Amanos or Cherries?

[Reuben]

Hello
Just wondered what the main differences are in terms of 'ease of keeping' and algae eating abilities?

Also could anyone point me in the direction of good basic information on how to keep them properly.
Many thanks,
Reuben

 

[NanoJames]

Hi mate
I can't give you too much insight into shrimp care as I'm still trying to master it myself! I would suggest though if you want something for the more practical side that will just eat algae all day then go for the Amanos. If you are looking for something that's nicer to look at and a lot easier to breed (Amanos need salt water to rear their young) go for a few cherries. The main thing is to keep parameters stable with shrimp and you'll do fine! Hope this helps.
Cheers

 

[Henry]

If you've enough room in your tank, there's nothing to stop you keeping both.

 

[Spartacus]

Hi Reuben,

I have found this site particularly useful and simple:

Amano Shrimp .:. Caridina multidentata .:. Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp Species Information Page

Red Cherry Shrimp .:. Neocaridina heteropoda sp. "Red Cherry" .:. Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp Species Information Page

Cherry Shrimp have a reputation of being very hardy and bomb proof

Hope it helps!

Murray

 

[Yo-han]

This Tropica article answers your question about the algae eating part. Ease of keeping: both quite strong critters with Cherries breeding in freshwater like guppies and Amano a little tougher but no breeding.

 

[squid102]

To give you an idea of cherries breeding ability - I started in April with 20 and now have 200+

 

[Reuben]

Hi Reuben, I have found this site particularly useful and simple: Amano Shrimp .:. Caridina multidentata .:. Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp Species Information Page Red Cherry Shrimp .:. Neocaridina heteropoda sp. "Red Cherry" .:. Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp Species Information Page Cherry Shrimp have a reputation of being very hardy and bomb proof Hope it helps! Murray

Thanks Murray, a good over view.

This Tropica article answers your question about the algae eating part. Ease of keeping: both quite strong critters with Cherries breeding in freshwater like guppies and Amano a little tougher but no breeding.

Hi Johan, I hadn't seen that but it looks as though Amano shrimp are algae mad! I've been reading Tropica's website recently and this article Algebekæmpelse put me onto the idea as they seem to recommend one Amano per 5L of water, which seems quite a lot? Though they do say it can be reduced to one per 15L .

To give you an idea of cherries breeding ability - I started in April with 20 and now have 200+

Yikes! I think this is what puts me off keeping cherry shrimp, what do you do with 200 shrimp!?

I think on balance I'm tending toward the Amano shrimp. Aesthetically I prefer the Cherry shrimp (smaller in particular) but I guess the Amano -being larger- won't tend to get sucked into the filter intake? What is the size difference between the two fully grown shrimp?

Thanks

 

[squid102]

Yikes! I think this is what puts me off keeping cherry shrimp, what do you do with 200 shrimp!?

I'm not sure yet! It's not that bad really. They have their own tank that they share with some chilli rasboras.

 

[Yo-han]

Hi Johan, I hadn't seen that but it looks as though Amano shrimp are algae mad! I've been reading Tropica's website recently and this article Algebekæmpelse put me onto the idea as they seem to recommend one Amano per 5L of water, which seems quite a lot? Though they do say it can be reduced to one per 15L

ADA recommends 1 per 5L as well in the beginning. In case of algae problems, they recommend up to 1 per 1L and go down to 1 per 20L if everything goes well. I've about 1 per 10L and without algae you really must keep up the feeding or they start consuming your plants. In times of algae 1 per 5L would be better.

 

[Reuben]

ADA recommends 1 per 5L as well in the beginning. In case of algae problems, they recommend up to 1 per 1L and go down to 1 per 20L if everything goes well. I've about 1 per 10L and without algae you really must keep up the feeding or they start consuming your plants. In times of algae 1 per 5L would be better.

I don't like the sound of them eating the plants! What do you feed yours and how often? Do they get into the filter intakes? How big are they?

 

[sciencefiction]

I haven't kept amanos, but in terms of easy keeping, cherries are as easy as the hardiest fish you've ever owned. They'd need prefilter sponges on the intakes if you don't want them to accidentally end up into your filter(at least the babies)
To breed them fast, you'd need lots of oxygen,overfed and overfltered tank with lots of plants. I keep them in low tech tanks with no supplements besides a 50% weekly water change(mainly in the shrimp dedicated tank) The water is hard at a TDS of 300, ph-7.4, Kh-8 and Gh-12 and I feed with anything whatever's on the menu(from many kinds of fish food to veg and fruit) besides food that contains copper. They are totally undestructive. If amanos are hardier than them than I think I may get some to try out. If they eat plants when underfed,then here's nothing wrong with having an indicator whether you feed the tank enough because underfeeding is as bad as overfeeding when it comes to inhabitans and health/malnutritient.

 

[Yo-han]

I don't like the sound of them eating the plants! What do you feed yours and how often? Do they get into the filter intakes? How big are they?

I feed anything, from spirulina till flakes and cucumber. As long as they are fed no problems here. My L-numbers start eating plants before the Amano do.

They are 5-6cm large so no they never get into the intake. I would go for the Amano personally because they are more compatible with larger fish like dwarf cichlids, angelfish and gourami's and such. If you go with cherry (or malawa shrimp which are basically almost the same story) I would start with a large population (best from different sources to prevent inbreeding). Or don't add large fish

 

[Reuben]

Mmm, I still can't make my mind up! I've no plans for larger fish, and the amanos may actually look a bit out of scale with my scape and small tetras I have. A dwarf Amano now that would seem perfect to me. Or if the Cherry Shrimp didn't breed so fast. What do people end up doing with their cherry shrimp once they have too many, or does their population balance?
Reuben.

 

[Reuben]

Well an update. I added 12 cherry shrimp about a week or so ago. They settled in nicely and I really like them, they add a new aspect to my aquarium, plants, fish, shrimp! What a brilliant hobby this is at times! Only thing that was not so good is they are fairly illusive, they spend a fair bit of time hidden among the plants, and some of them are really small, suddenly see how having 100 or more would work fine!

With this in mind I referred back to this thread and decided to get some Amanos as well. Added six a few days ago. Well I was hoping they'd be a bit bolder and on display a bit more too, but actually I can't see them much either! There is one among them which is very bold and just does what it wants and is out and about most of the time. Another one looks pink and is hiding in some plant roots (it is alive!) would that be it moulting? As for the rest I've no idea Sometimes I'll see three or four together so they are in there!

It's a 125L with 6 black phantom tetra and 9 Cardinal tetra, the fish don't seem interested in the shrimp, but maybe the shrimp feel threatened?

What do you think, does this sound fairly typical? I mean I'm not expecting them to wave at me when I look in, but I didn't realize I'd be playing spot the shrimp.
Thanks

 

[squid102]

I doubt it will be too long before you have more than 12. You could try enticing them out with some blanched veggies. Try some sliced courgette or nettles. They love nettles.

 

[Reuben]

But will the fish not eat all the offspring! Good tip on the nettles, no shortage in my garden

 

[Lindy]

Shrimp get braver in larger numbers.