New shrimp tank need help and ideas!

[sluder4]

Well I have decided to finally start a shrimp tank. It will be a 2.5 gallon with dwarf hairgrass and an amazorwrod as plants. I already have black substrate from an already established tank and have a sponge filter going at the moment with constant light. I let it cycle like this for 3 days and went and bought a dozen of feeders that I usually feed my managnese chilide with. I took 3 out of the normal holding tank for the feeders and put it into my shrimp tank and went out to eat and came back they had all died. (chiclide had a huge meal tonight lol)

So anyone think of what had caused it? All the others in the other tank are alive. How much longer should I wait to put the plants in? I thought the lfs I go to would take longer to get the plants they suggested would be fine. But they will get here tomorrow. Should I go ahead and put them in? if so how long should it cycle before I add shrimp? If I shouldn't add the plants would they be fine with my angel and betta in a 20g tank?

Sorry for so many questions just new to this! and btw what kind of shrimp should I get?

 

[fuzzy188]

It's probably not fully cycled yet, so the tank's water paremeters are probably unstable, and feeders are usually pretty unhealthy in the first place.
Cycle the tank for a few more weeks. (I almost died of impatience while cycling my own tank. lol.)

As for what kind of shrimp, Red Cherry Shrimp are one of the most commonly available types and are pretty hardy, or you can go for ghost shrimp is you want something bigger. Ghosts can be found in feeder shrimp tanks at pet stores. (Also known as Glass Shrimp.) Good luck