My TOP tips for keeping Shrimp!

[@MarTeeNezNC]

I've learned so much from you! The amano shrimp I bought from you are thriving in my 45 tall. It's well planted, well-cycled, and they're having a great time playing and eating. I love watching them coast through the current and land on the moss ball. Thanks for teaching me and giving me the confidence to own shrimp!!

[@RachelOLeary]

that makes me very happy to hear :) Thanks again Julie!

[@copuis]

great advise, I went the "hard route" of a dirt tank with my first shrimp, and after all the tannis had been leached, added the shrimp, and that have ballooned in number very quickly there were a few time were I honestly thought they were all dead, but i'd see the odd one from time to time, so didn't really want to upset the tank turns out they were just hiding and breeding for a couple on months, it is such a low effort tank, water change once a month, trim plants, clean filter, pour scotch, put on music, and look hard into the tank and once you spot the one little guy doing it's thing, you'll see more

[@TimeFactorTrader]

7:35 add some plants, use a mature tank, give the biggest space possible, keep tank clean, keep watch on livestock.

[@finalout99]

I just moved my RCS from my community tank to their very own tank. I want to breed RCS and get further experience in husbandry. Really enjoy your videos and find it inspiring that your video on shrimps came out when I'm getting going. Thanks a bunch!

[@RachelOLeary]

+finalout99 best of luck!

[@benedikt13]

Thanks for all the great information. I'm jumping into shrimp for the first time. I have kept reef tanks successfully in the past and am hopping for similar success in this part of the hobby. Thanks.

[@mikef3300]

I’ve kept fish for decades and figured I’d give shrimp a try. Been a bumpy road so far. Started with 15 cherry shrimp. Weeks go by with no losses then one will pass. Just found a buried female had died last night. I really like keeping and watching the shrimp but having them die is disheartening. I feel so horrible that my inexperience is costing the little guys their lives even with all the planning and research I’ve done. I’m down to 9 now and if they pass away I’m pretty sure my shrimp keeping days are over.

[@nicholasponte684]

I just recently got my shrimp tank up and running. After having cycled it for like ages. The hardest part I have to admit was finding shrimp locally. Took me over a month just to source some. A few molted already, and I am hoping for the best. I had initially wanted blue's but they are non existent here. I mostly got myself started into this hobby watching your videos though. So like thanks for that and keep up the good work.

[@RachelOLeary]

wow, that is nice to hear! best of luck with the new guys :)

[@kurtjohnson667]

Great video and tips. Just got some cherry shrimp at our club auction in January. I am already moving the babies to a 25 gallon livebearer grow out tank. Love em. Adds another dimension to my tanks.

[@tandjongirski2212]

Thanks for helping people like me out with this wonderful hobby!

[@redjack56]

Thanks Rachel, I love the idea of keeping it simple ! 🦐

[@jlathem56]

#1 Tip Kiss Keep It Super Simple The less complicated your setup is the easier it will be to troubleshoot issues should any arise.

[@chuckt8354]

I also keep a "water" page in a note book on each tank. While I don't do water parameter checks on a regular basis (tds and temp I do) I do spot checks. I can go back years. I only top off with RO water so water parameters stay pretty stable. tds will climb over time. Water changes with shrimp tanks are 25% each month that's it. I feed every other day. Keeping snails (not nerites) in each tank will gauge your feeding habits. If you're over feeding the snail population will climb. It's good to have a tank of pea puffers for these times! Our tanks look pretty similar even with what looked like a piece of red lava rock! Two additions to the shrimp rack this year.... Sulawesi Cardinals and Opae Ula.

[@justcreepy8592]

Rachel, your videos are amazing! Thank you very much!!!

[@pantastic94]

I just bought the nano fish book you coauthored!! So glad you made a video on shrimp since there's not very many good videos out there. Thank you!! Love your hair btw :D

[@RachelOLeary]

+Amanda Hori thanks amanda!

[@MileHiFreshwater]

What a great video. Keep it simple. I think a lot of this hobby can learn from that mantra. There are so many products out there that claim to make your life easier when in actuality they make it more complicated or even make things worse. Thanks for the wisdom!

