Which shrimps to buy? Please advise.

[kashif314]

I found a local seller for shrimps who import shrimps from abroad. This is the list he sent me. Please advise if you were me which shrimps would you choose from this list? I need your suggestion to have an idea on what to buy. I am not sure if he has all available in Stock but he sent me this list to choose from and he will import for me.

 

[Tacit Blues]

The general wisdom is, I think, if you have softer, lower pH water, Cardinia shrimp would be a good choice (they're the ones with the white in the shells, like on the first picture you shared, commonly called Crystal Shrimp). If you have harder, higher pH water, Neocardinia would be a good choice (the ones commonly called Cherry Shrimp, most of the shrimp on the last photo and second photo). I think in general, the hardiest, easiest to breed shrimp out of all of the ones listed would be the Sakura Shrimp, but I really like Bloody Mary shrimp so I think that's what I would personally go with. Your mileage may vary, though

 

[kashif314]

The general wisdom is, I think, if you have softer, lower pH water, Cardinia shrimp would be a good choice (they're the ones with the white in the shells, like on the first picture you shared, commonly called Crystal Shrimp). If you have harder, higher pH water, Neocardinia would be a good choice (the ones commonly called Cherry Shrimp, most of the shrimp on the last photo and second photo). I think in general, the hardiest, easiest to breed shrimp out of all of the ones listed would be the Sakura Shrimp, but I really like Bloody Mary shrimp so I think that's what I would personally go with. Your mileage may vary, though

Thanks a lot. [emoji4]

 

[Autumnsky]

Good advice about the water.

It is easier to have the water suited to the kind of shrimp you keep so you can pour water out of the faucet and they can jump right in!!!

Which is your water better suited for, Neocaridina (Cherries and others), or Caridina (CRS)???

Providing they can import all these type of shrimp, and they are all in your budget, still easier to care for options would likely be most rewarding. I have enjoyed keeping a nice line of Blue Velvets. (I do not have them any more.) Beautiful shrimp. Produce very well.

The Bloody Mary shrimp are stunners too. Have seen them yet not kept them up to this point.

Are these new shrimp going into a one type of shrimp tank or a tank with mixed shrimp?

 

[kashif314]

Good advice about the water.

It is easier to have the water suited to the kind of shrimp you keep so you can pour water out of the faucet and they can jump right in!!!

Which is your water better suited for, Neocaridina (Cherries and others), or Caridina (CRS)???

Providing they can import all these type of shrimp, and they are all in your budget, still easier to care for options would likely be most rewarding. I have enjoyed keeping a nice line of Blue Velvets. (I do not have them any more.) Beautiful shrimp. Produce very well.

The Bloody Mary shrimp are stunners too. Have seen them yet not kept them up to this point.

Are these new shrimp going into a one type of shrimp tank or a tank with mixed shrimp?

Thanks. Are bloody mary look too much different than normal cherry shrimps? I am thinking to put all kinds in one tank which is a 6 gallon planted tank. I never cared so much for my fish water chemistry ever and they always thrive good. I don't know the exact water parameters but I remember my pH is maybe like 6 or little above from tap water with no No3 or No2. I have shrimps in my tap water tank and no casualty happened so far for like now a month and they are becoming more active since I removed chili rasboras and green neon tetras. However I will now start to use Seachem Prime always when changing water because I read shrimps are very sensitive to copper.

 

[Tacit Blues]

Basically the prettier the shrimp, the more heavily bred it’s been and the further away from the original genes and the more finniky it is. If you get many different Neocardinia varieties, they will interbreed and you won’t wind up with pure colors anymore.

 

[kashif314]

Basically the prettier the shrimp, the more heavily bred it’s been and the further away from the original genes and the more finniky it is. If you get many different Neocardinia varieties, they will interbreed and you won’t wind up with pure colors anymore.

Thanks. Just hard to resist such beautiful breeds and I don't mind they interbreed. I may have some interesting color combination.

 

[Tacit Blues]

Thanks. Just hard to resist such beautiful breeds and I don't mind they interbreed. I may have some interesting color combination.

Fair enough! The common wisdom says that mixing varieties will result in just boring clearish brownish wild type shrimps, but some people (look up LR Bretz on YouTube) have gotten all sorts of strange stuff. I’m setting up a shrimp tank right now and I’m really tempted to just go full on mix up, but I think even then you’ll want to cull out the drabbest ones.

 

[tunamanphd]

Fair enough! The common wisdom says that mixing varieties will result in just boring clearish brownish wild type shrimps, but some people (look up LR Bretz on YouTube) have gotten all sorts of strange stuff. I’m setting up a shrimp tank right now and I’m really tempted to just go full on mix up, but I think even then you’ll want to cull out the drabbest ones.

ugly ones make good fish food

 

[kashif314]

Fair enough! The common wisdom says that mixing varieties will result in just boring clearish brownish wild type shrimps, but some people (look up LR Bretz on YouTube) have gotten all sorts of strange stuff. I’m setting up a shrimp tank right now and I’m really tempted to just go full on mix up, but I think even then you’ll want to cull out the drabbest ones.

