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I know this is a bit non-specific, but can anyone give me some general info on shrimps? Do they have a heavy bio-load? (is that the right term? Basically will they increase the strain on the water quality greatly e.g. plecs are known fo being heavy poopers). What kind of food do they need? What kind of tank set up do they prefer? Do they need to be kept in groups (schools?)? What is the smallest, biggest, easiest to keep?

Basically, beyond what they look like, I know next to nothing about shrimps and I'd just like to fill myself in with a little beginner knowledge about them. Any general, basic info would be gratefully taken

This post might be better in the invertebrates section, but here's some basic info:
There are TONS of varieties of freshwater shrimp. Some common ones seen in pet stores would be the ghost shrimp-often sold as feeders for larger fish; cherry shrimp-a red variety of algae-eating shrimp; amano shrimp-a brown variety of algae eating shrimp touted by the planted aquaria icon Takashi Amano; bamboo shrimp-these are also referred to as fan shrimp or any number of names, but they are characterized by their large size and unique fan-filters on their forarms. There are others, such as the macrobrachium species characterized by their larger claws, any number of neocaridina species that come in a variety of colors, but basically have the same habits as the red cherry shrimp, and several other small shrimp such as tiger shrimp, red-nosed shrimp, crystal red shrimp, bee shrimp, bumblebee shrimp, etc. In general, any variety of shrimp adds virtually nothing to the bio-load of a tank, which makes them wonderful additions to very small tanks. They do not need to be in groups, though there's really no reason not to have a small handful of them since you don't need to worry about them polluting your tank with waste, and in fact, they go a long way toward keeping your tank clean by eating any algae and detrius from leftover food, and you'd be amazed how quickly a group of them can dispose of a dead fish. As such, they have no particular food requirements and will eat just about anything left in the tank.
The ghost shrimp, cherry shrimp, neocaridina species, and a few others are all small varieties of shrimp reaching an adult size of about 1 inch long. They are algae and detrius eaters and will readily breed in your tank given enough cover, food, and good water conditions. The Amano shrimp grows slightly larger, but the same basic information applies.
The bamboo shrimp or filter-feeding shrimps grows to about 3 inches long and have larger, fatter-looking bodies and the characteristic fans on their foreclaws. These guys don't move very much, but usually hang out near a filter outlet, grabbing microscopic food out of the water current. They are easy to starve, though, so a liquid food may be a good thing for them, or crushed flake.
Macrobrachium shrimps tend to be large and predatory, so be very careful what fish you house them with, if any. As for the small shrimp and tankmates, most fish will try to eat them. Even fish as small as tetras will grab at their legs and antennae, and bettas are hit or miss with shrimp--sometimes leaving them alone, or sometimes attacking them with impressive and slightly comical verocity. Fish like cichlids will eat them outright, and I've noticed this to be true of Gouramis as well. Planted tanks are ideal for shrimp, as the plants provide plenty of cover, trap plenty of food, and they will eat most types of algae.


Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

Hey, depends what shrimp, most(if not all) barely add anything to the Bio-Load, most will eat the scarps or anything on the bottom. Ghost Shrimp are really good shrimp and interesting to watch, mine lived for almost a year and was always fun to watch because there see-thru. Good Luck

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

Usually unless you have a very small tank(under 5g), are adding 100s of shrimp to a tank, or already have a heavily stocked tank and are thinking of adding lots of shrimp you don't have to worry about bioload. With the wood shrimp you do need to worry about whether they have enough food and I wouldn't suggest more than 1 shrimp per 10-20gallons. With the non filter feeding shrimp you can add alot to even small tanks without worry. Different shrimp have a tendency to eat different things. Overall they eat any leftover fish food of any kind, some eat algae, and there are specific invertebrate foods you can buy in some fish stores. Otherwise a little bit of any sinking food will make sure they stay fed when there isn't enough leftover food or algae for them to eat.

What you need to watch for with shrimp is that lots of fish will pick on them or eat them. Generally do not mix them with any cichlids or labyrinth fish(bettas, gouramis, paradise fish). Just the right cichlids or labyrinth fish with certain species of shrimp will sometimes work but these are the most likely shrimp eaters and usually the best odds you can hope for is a 50/50 chance of the shrimp surviving. The only thing with shrimp is that they are pretty much the most sensitive creatures to water quality that you are likely to try keeping in a tank. They do not withstand ammonia or nitrites well at all and high nitrates are also a death sentence for most species. They can also have issues with copper, other heavy metals, and some things found in tapwater. Most of the time if your aquarium maintenance is good then they do fine but you do have to keep it in mind. Most people add them to planted tanks so they will have hiding places and it helps keep the water quality good.