So, I am new to this hobby, but I have had family fish tanks before. As I've grown more interesting in actually getting into fishkeeping, I have wanted to start breeding fish. I have been researching aquariums for about a year now and I have actually scaped a few tanks forpeople, so my knowledge isn't lacking, its just experience. I have a 40 gallon breeder that I just upgraded my 2 hermit crabs from, so now it is empty. I was thinking of seting up a "community breeding" tank. My plan was to breed some kind of endler/guppy, have a pair of small plecos(bristlenose/sultans/zebras), and shrimp. I have narrowed down my other options to a few species but the shrimp have been giving me the most trouble. There are so many colors of Neocaridina davidi, and I am just lost. I feel like if I breed just Red Cherry Shrimp, there will be nobody to buy them because there are so many other places to buy them from. Also, I feel that with the more expensive shrimp, I don't want to mess up and throw away like $50 on a starting colony. Somebody please help me decide!
What Kind Of Shrimp To Start Breeding?
- Thread starter Radisho
- Start date
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libertybelle
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you are breeding other community fish in the same tank you’re unlikely to have such a surplus that you need to worry too much about selling them. All fish will snack on the babies except maybe otos. If the tank is well planted they may well out breed predation but most community tanks won’t have swarms of shrimp even if they’re breeding well. Just well fed fish! I definitely would not put expensive shrimp in with fish so I’d stick with the neos both for hardiness and because they’re fairly easy on the wallet.
That said it really comes down to personal preference. Generally speaking neos are the easiest to breed but any color that you find personally preferable would be fine. Reds are the most common which means there’s the most supply but also probably the most demand. You might ask your local fish shops to see if any of them will buy or give you store credit for them. If you do find they outbreed predation but perhaps not well enough to bother with the start up cost of shipping, many people sell them to their local fish stores instead. I personally prefer the red just because I think they look the prettiest in a planted tank but that’s just me.
Anyway summary, I’m not trying to discourage you out of keeping shrimp, of course, I find them even more enjoyable to watch than my fish and I adore them. but make sure you’re going in with open eyes. it’s easy to get caught up in the hope of selling shrimp by the bucket full but even in shrimp only tanks many people find they won’t break even with their costs. in a community tank it’s even less likely you’ll make money on the proposition..
That said it really comes down to personal preference. Generally speaking neos are the easiest to breed but any color that you find personally preferable would be fine. Reds are the most common which means there’s the most supply but also probably the most demand. You might ask your local fish shops to see if any of them will buy or give you store credit for them. If you do find they outbreed predation but perhaps not well enough to bother with the start up cost of shipping, many people sell them to their local fish stores instead. I personally prefer the red just because I think they look the prettiest in a planted tank but that’s just me.
Anyway summary, I’m not trying to discourage you out of keeping shrimp, of course, I find them even more enjoyable to watch than my fish and I adore them. but make sure you’re going in with open eyes. it’s easy to get caught up in the hope of selling shrimp by the bucket full but even in shrimp only tanks many people find they won’t break even with their costs. in a community tank it’s even less likely you’ll make money on the proposition..
The tank would just be a big mess of java moss and guppy grass, so I'm hoping that the setup will keep a decent number of shrimp from being eaten. With the other fish breeding at the same time, though, would you say it would be possible to break even or even make some profit from the tank?
Fishlegend
Aquarium Advice Freak
Just so you know
Hermit crabs need social friends you need mire than two hermit crabs to keep them happy hopefully you upgraded to get more.
Hermit crabs need social friends you need mire than two hermit crabs to keep them happy hopefully you upgraded to get more.
My 3rd guy just passed away, so yes I did upgrade them for more friends. I upgraded them to a 55 gallon tank because I felt that for the 3 of them the 40 gallon wasn't enough. I've had them in the 40 since I got them about 6 years ago so I also felt they deserved some more space.
Fishlegend
Aquarium Advice Freak
I'm glad
I'm happy you take keeping hermits seriously I am actually looking for some hermit crabitats myself like a stream mountain scape I want it to look like their Godzilla roaming around above the jungle tops as if ants were elephants
And
They
Were giants I'm so thrilled about it.
