Thinking about getting a couple of Red Cherry Shrimp, but i've

Your tank must be mature and fully cycled as shrimp are very sensitive to ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. While their bio load is pretty much non existent, they do require stable water parameters.

>>2177643
I've heard the term "cycled" a lot but im not quite clear on the concept... do i just let some plants sit in it for a week or two?

>>2177692
lmgtfy.com/?q=what+is+cycling+in+aquaponics

Good luck with your shrimps OP, they're cool animals. I might suggest just starting with something easier like feeder fish until you learn the ropes of running an aquarium, since the slightest change in water balance can ruin the entire tank. After a couple months of practice then move on to shrimps when you have more confidence.

>>2177625
Oo so graceful.

>>2177625
Feel free to frequent aq, many own shrimp there, me included.

So to answer your question about cycling:

It means that your filter and substrate has enough bacteria in it, that prevent ammonia/nitrite by breaking down waste products.

Spikes in ammonia and nitrite do occur, when waste breaks down and you dont have enough of those bacteria (aka an immature, new tank setup).

These spikes can kill fish and inverts by poisoning them.

Shrimp are hardy, especially Neocaridina like red cherries, but you wouldn't wanna risk it.

So what you do is set up your tank without the shrimp, plant it and all and let it run for a month or more, so bacteria can build up, from you introducing starter bacteria or small fish food portions.

Go yolo or do a drop water test at the end, before you introduce your shrimp. Many stores also check your water for free.

As for tank size, just go with a 10gallon. Best beginner size for shrimp, since you have enough water as a buffer. Shrimp can be kept in smaller tanks, but as stated, 10gal is easier to maintain.

Substrate depends on whether you wanna go for more intricate plants or not.

Gravel: cheap, may harden your water, dirt can become stuck there - have to vac that shit, plants may get rooting issues.

Sand: in most cases the cheapest substrate with the least drawbacks - just beware that it shouldnt harden the water and doenst feature sharp edges, if you think about some day introducing snails or bottom dwelling fish

Small grain porous substrate: a bit more expensive than sand - doesnt change water chemistry, ideal for roots and bacteria, that occupy the pores of the small granules

Professional aquascaping soils: expensive, do lower water hardness and contain fertilizers so no need to dose ferts for your plants - if you are a beginner I wouldnt suggest them.

Shrimp are fine with either substrate, but for plants, use either sand or small grain.

>>2177625
>>2178411

As for plants, go with beginner species like anubias, javafern, javamoss, hygrophila etc. - plants help you filter the water and consume waste as well as offering hiding places for shrimp.

Filtration - usually a sponge filter is ideal for just shrimp, but if you happen to get an internal or a canister filter, make sure to put a mesh on top of the intake, so baby shrimp dont get sucked up.

Start out with 30ish shrimp for this tank size - allows for a decent gene pool. Also decorate the tank with lava rock and or driftwood, if you like. Gives them hiding places and a surface for biofilm graze on.

Shrimp also like to eat dead leaves, so feel free to put in oak or indian almond leaves.

Otherwise, just feed sparingly - they do fine with spirulina algae pellets, fish food, shrimp pellets, cooked peas, cucumber, spinach etc. .

Lupdiesel has a great channel for shrimp keeping and breeding on youtube, so you may wanna check him out.

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>>2177625
Pic is my 54l (13,5gal) shrimp tank - got about 70 blue dreams in there, that breed rather nicely.

>>2178413
>>2178411
Thank you so much, very helpful!

Last question is in regards to food, I understand WHAT to feed them, but whenever i look up WHEN to feed them, I get the response "it depends".

For instance, if I put a boiled carrot slice in my tank and let it sit there for 20 minutes, should I take out whatever is left? Or should I leave it there for an hour?

How long of a period of time should it take them to eat

>>2178683
Small pieces of carrot can be left in. Thats no problem. You just dont wanna overfeed and just feed a little thats gone after a while every other day.

Dont get too caught up about the time it takes for food to be consumed. If you feed only little portions, shrimp will deal with it.

>>2178919
>>2178413
>>2178411
Thanks man (or however many people that is) very helpful information. You da real MVP.

>>2178957
No prob. Also, you can get a great bargain, if you buy shrimp from breeders directly, via craigslist etc. - they can offer you a much better price per shrimp, if you buy in bulk, compared to fish stores.

Non-shrimp aficionado here, what is the main purpose of these shrimp? Are they bred entirely as pets or do they normally get used as bait/feed and people just took a liking to them and wanted to raise them?

>>2179217
I don't think shrimp are complicated enough to have a purpose in life.

>>2179217
they're pretty to look at, plus if you want you can eat them.

Or just breed them to look as nice as possible. Just a fun lil swimy thing like a fish. But tastier.

>>2179217
Yeah, like many pointed out, they are mostly used like ornamental fish, to complement your aquarium with something nice to look at.

>>2179217
These guys would make very expensive bait. They're cute and are excellent at removing algae from a tank.

>>2179631
How much does one shrimp cost?

>>2179730
eh, like a dollar or so

unless you get orange eyed black tiger shrimp