want to get a 10g shrimp tank. I like the color of the CBS, but I know the RCS is easier to breed. I can definitely spend the money to buy them and the plants. Which is easier to take care of/breed? I would definitely say that breeding is my number one priority. Or, could I keep some together? Any reply greatly appreciated. I am a :newbie: to freshwater inverts.
 
If you are really serious about breeding shrimp then you need to forget about the fish, and the shrimp you chose should be determinded by the water you plan on using.
 
Excellent advice :)
 
Well, I have ottos in my shrimp tank. They don't bother the shrimp, and when they get frisky, they are as entertaining as my shrimp are. Have been thinking about adding a few C.P.O.s to my tank also, but not absolutely sure they are shrimp safe, even though every breeder of them I talk to says they are.
 
CPOs shouldn't bother shrimp, but I've read of some that did. Mine didn't harass my shrimp at all, beyond charging through them on occasion.
 
Well, I have ottos in my shrimp tank. They don't bother the shrimp, and when they get frisky, they are as entertaining as my shrimp are. Have been thinking about adding a few C.P.O.s to my tank also, but not absolutely sure they are shrimp safe, even though every breeder of them I talk to says they are.

CPOs will not hunt shrimps but being scavengers they will kill and eat a sick or dieing shrimp. But thats more of a favor then an inconvenience... such is nature. Although once in a great while a really mean CPO (usually male) will go around being a terror and any shrimp that is not fast enough will get chomped on but for the most part they will just shoo the shrimps away.

I find that the shrimps bother the CPOs more then anything... crawling and climbing all over them. The female eventually get used to the shrimps hitching a ride but some males don't really like the shrimps on them and they will run around and buck. The shrimps just hang on driving the males mad lol!!!
 
What is your source water like? That determines more than anything which species you will have success with.

As for the fish, some microfish do really well with shrimp. If you are focused on having all the baby shrimp survive, you should do an invert specific tank. If you are looking for an active community with increased reproduction of the shrimp, this is certainly attainable.

I keep my shrimp with dwarf cories, microrasboras, dwarf danios, dwarf pencilfish, aspidoras, otocinclus, and bristlenose (different tanks) with great results. I do have my tanks densely planted.

The other issue to consider is that the shrimp will hide more in a tank with predators
 
If you've never had shrimp before, i'd suggest starting with RCS, (cherry shrimp) and see how it goes. You dont want to shell out a ton of cash for some rare shrimp only to have them all die...
 
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