I'm happy you take keeping hermits seriously I am actually looking for some hermit crabitats myself like a stream mountain scape I want it to look like their Godzilla roaming around above the jungle tops as if ants were elephants
And
They
Were giants I'm so thrilled about it.
libertybelle
Aquarium Advice Addict
I’m not sure, maybe. I can only speak to shrimp as I’ve never bred anything else and I don’t know what kind of guppies you’d be working with. They breed so easily there usually isn’t a high demand for guppy fry, quite the opposite people are usually trying to get rid of them from overstocked tanks. I’m sure there are certain lines that may be more in demand but I don't know anything about them. Re: the shrimp in particular... Some fish are persistent hunters others more laid back. The adults will likely be fine but baby shrimp are bite size for a really long time...
Honestly even with dense planting I’d consider it a good outcome if they can outbreed predation to maintain their population, I think it’s highly unlikely you’ll be selling many cherry shrimp out of a guppy tank, especially once the guppy breeding gets going and the fish population rises. You can give yourself a fighting chance by cramming it full of moss/ plants and putting in a large population of shrimp to start and/or adding them first to let them get used to the tank and begin breeding before adding predators but you have to remember that tiny shrimp are the natural food source of fish. Hunting around plants for snacks is what they’d naturally be doing if food didn’t rain from the sky on a regular basis and they likely will continue to do so between meals.
If you’re really serious about breeding and have your heart set on trying to sell shrimp you’re kind of setting yourself up for an uphill battle putting a natural predator in with them. Have you considered adding a divider? If you want to do this in one tank for space reasons or something you could section off a small part of the tank as the shrimp area and stick a little sponge filter in the corner to make sure it gets enough filtration?
Honestly even with dense planting I’d consider it a good outcome if they can outbreed predation to maintain their population, I think it’s highly unlikely you’ll be selling many cherry shrimp out of a guppy tank, especially once the guppy breeding gets going and the fish population rises. You can give yourself a fighting chance by cramming it full of moss/ plants and putting in a large population of shrimp to start and/or adding them first to let them get used to the tank and begin breeding before adding predators but you have to remember that tiny shrimp are the natural food source of fish. Hunting around plants for snacks is what they’d naturally be doing if food didn’t rain from the sky on a regular basis and they likely will continue to do so between meals.
If you’re really serious about breeding and have your heart set on trying to sell shrimp you’re kind of setting yourself up for an uphill battle putting a natural predator in with them. Have you considered adding a divider? If you want to do this in one tank for space reasons or something you could section off a small part of the tank as the shrimp area and stick a little sponge filter in the corner to make sure it gets enough filtration?
earhtmother
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2010
- Messages
- 975
I second Liberty- if you want to try and breed shrimp then NO fish period. To have any kind of even minmal chance to break even it needs to be a shrimp only tank.
Endlers and Guppys will breed like crazy BUT if they are hybrids you will most likely only get a minimal return if any unless someone will buy them for feeders on a regular basis.
Swords or Mollys *might* be better choices if you are looking at live bearers but water quality is a definite issue with Mollies.
BristleNose will breed well once you find a compatible pair
Endlers and Guppys will breed like crazy BUT if they are hybrids you will most likely only get a minimal return if any unless someone will buy them for feeders on a regular basis.
Swords or Mollys *might* be better choices if you are looking at live bearers but water quality is a definite issue with Mollies.
BristleNose will breed well once you find a compatible pair
Just separated shrimp and guppies here about a month back. Is a small tank but definitely seeing more shrimp now.
libertybelle
Aquarium Advice Addict
Probably both from them not being eaten AND from them feeling safe and coming out more!
Breeding them for amusement in a combination tank is fine.
BUT - there is always more to do if trying for success / $$ to supplement your tank hobby.
As a side note, usually people with plecos, Ancistrus are the most easily bred ones.
And they need totes or tanks for the various size groups of babies which pop out and you need to consider micro foods for them, usually you culture like Vinegar Eels micro worms, and baby Brine shrimp.
