I've kept pregnant females in large betta/goldfish bowls, when lacking other tanks to temporarily house them in. The few weeks they were in them they seemed to be doing quite well, however, I removed them after they released the larvae and put them back in larger tanks (keeping the larvae in the bowls until they morphed and grew). I think you'll need some kind of filter, they mucked up the water pretty quick (for shrimp at least).
And breeding, well it depends on what you get. Some stores sell species that the larvae require brackish water to develop in (these are brackish to marine species that can withstand FW as adults for extended periods of time). But some will develop just fine in freshwater, as well (true FW species). The ones I buy from Petco, Petsmart, etc for feeders breed and grow in freshwater very well. Generally, the biggest issue is getting the larvae into shrimp... it's hard to find food small enough for them. I use smushed up egg yolk, Golden Pearls, a squeezed out sponge filter, etc... They're kind of a pain, but they do breed readily.
I'm sure someone will have more helpful info, but that's just my 2 cents from personal experience.