[@karenjgray5577]

I've had reasonable success with most of my shrimp, I think mostly because I put about as many plants as I can cram into every tank. They've very helpful in keeping things nice and stable. I don't have water that suits many of the caridinas, I have Amano, and very recently I got some Babaulti and am hopeful they'll do all right. I have Yellow and Green Neos and the other day I found two tiny Dream Blue shrimplets too. They hitchhiked in a newly purchased pad of moss. It will be very cool if they turn out to be one of each gender. If not, guess I'll have to invest in a few more of them. They sure are gorgeous, even at their tiny size. I get a kick out of the filter feeding species too. I have the so called Giant Africans, which aren't any larger than Bamboos are, as well as Bamboos, which have done really well for me. They're large enough that none of my small fish ever bother them. Takes 90 days in full marine conditions for their larvae to make it to the adult form, so that's a problem. I've had a couple of females get berried; maybe one day I'll tackle trying to raise the larvae. I started with Ghosts, the only shrimp I could get at the time. They turned out to be very easy to raise and though they're not colourful, they can be as entertaining as any shrimp. It's fun to watch shrimp argue over morsels of food or swimming madly away while clutching some tidbit tightly.

[@qeithwreid7745]

Hi Rachel. My 10 RCS in new marina 360 all died except the biggest. I had added crushed shells, moss, plants. I saw failed molts and planaria. I think I was overheating and overfeeding so the RCS grew too fast for shells. I've taken out proprietary heater and I'm going to buy another batch and feed less. OK? :) great channel as always

[@marthanewsome6375]

I tried to steer clear of having fish in my heavily planted shrimp tanks, but it really seemed weird not to include them as I was trying to achieve a micro-environment that included shrimp. So I've included some oto's and endlers and so far it's been great. I was just wondering from your extensive experience Rachel if you knew what other species go well in this kind of set up? I have two 15 to 17 gallon planted tanks with both neocardinia's and cardinia's living side by side. Of course the water perimeters are closer set to suit the cardinia's, but the neo's are thriving. I just think the fish make it more interesting to look at, as at times the shrimp are hidden away in the plants.

[@RachelOLeary]

I like combining boraras with them, they only eat the newest hatched babies.

[@marthanewsome6375]

Will have to look those up. My endlers are so tiny and have trouble eating the smallest pellets. They can't fit a seed shrimp in their mouths and one girl is with eggs/babys and she should pop any time now. I'm so excited. Boraras sound interesting and thank you for your advice. Love your work.

[@94110mission]

A separate Thumbs Up for the t-shirt. I'm from Philly too, and I know the feeling.

[@marksguitars5617]

thanks for the video, was gonna ask you some things about shrimp, but this video covers it all!

[@diver101kiai]

Huge fan of what you do! Just wondering how I can test if the plastic plants ('topper balls') I bought from dollarama are safe and free of leaching risks. I bought some poly fil to test my tanks if there is chemical contamination. So far I've soaked them in a vinegar and super hot water bath, then let them soak in just hot water. Can I eliminate the risk of leaching if I leave them to soak for like a week? What are some red flags that indicate leaching (if they are just soaking without the fish)?

[@DiGiTaLM4N]

Good timing as I'm considering doing a shrimp only tank about 10-20 gallons. :D

[@lisac2766]

I love your videos! Great concise information! Thank you :) Would love to see a species spot light on horned nerite snails :), I think I saw a few in your shrimp tanks! I bought a couple on a whim and I've fallen in love. Will be getting more from my LFS as soon as they are back in stock

[@RachelOLeary]

+Lisa C thanks Lisa and will do

[@lisac2766]

Rachel O'leary awesome!!!

[@NoRmAsJeAnS82]

As always, great tips Rachel!! Your shirt is pretty great too.

[@RachelOLeary]

ha! thanks. It is also accurate!

[@KaPika735]

I have a 4 gallon that's set up for some blue shrimp (very mature tank, has had bettas in it in the past) I got them as juvies from the seller and I've had them in there for about 3 weeks now - They've all moulted successfully several times since them and seem to be doing pretty well! Hoping for some babies soon! I plan to move the offspring to my 8 and 10 gallon betta tanks when they're old enough to hold their own in with something that may or may not try to eat them lol

[@RachelOLeary]

Good luck!

[@MissMeganBeckett]

Katie Mac Arts how did it go with the bettas? I am thinking of getting the blue neocaridina shrimp and a betta. I have heard from other sources that red shrimp are almost always eaten by bettas, but ghost shrimp have a better chance of not being eaten. I haven’t found any source of information about the blue ones though.

