Setting up a Shrimp Breeding Tank?

[DreaminginBlue]

I've been reading some articles, so I have the basics down, but I'd like to learn from the pros. I want to do a tank of neocaridina shrimp (likely cherries) and plants only. I'm hoping to get them to breed (for fun mostly, also I'd love to give a few to friends with tanks or possibly trade them in to my LFS.) I wanted to invest in some high grade shrimp, but I won't feel comfortable doing so until I known for sure my tank is safe for them and they will thrive.
I have a ten gallon tank with a sponge filter and I'm going to get an LED hood soon. I want to do live plants and a little driftwood for hardscape, possibly rocks. Plants I'm thinking of are easy, low light, such as java moss, java fern, etc.
I had some questions:
-What are other easy, low to medium light plants that grow well in a ten gallon?
-What substrate is best for a shrimp and plants only tank?
-Should I dose Excel? What about root tabs?
Please feel free to include any other tips/advice you have about setting up a shrimp breeding tank and getting them to successfully breed.
Thanks.

 

[Delapool]

Did you set this up?

 

[TMaier]

Sand substrate. Not too deep 1/4 of an inch. Get plants you don't have to bury. Java, Anubias, Buce, guppy grass, subwassertang and mosses. Attach the rhizome plants to wood or rock. Shrimp really like wood. Use a liquid fert. I suggest snails as well.

Set up the tank and let it stabilize for 3 months. Shrimp hate new tanks. And once they are there don't change stuff too much. I changed my substrate and lost all of them.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

Okay, I'll give that a try! It might be a bit until I'm able to get it all set up, but I'll update this thread with progress. Thanks for the help.