cherry shrimp not getting big

[mogens]

I have had red cherry shrimp for about a year now. There breeding fine and look healthy. My question. Why are they not getting larger than a half inch.
Thanks,Mogens

[Dallascowboys16]

Originally Posted by mogens

I have had red cherry shrimp for about a year now. There breeding fine and look healthy. My question. Why are they not getting larger than a half inch.
Thanks,Mogens

Cherry shrimp don't get spectacularly large typically. Another thing that could help is getting some extra calcium in the water for exoskeleton construction. Shrimp also tend to just do a lot better when the available calcium is higher. Cuttle bone, like those found it pet stores for birds, is a great option for this. There is a product called wondershell that also adds a large amount of calcium/ minerals to the water. Another thing that could help is feeding a quality diet. I like Hikari Crab Cuisine for shrimp. It is a great complete diet for breeding/ growing shrimp.

[mogens]

Thanks,Dallascowboy. Will try the calcium.
Regards,Mogens

[ADsnail]

I second that vote on calcium. Mine were shrimpy (sorry) until I started giving them the Crab Cuisine. Didn't know about the wonder shell. Calling around for it right now...

[mogens]

Thankyou ADsnails. Guess Hikari seams to be the way to go.
Regards,Mogens

[Dallascowboys16]

Originally Posted by mogens

Thankyou ADsnails. Guess Hikari seams to be the way to go.
Regards,Mogens

Yep it really is all about the additional calcium if you want to optimize growth and breeding. Seeing as much of their body mass is built from calcium I guess this makes sense.