Can Amano Shrimp Live With Cherry Shrimp?

Amano and cherry shrimp cannot crossbreed, so a cherry colony stays true with Amanos in the tank. Only the cherries breed in freshwater. Amano larvae need brackish or salt water to develop, while baby cherry shrimp hatch as miniature adults and start grazing at once, and adult cherries do not eat their own young.

The one friction is food. Amanos are larger, 4 to 5 cm against the cherry's 3 cm, and have bottomless appetites. When food runs short they outcompete the cherries, so do not keep too many Amanos with a small cherry group, and feed enough that both get some.

The water overlaps at 18 to 28 °C and pH 6.5 to 7.5, and cherries are most comfortable at 22 to 24 °C if you want them to breed well. Add crushed coral or a mineral supplement in soft water so the cherries can molt cleanly, and keep copper out of the tank entirely, since both shrimp are extremely sensitive to it.