[@malnutritionboy]

@@MissMeganBeckett red and blues are the same species. Just give them lots of moss to hide in. Ghost shrimp are as large as the betta itself so obviously bettas wouldn't attack them

[@CryptidLarklin]

I'm about to set up my 23 gallon planted tank, I'm probably going to heat it at 22 degrees so I can keep white cloud, what other fish would you suggest, I thought about shrimp for a long time but don't think I'd be able to give them everything they need because of how very hard my tap water is (it is naturally filtered through a chalk aquifer)

[@joydas4442]

Are Mineral rocks a must have for shrimp tank ?? Is it necessary to add Calcium supplement for good Color ?? What's the easiest , cheapest and effective way to do that ??

[@shrimpsociety7057]

I love your videos Rachel. Thank you so much

[@RachelOLeary]

+Shrimp Society thanks :)

[@mellb2743]

How long would you recommend leaving a tank running (using a filter from an already established healthy tank) before adding shrimp? Great video by the way!!

[@zettatakem4173]

I got some Dunks on my balcony I got Apple snails the mosquitoes took over I got Dunks drop one in snail tank came back in 1 hour all gone by love your show

[@RachelOLeary]

Good!

[@lucasisawesome37]

Waiting for the update on the in stock list, much respect!

[@Ballacha]

not completely related but i've been observing something very interesting in my tank. everyone says chili rasboras occupy the top one-third of the tank and will only feed on live/simulated live feed like baby brine shrimp or frozen baby brine shrimp. well, my chilis eat 99% of the sinking shrimp pellets and will relentlessly ram the pellets against the substrate to break them down into small pieces that can fit into their mouths... thank god they don't grow over 4cm.

[@ashleyybrookee8]

Hey Rachel! I love your channel, I have learned sooooo muchhh! I can't tell you how much I appreciate that! My five gallon tank has PH that jumps more frequently than I would like, and I don't really know how to fix it. But what I am really worried about is my shrimp, I have a few cherries and two fire yellow. I just purchased the FY today anddddd i just saw one is pregnant. I really would love for you to have her babies but I am very worried that she may get too stressed. Any advice would be wonderful! Again thanks for your help and everything you do! :)

[@Magic_Weaver]

i love that most of your tanks have snails in

[@RachelOLeary]

What is your number one shrimp keeping tip? Let me know below! Instagram @msjinkzd Website and stocklist: msjinkzd.com/stocklist/ Facebook: facebook.com/msjinkzd/ Buy me a coffee: msjinkzd.com/about_msjinkzd/support-our-site/

[@Jarom.M]

My shrimp tip that most people don't talk about it keeping a log. I test all of my water parameters every week and record it with pen a paper (a computer virus can't wipe out pen and paper). I write down everything in there: parameters, feeding schedule, ferts schedule,, vacations away from the tank, deaths, births, etc. I've got data that I can reference to see what I've done in the past to remedy problems or solutions that didn't work. I can trend how my tap water fluctuates and compensate with RO where needed to keep water changes from altering chemistry of the tank.

[@RachelOLeary]

Excellent tip! I do that as well, but write on painters tape on each tank as I tend to lose my notebooks, lol. A smart person would say use a tablet, but I have af eeling I would drop it in an aquarium.

[@christians8114]

Rachel O'leary I would say after cooking spray with a little bit of lemon juice wrapped in plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator till you need to consume

[@RachelOLeary]

+Christian Swogger I prefer sesame and garlic

[@christians8114]

Rachel O'leary WOW! I wish I could be as adventurous as you in this amazing hobby

[@kalekip14]

my nr1 tip I would say a big piecie off Matt filter or Just cut a piecie off and leave it in there so it can catch bacteria to eat for the shrimp, olso Rachel I have a question I bought spiderwood 3 months ago it was in my tank all good but I took it out for a day and it smelled like hell it still looks good but smells so dam nasty what should I do?

[@kalekip14]

btw good vids always!

[@RachelOLeary]

+BigBaller scrub it off and toss it back in

[@kalekip14]

Rachel O'leary was hoping u should said that, thanks☺

[@evelinebongaerts5896]

You have made me buy a fishtank... ;) Just inspiring to start again with this hobby, so thank you Rachel!

[@RachelOLeary]

+dierenportret awesome!!

[@evelinebongaerts5896]

Just set up the 16 gallon tank. Now on to the hard scape and I am planning for shrimp and a nice group of little fish. Luckely I have a great store here. But would love to visit your room (although I would hop on a plane for that lol). Love your down to earth vision on fish keeping and animal welfare (and your tattoos, do you have a fish tattoo?)

[@RachelOLeary]

+dierenportret I have a lot of fish related tattoos

[@evelinebongaerts5896]

Awesome, would love to have a tiny shrimp, but think that it would scare people off ;) Have the hardscape in, now starts my search for the plants. Think I am going for the Aplocheilichtys normani.