A solid idea Ancistrus is for Longfin Green Dragon Plecos, Albino Green Dragons, always seem to be a hit and often not available at the normal lfs. Greg Sage of Select Aquatics has some amazing long finnedhttp://www.selectaquatics.com/
Or Super Red Ancistrus. Always popular.
During summer you can also buy a group of fish and breed them out doors in Rubbermaid or similar tubs.
Summer tubbing from Rachel O'Leary on YouTube is full of great ideas including shrimp in tubs. 2019 and work back.
Great advice above about checking with the lfs about what fish customers are asking for and what the lfs might be willing to trade for yours if you had them.
Our lfs, is not interested in customers excess fish to buy or trade.
Something really popular, is good / easy sell - orange Dwarf Crayfish CAMBARELLUS PATZCUARENSIS aka CPO. The color you see are pretty much the color you get. Good ones don't need to grow up to get bright orange they should already be really orange.
For shrimp, trends are strong always for #1 Red and for Blue.
Bloody Mary Shrimp are gorgeous little jewels. Never raised them myself and not sure how many culls they have in their babies.
Better quality usually means less culls.
Look for articles about what the shrimp trends are / new shrimp coming out from breeders / shrimp which win awards.
Bloody Mary shrimp different than Fire red Shrimp
Bloody Mary has a red body with translucent shell allowing color to shine through. Shine like a Ruby / Jewel.
Best example I can think of
https://soshrimp.com/bloody-mary-shrimp/
Fire Red Deep dark red shell
https://soshrimp.com/painted-fire-red-shrimp/
Pinto shrimp many different groups and price points.
Wine red look amazing and I bet these aren't for sale locally
https://jtibee.com/epages/5d8d722b-...21-44f3-9edd-1dfde4add597/Products/WR-Package
Which you can sell them for a bit better price.
Tangerine Tiger shrimp easy and beautiful. Look for ones which are really Tangerine color and not yellow orange. Some have orange eyes!
I adore shrimp! Also recommend Shrimp only tank for breeding.
Easy to grow in a 20 tall / takes up the same amount of space as a 10G. lots of room for bunches of moss and plants DW and water. Water is your friend and helps keep the shrimp safer and give plenty of room to grow.
BUT - there is always more to do if trying for success / $$ to supplement your tank hobby.
As a side note, usually people with plecos, Ancistrus are the most easily bred ones.
And they need totes or tanks for the various size groups of babies which pop out and you need to consider micro foods for them, usually you culture like Vinegar Eels micro worms, and baby Brine shrimp.
A solid idea Ancistrus is for Longfin Green Dragon Plecos, Albino Green Dragons, always seem to be a hit and often not available at the normal lfs. Greg Sage of Select Aquatics has some amazing long finnedhttp://www.selectaquatics.com/
Or Super Red Ancistrus. Always popular.
During summer you can also buy a group of fish and breed them out doors in Rubbermaid or similar tubs.
Summer tubbing from Rachel O'Leary on YouTube is full of great ideas including shrimp in tubs. 2019 and work back.
Great advice above about checking with the lfs about what fish customers are asking for and what the lfs might be willing to trade for yours if you had them.
Our lfs, is not interested in customers excess fish to buy or trade.
Something really popular, is good / easy sell - orange Dwarf Crayfish CAMBARELLUS PATZCUARENSIS aka CPO. The color you see are pretty much the color you get. Good ones don't need to grow up to get bright orange they should already be really orange.
For shrimp, trends are strong always for #1 Red and for Blue.
Bloody Mary Shrimp are gorgeous little jewels. Never raised them myself and not sure how many culls they have in their babies.
Better quality usually means less culls.
Look for articles about what the shrimp trends are / new shrimp coming out from breeders / shrimp which win awards.
Bloody Mary shrimp different than Fire red Shrimp
Bloody Mary has a red body with translucent shell allowing color to shine through. Shine like a Ruby / Jewel.