Thanks. I might cull but I can't feed them to fish or throw them. I will look for some home for them. Probably a spare tank which isn't on display in room with some Moss and plants so they can live. Yes I see many clearish colorless shrimps in my tank which don't look beautiful but so far I am keeping all. May cull soon when population grows more. Its only like a month so far. Thanks a lot for the link. I will check that guy on YouTube.

ugly ones make good fish food

No no I can't do that. These poor shrimps did nothing to end up in mouth of a fish. In fact this tank was not purchased to keep shrimps initially but I am forced to keep shrimps because it had shrimps inside when I bought it and I couldn't have seen them fish food so I took out all fish and continued with the shrimps and I am glad I did. They are very beautiful little guys.

 

[kashif314]

Today I placed order of shrimps. These I order.

Black King Kong Shrimps (Quantity 5)

Black Rose Shrimps (Quantity 5)

Chocolate Shrimps (Quantity 5)

Blue Velvet Shrimps (Quantity 7)

For now I didn't order bloody marry or bolts and went for those who I very badly want lol. Next will buy bolts and bloody marry. My cherry shrimps are developing very dark red almost maroon color so I am not too much in need to bloody marry and will try to have first different variety in tank.

I hope shrimps I order are same as shown in catalog. Very excited and little concerned because mixing different breeds and some have different requirements than the others.

 

[Autumnsky]

Ideally set the tank for the most sensitive shrimp you are getting and keep it consistent.

Smaller sized water changes mean less stress with fluctuating water parameters for shrimp. They like things to be pretty stable all the time not too big of changes.

Keep the tank to be NO Ammonia or NitrIte, lowish Nirate.

After it is restabilized to the new stock and parameters are stable them just keep up with little water changes unless urgent to clean water more.

Acclimate the little guys properly to your new water. Take sample of the fish water when they arrive. Do not use the shipping water in your new shrimp home, dump it after acclimating.

 

[Fresh2o]

You’ve got a skittles tank. That is a term used loosely for putting mixed colored neocaridina in the same tank. I suppose it can apply to Caridina shrimp as well.
Thinking about doing this myself with some RCS and yellows. Maybe add some blue or oranges.
My water parameters are fine for neos but not the more expensive shrimp.
Good luck with this.

 

[earhtmother]

Skittles ❤ this - describes my shrimp tank too (what is left of it-sad story)also my future gup tank since it will have ssst Mollies too

 

[kashif314]

Ideally set the tank for the most sensitive shrimp you are getting and keep it consistent.

Smaller sized water changes mean less stress with fluctuating water parameters for shrimp. They like things to be pretty stable all the time not too big of changes.

Keep the tank to be NO Ammonia or NitrIte, lowish Nirate.

After it is restabilized to the new stock and parameters are stable them just keep up with little water changes unless urgent to clean water more.

Acclimate the little guys properly to your new water. Take sample of the fish water when they arrive. Do not use the shipping water in your new shrimp home, dump it after acclimating.

Thanks a lot Ma'am. Yes I will do everything you said. I never put fish store water in my tanks but my brother did once only and that resulted in detritus worms in my tank. This time I will do everything myself.

You’ve got a skittles tank. That is a term used loosely for putting mixed colored neocaridina in the same tank. I suppose it can apply to Caridina shrimp as well.
Thinking about doing this myself with some RCS and yellows. Maybe add some blue or oranges.
My water parameters are fine for neos but not the more expensive shrimp.
Good luck with this.

Thanks a lot. All others I think are fine just King Kong blacks are very expensive and demanding. I started with five to see how it goes. I don't know my water chemistry in detail but usually all fish and invertebrates thrive good. Will see.

Skittles ❤ this - describes my shrimp tank too (what is left of it-sad story)also my future gup tank since it will have ssst Mollies too

And what's the sad story? [emoji27]

 

[earhtmother]

Had an issue with some kind of worm infestation - was away when filter died during a power blackout & when restarted 3 days later it literally poured all these thread like worms into the tank - if I had had fish they would have been eaten but apparently it is the opposite with shrimp worms eat them - lost 3/4 of my population before I finally got them under control - just starting to introduce more shrimp now so we shall see - need to do a thorough gravel clean next but need to figure out how to get the dirt & not the juvies

 

[kashif314]

Had an issue with some kind of worm infestation - was away when filter died during a power blackout & when restarted 3 days later it literally poured all these thread like worms into the tank - if I had had fish they would have been eaten but apparently it is the opposite with shrimp worms eat them - lost 3/4 of my population before I finally got them under control - just starting to introduce more shrimp now so we shall see - need to do a thorough gravel clean next but need to figure out how to get the dirt & not the juvies

Thanks.