[@nialldurcan3333]

hi Rachel this is a separate subject from ur video but I am going to do some outdoor ponds this year and was hoping to breed clown killis but just what is there minimum and max temperature in ur experience ? I would really like to get some info from someone experienced with them out doors thanks

[@Shamariah2011]

Off topic: my mature mystery snails in a 25 gallon are getting damage not related to water on their shells...long injuries all through where the ‘tree ring growth’ occurs on. Their shells, In other words not related to a particular water parameter. I believe it is due to the rock decor, They live in a community tank and like to float down like a spaceship from the surface and. Wonder if they don’t land on the jagged rocks. If I take the rocks out the corydoras have no hiding place, and I don’t have a good place for the, where I would t be worried about them uprooting everything in the tank. Is a new tank the onlY solution????

[@allan7934]

My only thought on your delema would be to recommend maybe adding some sort of soft place on the rocks for them, such as moss or annubias plant. You would obviously need to take the decor out to accomplish this and fasten them to the rocks before placing back in. Otherwise starting a new tank shouldn't be required. Shells will heal btw. Have had this happen as well.

[@azleenie1]

Question!! What is your thoughts on Black Diamond Sandblasting media for substrate for my cherry shrimp? I've learned it's great for tanks but wonder if it's ok for shrimp cuz they dig around in it.. Thanks!!😁

[@jawbreaker2377]

The problem ive been having with my cherry shrimp tank is lack of Nitrates for my plants(moss java fern) I started adding Flourish comprehensive and a diy mix of KNO3 @ 5ppm. now my plants are growing like mad. What to dose for ferts in your shrimp tanks?

[@RachelOLeary]

+Joel A i don't need to dose currently

[@MusingsFromTheDen]

Thanks. 😊 That was interesting and made me feel more confident about what I'm doing with my Shrimp. Two weeks in and everyone seems happy. 😊 I got some of the Poly filter you showed in one of your videos last week and put a piece in my tank to see what affect it has on my nitrate levels (I do my weekly test in the morning). I've got a Fluval U2 with sponges I've had in there for 2 years (rinsed monthly in tank water), one of which is a sponge from the original filter I had when I first set the tank up that I cut into several smaller pieces to fit the U2 cartridge. I was wondering if I could risk replacing one of the pieces with the Poly filter without upsetting the good bacteria. What do you think?

[@RachelOLeary]

I would think you absolutely could. May not be required for the long term, but it won't hurt

[@MusingsFromTheDen]

Thank you 😊. I've just invested in more bottles for my RO water so I can do slightly bigger water changes but it's good to know I won't harm the good bacteria if I need to use the Poly filter.

[@johnm4875]

As always great information. Thanks!

WoW, amazing shrimp tanks! Thanks!

[@alisonprimofiore9185]

Your videos are so informative!!! Thank you!

[@RachelOLeary]

My pleasure

[@kp-gbuniqueinterest]

I want to grow shrimp for food. Brine shrimp is to hard for me to cultivate. Which would be good and fast breading? My Micky mouse platies have so many babies. like 30 every 3 weeks. Also do you know how I cant get my angels eggs to get fry. There is a pair in my tank. They have bread a few times but the egss keep turing white and fuzzy. I read that the 1st time that usually happens but it just keeps happening. Water quality is good. Everything is 0ppm because all my tanks heavily planted.

[@justbaquatics2512]

Just a brilliant video... thank you

[@wsk21588]

Hi, just want to ask what grass like plant that covers the bogwood at 3:38? Thanks.

[@RachelOLeary]

That is actually cladophora algae.

[@joemamma641]

This is off topic a little, but I'm curious. Rachel, do you eat fish &/or seafood? Has keeping/breeding your fish/shrimp affect your opinions on this? I used to keep fish and it hurt my feelings to eat fish or see dead fish at the grocery store. Note: I'm not talking about eating your own. I just mean in general. Also I'm not a vegan trying to bash you either way. Just curious. Love your personality and style!

[@RachelOLeary]

We eat a lot of seafood, my youngest child is a pescatarian. We also eat poultry despite having chickens. We like to do what we call responsible consumption- providing animals with a really great life that has one really bad day.

[@nuimaleko7]

I bought a couple of shrimp but they died. I am much more successful with snails. I just got a bunch of beautiful pink ramshorn snails yesterday and I am expecting 6 golden mystery snails today or tomorrow. I also have trapdoor and malayan trumpet snails. I will probably buy some nerite snails sometime in the future, but have no interest in assassin snails. I have dojo loaches in my 55 gallon tank and can easily toss small snails in for them to eat if they reproduce too much. I have kept snails with fish since I was a kid, but never really paid too much attention to them. They were just to keep the tank clean. Now I appreciate them as fascinating creatures. I know you appreciate them too.