Best example I can think of
https://soshrimp.com/bloody-mary-shrimp/
Fire Red Deep dark red shell
https://soshrimp.com/painted-fire-red-shrimp/
Pinto shrimp many different groups and price points.
Wine red look amazing and I bet these aren't for sale locally
https://jtibee.com/epages/5d8d722b-...21-44f3-9edd-1dfde4add597/Products/WR-Package
Which you can sell them for a bit better price.
Tangerine Tiger shrimp easy and beautiful. Look for ones which are really Tangerine color and not yellow orange. Some have orange eyes!
I adore shrimp! Also recommend Shrimp only tank for breeding.
Easy to grow in a 20 tall / takes up the same amount of space as a 10G. lots of room for bunches of moss and plants DW and water. Water is your friend and helps keep the shrimp safer and give plenty of room to grow.
Last edited:
So, for the shrimp, I have 2 possible plans.
1. Breed shrimp alone in the tank for about 6 months to a year to let the java moss+shrimp population grow, and then add plecos, and finally guppies/endlers(still haven't decided between albino full red guppies or rainbow tiger endlers).
2. Breed shrimp in a separated part of the tank that has the volume of 10-15 gallons, and let the other fish breed in the remaining 25-30 gallons of space.
Which one would you advise? I like the 1st plan because in theory if the shrimp colony is big enough, a few babies being eaten won't hurt very much and the other fish get some occasional nutritious live food. However, I would not want it to all crash and burn if the other fish eat all of the shrimp. Also, the other fish would have more room to breed, which I don't know if that is a big deal but its something I thought of. I also like the second plan because it means way higher survival for shrimp, but could mean that the side with the guppies and plecos is too cramped after guppy population booms. Please leave your input! Also, I am trying to find some good shrimp food for less than $15. Is there anything out there that doesn't cost a fortune? Thanks!
1. Breed shrimp alone in the tank for about 6 months to a year to let the java moss+shrimp population grow, and then add plecos, and finally guppies/endlers(still haven't decided between albino full red guppies or rainbow tiger endlers).
2. Breed shrimp in a separated part of the tank that has the volume of 10-15 gallons, and let the other fish breed in the remaining 25-30 gallons of space.
Which one would you advise? I like the 1st plan because in theory if the shrimp colony is big enough, a few babies being eaten won't hurt very much and the other fish get some occasional nutritious live food. However, I would not want it to all crash and burn if the other fish eat all of the shrimp. Also, the other fish would have more room to breed, which I don't know if that is a big deal but its something I thought of. I also like the second plan because it means way higher survival for shrimp, but could mean that the side with the guppies and plecos is too cramped after guppy population booms. Please leave your input! Also, I am trying to find some good shrimp food for less than $15. Is there anything out there that doesn't cost a fortune? Thanks!
Look for sample packs combos of brand name foods
Have bought from both these sellers at least 2x over the years and both are very good.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GlasGarten...725296?hash=item3faa37d4b0:g:OJsAAOSw7FJbjB-I
https://www.jungleaquashrimp.com/cologne-shrimp-food-csf-sample-food-package/
https://www.jungleaquashrimp.com/cologne-shrimp-food-csf-ultimate-sample-food-9-packs-good-amount/
The nice thing is you get to see what they might actually eat. Worst situation is you spend $15 on one kind of food and they do not like it. Guppies would probably eat it though.
Momma Guppies/Endlers are monsters about eating and will scarf up anything. I will see if I can get a video, if not - it looks like tiny starving Piranha in an Amazon river.
They will nibble on shrimp but shrimp are fast and might have some escape, Guppies are not super hunters so will be off to the next thing.
Subwassertang (sometimes aka Susswassertang) is a really good plant but start growing some sooner than later as it grows slowly compared to many other plants.
Narrow Leaf / Needle leaf Java Ferns are great.
Hornwort it seems to be happy with a bit of mineral content and medium pH seems to be a barrier for larger fish when it is a mass in the tank.
How about another possible option -
2 tanks taking up same space any of the types like this or a Gorilla rack type with 3 or 4 shelves..... :brow: Just a thought
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/imagitarium-brooklyn-metal-tank-stand-29-gallons.
