I should have done this a long time ago - Seattle Boy

Hi I'm from Seattle wa.

I got into the shrimp craze purely by accident. I was told to buy some cherries because they breed like mad and the babies would be great food source for my bettas. I used to think shrimps were boring and saw them as merely a food source for my other fish.

So I bought 6 cherries and threw them into my fluval tank without much thought. No acclamation, nuttin. I didnt know their water parameters temp or anything else. I figured they'd breed in a toilet if you didnt flush it. That same week I also left for a 10 day vacation with no feeding.

I came back thinking I would have a tank full of babies. I was dead wrong. They were all dead except one. I never found the bodies though. I think the sole survivor ate them. =) This was Nov 2012.

I thought I knew a lot about the aquarium hobby so having dead shrimp made me curious. Am I a retard that could only breed bettas?

The deaths led me to do some research online. After some serious hours logged on these forums, I realize that I've been so ignorant to water parameters and had so much more to learn. I've come to appreciate shrimps in all their varieties. They have actually made me a better fish keeper as well. But there is so much more to learn and varying levels of shrimps to test your fortitude. Keeping shrimp is like learning to play golf. The frustrations of a failed swing and the elation of a great drive keep you coming back no matter how badly you've sucked all the times before.

Today only a few months later. I've vowed not kill another shrimp due to ignorance. I may have killed a few due to experimentation but that's another story.

Malcom Gladwell has said to be a true master of your craft you have to spend atleast 10,000 hours doing it. I think I've got a 9,900 hrs to go. =)

I've recently re-purposed my betta tanks to house a variety of neocaridinas and caridinas. The time and money I've invested in the correct foods, equipment, and most importantly knowledge have rewarded me with my 1st successful batch of shrimplets from my golden bees, blue pearls, and fire reds.

And now im hooked... let the adventure begin