[@meaphotographica]

Thank you for making this video. What about TDS? I have reverse osmosis water, do I need it for shrimps? I am planning to get amano shrimps for algae control

[@deeptenduchandra4507]

I have a pair of electric blue rams, siamese algae eaters, two gouramis, some small tetras and a betta couple. I am also planning to add four panda corys. My tank is planted heavily and has wood and caves. Is it possible to add shrimp to this tank?

[@RachelOLeary]

+deeptendu chandra I wouldn't. The dwarf cichlids would snack unless you went with something like Amano sheimp6

[@RachelOLeary]

+deeptendu chandra *shrimp

[@danyalkhan1463]

I would start off with either Amano shrimp or a couple of cherries. If they are harass then don't put shrimp. With dwarf cichlids you probably wouldn't get any shrimp breeding but there is a chance that a Colony would be sustainable.

[@lianaliana2456]

can i put betta in my amano/red cherry shrimp tank?

[@blufish11]

great info - more pieces to the puzzle.

[@hamadatat5703]

Rachel what do u feed ur shrimps?

[@RachelOLeary]

I feed a variety of things. I don't recommend one product in particular.

[@Qocho]

Rachel O'leary Well what are the variety of things???

[@hhhhhhhhh61]

hello and thank you so much for such an awsome channel, you rock!! I came across you the other day and have really been enjoying your content. Your passion and commitment to your fish is inspirational and so educational in a fun yet informed manner. I have a question that is off topic of this video, but I have never been able to get a good answer for... Is there a "best way" to humanely euthanize a pet fish? I ask because I have a very old, black skirt tetra that is barely hanging on to life but will not die. This has been going on for months now. I've had her in an isolation tank and now floating in a refuguarium as she struggles in the current and now only lays on her side, but still comes up to eat every morning. Any advice you could offer would be hugely appreciated. I hate to see her suffer, don't know if I can but there must be a best practice out there. My lfs told me to put it in a bag a bash it which seem barbaric, I don't have access to oil of clove, is freezing in a bag of water an okay option? I did this once years ago but it never felt right and some say "na" and some say "ya" ... thank you

[@RachelOLeary]

You won't like my answer, but I think that the most humane way is to do it exceptionally quickly (if you cannot get clove oil)- depending on fish size, I use either a knife, or my hands to crush their head. Sounds terrible, and is hard to do, but it IS immediate. Clove oil is often sold at drugstores for dental pain, might ask your local pharmacist. That is a great way to sedate them, or overdose to kill them. I have never been able to go through with freezing them, just seems like it would be a terrible way to go and while I am not sure what sort of pain receptors fish have, alternatives have always been my choice. Thank you so much for the kind words. your comment made my day.

[@hhhhhhhhh61]

Ya, that is hard to hear, especially for this Lil'gal. I love her and want to do what's best, and that's how I'd kill a fish to eat so it makes sense... I'll just woman up and do that. Thank you for your awsome and speedy reply. I'm going back to your Kuli loach video! A little more denial for now, maybe when I clean her tank tomorrow... but Weather loaches were my first love hate fish way back when so I wanna see your reasons and have a laugh for now... thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@RachelOLeary]

No shame in letting her go on her own- for the record, especially as she is eating.

[@hhhhhhhhh61]

Yes, and that is why I haven't done anything as of yet. But she's starting to get a little sore from resting on her side on the bottom of the refuguarium... I will reevaluate daily and get a better look at her tomorrow when I do a water change. Right now I'm trying not to disturb her too much. My hope is for her to pass naturally but I don't want to see a secondary infection make her suffer. I tried to add a bed of moss but she just goes under it. Thank you again

[@simonenvy6563]

In research, we use clove oil whenever we can, or the CO2 method (alka-setzer tablets) if the fish can't come to the surface to breathe. In both cases we follow by decapitation just to be on the safe side. In some cases those methods can't be used without affecting the research, so the next best option is stunning the fish with a blow to the head (typically with a hammer), then quickly decapitating it. It seems barbaric but it hurts them less than the freezing method, which is slow and painful.

