Cherry Acclimation

You should be fine if you drip acclimate them. Slow and steady... What are your tank parameters? Is it cycled?

Let's say the bag holding your new shrimp holds 2 cups of water. Take 1/2 cup of water from your tank, add it to your bag while you float it in your tank. Wait 10-15 minutes. Repeat 3 more times. This should be slow enough for the RCS.

Drip acclimate.
Floating a bag in your tank can be bad. You don't know who has touched the bag nor what they had on their hands when they touched the bag. You wouldn't let strangers dunking their hands in your tanks, would you?

By using the drip method, you are allowing the new animals to adjust to the new water parms slowly which is much less stressful. Also, this method keeps unknown water out of your tank reducing the chance of contanimation.

This article will help for any that don't understand the method:
http://www.aquaria.info/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=379

I second, or third,,,,,,, the drip method. I use it every time for all new additions. I usually do it for an hour or two.

Cool, Drip acclimation it is. One more thing, the tank is heavily planted, but it is not cycled since I have not had a fish in it for a month or so. I thought that a shrimp tank need not be cycled, am I wrong?

most members ship in breather bags-which are not meant to be floated in the tank.
I prefer a modified version of the drip meathod (except for very sensitive shrimp)-I put the shrimp in 1/2 gal bowl and but about 1/4 cup of water in the bowl every 20 min until full then net out the shrimp-never pour the water in your tank. you never know what was in it.

I hope you ordered cherries since your tank is not cycled you could have a problem with the more sensitive varieties.

If you have another tank that is cycled take the filter from that tank and put it on the new one. that should help
Cindy

I did order cherries and getting some filter material to seed the tank will not be a problem. I just wanted to confirm whether or not a cycled tank is necessary for cherries, especially if it is heavily planted.

A cycled, stable tank is better for the cherries.

shrimp are very sensitive to parameter changes-esp nitrate/nitrite, not to mention ammonia.