# Breeding red cherry shrimp



## Totem44

I've Been wanting to breed my red cherry shrimp for some time now with no success I bight 12 at first (i think some may have disappeared). Is there any tips or tricks anyone knows. I also have a betta and some pygmy corys in the tank. The reason I want to breed them is to feed them to my cichlids. Thanks


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## susankat

The betta is probably eating the young ones that can fit into his mouth, also some of the smaller adults. 
Cherry shrimp can be an expensive meal and won't do much good for cichlids unless you give lots of them at a time.


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## NursePlaty

All you need is good water quality. I just threw mine in a random tank, no heater, no filter and they still multiply fast.. I also change 80% of the water once every 2 weeks. 

My friend breeds them to feed to cichlids too.


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## James0816

The betta is definately loving the free meals. Sry.

RCS are or should be very easy to breed. You really don't have to do much other than throw them in a tank and watch. Water quality isn't as much an issue with them as other dwarf varieties.

But feeding to cichlids.....interesting.


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## Totem44

Darn I didn't think the betta would eat the shrimp. Will they still breed with the pygmy corys in the tank?


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## James0816

Totem44 said:


> Darn I didn't think the betta would eat the shrimp. Will they still breed with the pygmy corys in the tank?


Cories shouldn't bother them at all.


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## susankat

I'm always putting cory eggs in my shrimp tank as they will help keep fungus off the eggs then I take them out after hatching and big enough to move.


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## mk4gti

I breed red cherrys, and red crystals. Few tips i can give you would be first, make sure you have good nutral substrate, preferably black. I use eco complete. Make sure your tank is cycled for atleast 3 months. Meaning cycle the tank, and keep some small tetras(neons) in the tank for 3 months before adding shrimp. Java moss and java ferns both easy to keep and the shrimp love them. The only fish i keep in my "breeding" tank would be ottos. Everythnig else could be suspect in killing baby shrimp. Also remember to cover your filter inlet tube. Stability is the key, keep your water parameters stable, some people differ on what range PH they breed best in but as long as there are no drastic changes, RCS are pretty hardy and should breed in most sutiable conditions. I have like 20 berried female RCS in my tank at a time. there are over 300 RCS total by now. I started with 30, 10 from 3 different sources.


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## i4yue

for me...the most important thing is to make sure that you have both male and female rcs. the males are quite a bit smaller and clear in color compared to the bright red females. i got ALOT of plants growing out of control in my shrimp tank and im breeding them to fill up my big 120. i dont keep any fish in the tank with my shrimp...i let the algae grow and scrape it off every once in a while. VERY ez =)


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## James0816

i4yue said:


> for me...the most important thing is to make sure that you have both male and female rcs.


Wellllll .... yeah .... that does kinda help things along doesn't it. ;o)

Sry ... couldn't resist.


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## Totem44

Yep I finally witnessed my betta rip in half one of my larger female rcs. Dont think I'm gonna try them again until I dedicate a tank to them. Atleast I got the rcs from abreeder on craigslist for a dollar a piece rather than the lfs for $4.98 a piece. 

Anyone know about breeding amano shrimp? (they re much cheaper at the lfs)


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## James0816

Totem44 said:


> Anyone know about breeding amano shrimp? (they re much cheaper at the lfs)


Amano's are low order breeders meaning the eggs hatch out in a larval state. The larvae then require salt water conditions to morph into the adult form. I'm currently attempting this as we speak. Just a waiting game for them to berry up.


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## holly12

I'm not having any luck getting mine to breed either, and I have quite a few males and females in the tank. All water parameters are fine (except Nitrates are a bit high - high end of safe - because we are on a natural well, so our tap water has high nitrates in it). I put a few live plants in the tank to help eat up the Nitrates, but still no "berried" adult females.


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