[@COOPERSCICHILDS]

hay Rachel what do u feed your shrimp avid what was the name of the moss on that piece of drift wood please

[@RachelOLeary]

that was cladorphora algae on the wood. I feed a range of things, i don't recommend a particular product. I feed very hard pellets, generally, or gelatinized foods

[@edisonle8141]

Thank you very much!!

[@0nly1wyll]

Hi Rachel, is it okay to combine different types shrimp in a tank? or is their a certain combination that can be put together. Thanks.

[@RachelOLeary]

general rule of thumb is no, unless you want hybridization, which ruins the line breeding and genetics. You can combine those of different genus, though they generally like different conditions.

[@braelia2585]

Hey so I have a 10 gallons tank, planted, have some guppies in it right now that I will soon remove. My question is: can I mix two kind of shrimps in it? Like just an exemple: panda shrimps and crystal red? Or is it best to stay at only one type of shrimp?

[@RachelOLeary]

+VyX Braelia I think it's best to not hybridize

[@braelia2585]

Rachel O'leary and which type would you recommand for a beginner? And by two types I meant two types that cannot breed together :)

[@punkypam5524]

Rachel what is the name of the moss covering the wood in the Babaulti tank?

[@RachelOLeary]

It is cladophora algae. I like it. I have a love hate relationship with several algeas, lol

[@punkypam5524]

I love it

[@RachelOLeary]

Amanos do a great job of mowing it down to look like that. It has been on that particular piece of wood since about 2009, LOL

[@lizzi407]

Great video! How is your leg?

[@RachelOLeary]

getting there. Right knee is back to its crappy normal self, left ankle still has a way to go

[@Jeff-ik9zj]

Can i keep shrimp with a predator in a tank with a ton of nooks and crannies that the predator can't get in? The tank will also have alot of plants

[@RachelOLeary]

+LeonDB only if you want to feed the predator ;)

[@Jeff-ik9zj]

How about angels? My angel tank is very heavily planted, the angels can't get in the wood, dense ludwigia and echinodorus. Can they live in there without turning into a snack?

[@RachelOLeary]

angels go on a seek and destroy mission with shrimp.

[@lesterjohnson477]

Hi my name is lester from trinidad and tobago in the caribbean .i just started about 4months ago with 10 cherry schrimp 4 yellow and 4black my schrimp are doing great to the point i have alot of babies all at different sizes my problem its a 5gal tank bear bottom sponge filter and at this point i need to clean the bottom of the tank but affraid i might syphone some of my babies can you recommend some way that i do this ?I truly hope this reaches you i need help bad .

[@Aiken47]

Id add Indian Almond Leaves as substrate even on a bare bottomed tank Shrimp love surface area to graze on

[@Twichl]

I love your shrimp videos :)

[@RachelOLeary]

+Twichl thanks!

[@hillaryforpresident5005]

Are painted fire red cherry shrimp babies clear in color ? At what age do the painted fire red cherry shrimp turn fire red in color ?

[@RachelOLeary]

generally they have some color but don't reach full potential for several weeks.

[@katemadsen3647]

thank you for this! very helpful!

[@KaxenArt]

Everyone always tells me cherry shrimp are easy and that "you'll have a big colony in no time." I've tried cherry shrimp multiple times from multiple breeders, but they always end up dying off slowly. I rarely see molted shells and my water is on the hard end of what cherry shrimp can live in (or a little bit out of it. It's 20gh) so I've been told the hard water is making their shells too hard to molt. Is there any way to help them live without resorting to RO water?

[@abbysmith6807]

Have you considered using a copper test? I've heard of people who live in older houses, and have copper in their pipes! Copper is deadly to shrimp and may be killing them.

[@KaxenArt]

I tested for copper and got nothing

[@abbysmith6807]

Maybe try soils that help soften the water! My local tap has almost no kh, so it's ridiculously easy to manipulate, so I always put in a little crushed coral so my tanks don't crash. There are lots of soil options to help keep your water in the 6.5 range, like fluval shrimp stratum. Personally, I haven't used it, but I've heard that and other brands work.

[@sell1fast]

What is the easiest shrimp to keep breed and sell to a local fish store

[@RachelOLeary]

that depends on your water, what is easy for one may be challenging for another. As a basic rule, Cherry shrimp are great beginner shrimp.

[@Dovietail]

What variety are your blue shrimp?

[@squirrelattackspidy]

How do you stop sucking up shrimp fry? I keep sucking them up because they are so tiny.

