If you are looking for live plants to add to your Cherry Shrimp tank, then one of the options is Java Fern. You can check out this guide at Aquarium Blueprints to see what the benefits are when it coming to keeping these two together.
What is Java Fern?
Java Fern, also known by its scientific name of “Microsorum pteropus,” is a low maintenance plant that can grow with little to no light. It features elongated green leaves that can grow up to one foot long under the most optimal conditions.
Java Fern Benefits for Cherry Shrimps
The biggest benefits of keeping Java Fern in the same tank as your Cherry Shrimps is that the plant will help consume ammonia and nitrates from the water column. Small traces of ammonia can be deadly for your pet inverts. If you have more than 20 ppm of nitrates, then the high concentration can also cause health issues.
The leaves of the Java Fern also provide homes for algae, foot particles, mulm and microorganisms that the shrimps like to eat. Therefore, you may see them picking at the ferns.
If you are keeping your Neocaridinas in a community tank with fish that may eat them, then the thick ferns will provide convenient hiding spots as well.
Furthermore, depending on the color of your Cherries, the dark green leaves make also make the coloration of your shrimps stand out more.
Cherry Shrimp Benefits for Java Fern
Cherry Shrimps have a symbiotic relationship with Java Fern. The plant provides food for inverts while the inverts keep the leaves clean of algae, mulm and more.
The organic wastes of the shrimp should also help the Java Fern grow. With that said, the bioload for Cherries are quite low. If you have a shrimp-only tank, then you may want to use a liquid fertilizer if you want to see your Java Fern grow to a bigger size. Otherwise, the plant will most likely remain relatively small.
Do Cherry Shrimp like Java Fern?
From our experience, our Red Cherry Shrimps do like hanging onto the leaves of your Java Fern. If you don’t see them interacting much with the plant, then you can try dropping some food on top of it in order to entice your pet inverts to that location.
Recap
Cherry Shrimps and Java Ferns have a symbiotic relationship.
The plant helps keep the ammonia and nitrate levels low in the water column in addition to providing a place where the shrimps can graze.
The Cherries should only graze the surface of the green, keeping it free from algae and mulm. The organic wastes of your pet inverts should also provide nutrients for the Java Fern.
If you have a shrimp-only tank, however, then you may dose a liquid fertilizer as the organic wastes from the shrimps may not be enough for the plant to grow and maintain a bigger size.