I think separating the shrimp from fish if you are trying to get money out of it.
What is your water KH/GH / TDS /pH out of the tap?
Going with fish which prefer your water type is a good idea. More people will be better able to keep them successfully, same water types usually around your area.
Caridina / Crystal Red Shrimp / CRS are nice and very affordable. Often expensive at lfs if they even have them.
You can always start out with Neos and then go toward Tangerine Tigers or CRS.
It is always good to know how to check charts for Caridina shrimp types and what breeds into what shrimps.
And grading information and charts for grades A-SSS(S)
Have bought from both these sellers at least 2x over the years and both are very good.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GlasGarten...725296?hash=item3faa37d4b0:g:OJsAAOSw7FJbjB-I
https://www.jungleaquashrimp.com/cologne-shrimp-food-csf-sample-food-package/
https://www.jungleaquashrimp.com/cologne-shrimp-food-csf-ultimate-sample-food-9-packs-good-amount/
The nice thing is you get to see what they might actually eat. Worst situation is you spend $15 on one kind of food and they do not like it. Guppies would probably eat it though.
Momma Guppies/Endlers are monsters about eating and will scarf up anything. I will see if I can get a video, if not - it looks like tiny starving Piranha in an Amazon river.
They will nibble on shrimp but shrimp are fast and might have some escape, Guppies are not super hunters so will be off to the next thing.
Subwassertang (sometimes aka Susswassertang) is a really good plant but start growing some sooner than later as it grows slowly compared to many other plants.
Narrow Leaf / Needle leaf Java Ferns are great.
Hornwort it seems to be happy with a bit of mineral content and medium pH seems to be a barrier for larger fish when it is a mass in the tank.
How about another possible option -
2 tanks taking up same space any of the types like this or a Gorilla rack type with 3 or 4 shelves..... :brow: Just a thought
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/imagitarium-brooklyn-metal-tank-stand-29-gallons.
I think separating the shrimp from fish if you are trying to get money out of it.
What is your water KH/GH / TDS /pH out of the tap?
Going with fish which prefer your water type is a good idea. More people will be better able to keep them successfully, same water types usually around your area.
Caridina / Crystal Red Shrimp / CRS are nice and very affordable. Often expensive at lfs if they even have them.
You can always start out with Neos and then go toward Tangerine Tigers or CRS.
It is always good to know how to check charts for Caridina shrimp types and what breeds into what shrimps.
And grading information and charts for grades A-SSS(S)
libertybelle
Aquarium Advice Addict
Have you ever kept shrimp before?
There’s sometimes a bit of a learning curve, frankly, because even hardy shrimp are quite a bit more sensitive than most fish. Point is with a learning curve of a new shrimp keeper it may be a stretch to make money even with shrimp separated from fish so adding another limitation by keeping them in a tank with things that will eat them very well might have your shrimp population crashing even below replacement level. (Eyes tank with apparently untreatable bacterial infection pointedly...) you’ve got all your eggs in one basket so to speak.
Frankly it comes down to this: how much do you care about breaking even or making money.
If you want to keep fish and shrimp for fun and enjoyment and it’s a nice bonus if they do well enough that you can sell some... great. Do whichever you like, losing a few babies whenever your fish can catch them aren’t a huge deal. That’s the situation I’m in. I got them because they’re fun and I enjoy them. If someday I have a tank that thrives so much I can sell offspring, great, if not no big deal.
If you are set on giving yourself the best possible chance of making money and that is your priority... it becomes a no brainer. You don’t want fish eating your profits and you don’t want all your eggs in one basket. In that case you want them separate, probably ideally in separate tanks so if something goes wrong in one and you need to medicate or something you’re not in trouble. And you need to be much more careful about what you choose to breed. Make sure you have a market even if it’s as feeders to a lfs. You don’t want to get a year into this project and have a tank full of guppies that you can’t even give away because everyone and their mother is trying to sell guppies.