[@RachelOLeary]

I use a small diameter hose so it has less draw and pinch it off if o see any go in so they can swim out. You could also put a piece of filter floss in the siphon as a barrier but this also can prevent larger debris from being removed. Another strategy is to siphon into a bucket and just let it settle then check for shrimp before you discard the water

[@squirrelattackspidy]

@@RachelOLeary Thanks! :)

[@kchstudiophx9843]

Will Assassin Snails or any other snail kill Shrinp. THX Rachel

[@TGWTHF]

hey rachel, me again, sorry to annoy you with lots of questions but, i have 2 spare 5g tanks that i'm thinking of raising some cherry shrimp in and some blue dreams, however i was wondering if there are any fish that would be possible to keep in there with the shrimp that wont eat them or their babies? I don't mind if there aren't any that would work, was just curious, thanks.

[@RachelOLeary]

+Horse if you are interested in breeding, I would just have shrimp

[@TGWTHF]

ok thanks :) i figured it would be best to just keep the shrimp, was just curious if there were any that would work for like a small display tank besides breeding ones

[@matthewzito6130]

Are there any South American inverts in the hobby? All the shrimp and snails I've seen have been Asian species.

[@mvvinds]

Any books in Shrimp Keeping for Beginner?

[@JenaTuckerAquariums]

how often do you do water changes? I've heard/read different things. Thanks!

[@RachelOLeary]

I tend to do frequent, small volume water changes on shrimp tanks- especially if they are using a specialized substrate.

[@JenaTuckerAquariums]

Rachel O'leary OK, thank you.

[@Nenezilla]

I loved my bamboo shrimp (1) I had, but then he molted and wasn't eatting after that and passed away. I'm so upset, I know it had to be something I did, but don't know what.

[@theindustriousant8280]

are you bringing any blue, red or yellow neo shrimp to sell in Denver I would love to get some of your shrimp

[@RachelOLeary]

+Flow And Grow ! No, probably not as it's a long flight

[@theindianphilozoic]

Is there any video of yours regarding keeping Guppies? If no can u pls guide me keeping them! I have no luck keeping them.

[@RachelOLeary]

i have never kept guppies

[@josephconnery4148]

how do I email an order request? I see no email link on the website besides info for wholesale store purchasing.

[@RachelOLeary]

+Joseph Connery the current stocklist has my email, [e-mail] I am overdue for a website revamp

[@warman]

I cant keep shrimp for long...They may last months but eventualy they all disapear. Same thing with snails, they all end up dying.

[@udaydas6291]

Can i keep shrimps without air pump Mam?

[@varanidguy]

Are cherry shrimp a for sure no-go with blue rams?

[@RachelOLeary]

yes

[@varanidguy]

That's a bummer. Oh well...excuse to set up a small shrimp tank, maybe? lol

[@shyampatel4820]

could you plz share some real information about the PAINTED GLASS TETRA FISH. some say it's safe to buy them as they're genetically modified, then there are some people who say don't buy them as they're mercilessly injected with harmful dye's n many of them die in the process !!! there's alot being talked about but wanna know the real thing. should buy them or not ?

[@babydonnaP]

Shyam Patel Painted glass tetras have been artificially dyed, it's glowfish that's been genetically modified.

[@shyampatel4820]

Thank you so much. Just love the work u do u : )

[@babydonnaP]

Shyam Patel Thank you! And your welcome :-D

[@bosswolgast]

thanks for a good video

[@renekjorgenson-massad7497]

Do you recommend keeping shrimp in tanks that only house shrimp? I would love to add them to my planted aquariums but the tanks have fish. Would you suggest even trying to add them to the existing ecosystems? As always, your channel is wonderful. Thank you for all your hard work.

[@RachelOLeary]

If your goal is breeding shrimp, then a shrimp only tank is the only way to go. If your goal is to maintain a colony, with little growth, shrimp can often be combined with fish, especially small ones.

[@user-jb7et9iq2r]

Those neo shrimp fry are very tiny, and even small, timid fish like celestial pearl danios will eat them. I haven't seen my CPDs touch the medium/larger shrimp so once they're grown, they might be fine. Even with heavy cover, having fish will limit the size of your colony because fish can get through a lot of it just to hunt for food. I've seen my small fish, like tetras, white cloud minnows, and CPDs go through heavy moss and vegetation just to find a morsel. I'm actually keeping fish in my shrimp tank to limit its growth because without the fish, the shrimp population explodes but it really depends on your fish and if they'll go after the medium/bigger shrimp because it's almost guaranteed they'll go after the fry. The only fish that I've had in my shrimp tank that hasn't stopped a baby boom is the otocinclus or hillstream loach. Of course, others may have a different experience.

