Shrimp for beginners

Cherry shrimp are the small red creatures that keep our nano tanks spotless. They pick at algae and leftover food all day, they breed without any help, and a colony of fifteen can grow to a hundred in a year. They are also very sensitive to a few things, and most losses come from the same three mistakes.

The first rule is a mature tank. Shrimp need a tank that has run for at least six weeks, with stable water and some algae and biofilm to graze. A brand new tank, even if it reads zero on the test kit, is too clean for them.

The second is copper. Many medicines and some plant fertilisers contain copper, which kills shrimp in small amounts. Read the label of anything you add. We stock fertilisers that are safe for shrimp and mark them on the shelf.

The third is slow change. Shrimp hate sudden shifts in temperature and hardness. Change no more than a fifth of the water at a time, and match the temperature of the new water by hand. When you bring shrimp home, drip tank water into their bag over an hour instead of floating it for fifteen minutes.

Keep them with very small, calm fish or on their own. Any fish that can fit a shrimp in its mouth will eat the babies.