There’s sometimes a bit of a learning curve, frankly, because even hardy shrimp are quite a bit more sensitive than most fish. Point is with a learning curve of a new shrimp keeper it may be a stretch to make money even with shrimp separated from fish so adding another limitation by keeping them in a tank with things that will eat them very well might have your shrimp population crashing even below replacement level. (Eyes tank with apparently untreatable bacterial infection pointedly...) you’ve got all your eggs in one basket so to speak.
Frankly it comes down to this: how much do you care about breaking even or making money.
If you want to keep fish and shrimp for fun and enjoyment and it’s a nice bonus if they do well enough that you can sell some... great. Do whichever you like, losing a few babies whenever your fish can catch them aren’t a huge deal. That’s the situation I’m in. I got them because they’re fun and I enjoy them. If someday I have a tank that thrives so much I can sell offspring, great, if not no big deal.
If you are set on giving yourself the best possible chance of making money and that is your priority... it becomes a no brainer. You don’t want fish eating your profits and you don’t want all your eggs in one basket. In that case you want them separate, probably ideally in separate tanks so if something goes wrong in one and you need to medicate or something you’re not in trouble. And you need to be much more careful about what you choose to breed. Make sure you have a market even if it’s as feeders to a lfs. You don’t want to get a year into this project and have a tank full of guppies that you can’t even give away because everyone and their mother is trying to sell guppies.
I see the concerns being brought up about the shrimp being eaten by the fish and after more research, I can see why. Right now my top plan is to raise shrimp on one side and other fish on another side.
I will choose a type of shrimp based on my water parameters, but for a while that will be the only thing I breed.
When the local fish stores start to open up again (after this mess), I will be able to go in and ask what is in high demand and base my decisions on that. However, my local fish store is very much focused on cichlids (store is like 65% cichlids, 35% other), so it may be more worth it to breed cichlids instead of guppies and plecos.
I am currently making a shopping list so I will send all the items I will get and already have. Please leave any suggestions for what I may still need for the shrimp.
I HAVE-
Water Conditioner
Tank
Filters
Substrate
Net
LED Light
Java Moss
SHOPPING LIST-
Food
Heater
Thermometer
Filter Intake Sponge
Test Kit
Subwassertang
Lastly, I have 1 more idea. I am definitely trying to do this project for profit, so if this will make more money, I will do this. I have an empty 20 gallon tank as well, so in theory if I keep shrimp alone in the 20 and other fish in the 40, I could make more money because I am not sacrificing any space. However, I would prefer it if this could all be done in the one big tank and still make profit, as I don't have much space in my room, and the 20 gallon would then be a display tank.
You guys have been very heplful, thanks for any infomation.
I will choose a type of shrimp based on my water parameters, but for a while that will be the only thing I breed.
When the local fish stores start to open up again (after this mess), I will be able to go in and ask what is in high demand and base my decisions on that. However, my local fish store is very much focused on cichlids (store is like 65% cichlids, 35% other), so it may be more worth it to breed cichlids instead of guppies and plecos.
I am currently making a shopping list so I will send all the items I will get and already have. Please leave any suggestions for what I may still need for the shrimp.
I HAVE-
Water Conditioner
Tank
Filters
Substrate
Net
LED Light
Java Moss
SHOPPING LIST-
Food
Heater
Thermometer
Filter Intake Sponge
Test Kit
Subwassertang
Lastly, I have 1 more idea. I am definitely trying to do this project for profit, so if this will make more money, I will do this. I have an empty 20 gallon tank as well, so in theory if I keep shrimp alone in the 20 and other fish in the 40, I could make more money because I am not sacrificing any space. However, I would prefer it if this could all be done in the one big tank and still make profit, as I don't have much space in my room, and the 20 gallon would then be a display tank.
You guys have been very heplful, thanks for any infomation.
Just a thought but that sounds like our stores which mainly focus on cichlids with plants and particularly shrimp quite more rare. The cichlids probably come from guys with complete fish room setups - dedicated breeders. You might have some competition. But if there is a local society in your area that holds auctions and monthly meets - this could be another sales area. Just in case relevant.