[@kalekip14]

plot twist no joke I put baby black molly in my shrimp tank for a month cuz its not safe for them to go with my bigger fish tank.. and my shrimp Just gang on a baby molly some times and eat it... and I feed my shrimp verry good.. weird as F lol

[@user-jb7et9iq2r]

I can see ghost shrimp doing that but neos are scavangers so maybe the molly was dead. What kind of shrimp were they?

[@kalekip14]

i ive seen them attack a alive one it was red cherrys lol

[@victortellez4987]

Too this lady is so cool!

[@markcassanova5309]

CAN YOU USE A 5 GAL FOR SHRIMPS

[@RachelOLeary]

+Mark Cassanova yes

[@dylansfish7974]

Amazing vid

[@niklasvesterlund5515]

good tips Rachel O'leary :)

[@DJ_LittlePea]

Anyone would be crazy not to take your advice Rachel 🤗🤗

[@RachelOLeary]

[@inf3ct3dr3x2]

love your videos

[@RachelOLeary]

thanks!

[@inf3ct3dr3x2]

I have a question. I have a pearl and blue gorami. Recently the pearl started chasing the blue around my 45g but not always they eat together and do swim around each other. Should I be worried?

[@RachelOLeary]

in a 45g, probably not.

[@inf3ct3dr3x2]

I'm moving soon would they be OK in a 20g?

[@RoyalCrab]

I have a question you didn't cover in the video... My main concern with "as big of a tank you can get" is that I'm wondering if the shrimps will actually find each other. For example, I typically buy 10 shrimp to be put in a 10 gal, but I have plans to upgrade them to a 20L and 40B in the future. With such a large footprint as the 40B has, I'm not sure 10 shrimp will find each other to mate, especially in a properly decorated aquarium with lots of nooks and crannies. Is this a legitimate concern in your opinion, Rachel? If it is, how many shrimps would you wait to have in the colony before upgrading to a 20L and 40B? You have probably kept many more shrimps than I have, so I'd greatly appreciate your input. Thank you, and a great overall video :) Keep it up!

[@RachelOLeary]

I don't find it to be a problem, especially in a shrimp only tank. THey tend to congregate together, and certainly when being target fed, all interact near the food.

[@Sith2]

they most likely will breed also and multiply

[@AdamTillontheWeb]

GreenGo's Fish&Inverts I know this is an old comment, but since I had this concern myself I thought I'd throw an opinion in the mix. Though I heard all sorts of things about ratios to use, I added 10 cherry shrimp to a 90 gallon and they had no issue breeding. I've probably had a thousand out of that tank in a year or so.

[@zeroflash1]

are you in usa or canada?

[@RachelOLeary]

+zeroflash1 usa

[@iLive2Ride76]

One important thing I've learned is Don't do too much water changes.

[@royalcitizen6101]

🦐 Shrimp Tips 🦐 #1 Neo Caridina Shrimp (Red Cherrys) / Amano shrimp are recommended to new shrimp keepers. #2 Caridina Shrimp (Red Crystal Shrimp) are recommended for intermediate shrimp keepers as they require a few more things ie active soils, remineralized RO water preferably. #3 Only add shrimp of any variety to a cycled tank for greater success wait atleast 3 - 4 weeks. #4 Start off feeding very rarely then build it up, making sure any food you add is consumed within 2 hrs if not, remove it :) #5 Any top offs do it with RO water one drip per second, doing WC should be maximum 10% at a time only recommended if TDS or nitrates or HIGH, Stable water parameters are key! #6 Watch KZbin channels such as Rachel O'leary, Mark Shrimp Tanks, Lup Diesel, L.R Bretz Aquatics, and myself 🤣 for great info and tips.

[@cakepoprock]

X Royal T Shrimp would cherry shrimp be good for beginners?

[@cicco1838]

awesome info ass always thank you

[@NeonTetraAquarist]

Autocorrect FTW😂😂

[@goodguygoodvibes8577]

I need that shirt

[@datinyone]

shrimp creep me out. Edit: I wish there was a way I could get you to sign my copy of your nano freshwater book :)

[@RachelOLeary]

If we ever meet, I would be happy to sign it for you. You could theoretically ship it to me to do so, but the shipping back and forth would probalby cost almost as much as the book, lol.

[@datinyone]

that'd be great to meet you!.. maybe one day i'll venture down a fish show in the US.. OR you and Joey could come to a show here in the Toronto area!.. :P

[@RachelOLeary]

+datinyone closest I am getting this year is Saskatoon, next year Winnipeg. I don't have anything planned in Ontario