Shrimp

Cherry shrimp adults should be OK though I suspect any babies will indeed become fish dinner.

People with soft water often do have to use calcium supplements. My GH is 6 german degrees, which seems to be OK without supplements.

I suspect the fish would find and eat any baby shrimps before you see them.
Shrimps are fairly nervous creatures, not surprising since they are high on the menu for many fish, and I would think that quite large and boisterous fish such as platies and gold barbs would not be ideal companions. They would likely spend most of their time hiding away.

I have one Amano shrimp that I inherited with a second hand tank. I only see it about once a month and keep assuming it's dead, but then it suddenly makes a brief appearance. It's a quiet tank, but the shrimp still spends all of it's time hiding away among the plants and bogwood, very well camouflaged.

Diz, what you do is set up a quarantine tank just for the shrimp - explain that it must be new so there is no risk of contaminants. Then just leave the shrimps in there. This is how I ended up with three tanks. "I'll put this betta in the QT" then "the main tank is too big for him and he won't get on with the other fish, I'll leave him here". Then of course I had to get a new QT 



Bamboo shrimps are also very hard to feed and often die of starvation. They are filter feeders and unless you have enough food particles floating in the water, they die.

Update on the shrimp(less) situation.
So, having thought long and hard about this issue, I've decided that I can't go with shrimp in my community tank. I couldn't cope with the thoughts that I'd manufactured a situation where I added a creature that was unable to live without fear of being predated by my other fish (that it happens in the wild is something I have no control over; that I create a similar situation is something that my nerves couldn't stand).

This leaves me with 2 options:
 Option 1 - I have my Aqua nano tank up and running with 3 Sterbai cory (lost 1 on first day, not sure why but water parameters are all spot on and the other cories are doing very well).
I intend to add 3 more cories then try adding Barquentine, my male Betta. If Barquentine behaves himself, then he'll stay in this tank because it's bigger than his current tank.
If Barquentine doesn't behave, then he'll have to go back into his current tank and I'll add 6 ember tetras to the Aqua Nano. Would shrimp be OK with 6 Sterbai cories and 6 ember tetras?

Option 2 - assuming Barquentine is a good little Betta, he'll stay in the Aqua Nano, which leaves his current tank free for a shrimp only tank. This would be the best scenario. It leaves me without a QT tank, but I'll get one at short notice if I have to and hide it where hubby can't see it - subterfuge and trickery, as ever, are always an option!

So, if the worst comes to the worst, can Sterbai cories be kept with aquatic shrimp?

Thanks Sue,
I do think that a shrimp only tank would be best, but if Barquentine doesn't  like the Sterbai cories, then that does limit my options.
On the subject of Bettas and cories, what would be the best way to introduce them? Should I wait to have the full number of 6 cories, or would I be better adding Barquentine now, when there are only 3 cories in the tank, then add 3 more cories later?
 Had planned to feed Barquentine first, then put him in the tank with the cories. I also planned to do this first thing in the morning so that I could monitor the situation over the rest of the day. Is that the right way to do things? How long should I leave it before making a decision as to whether or not they settle down?

Thanks Sue,
So, just to clarify, I could try Barquentine with the 3 Cories I have now, then add the other cories later. Have I got that right?

Great. Thanks Sue. I'll give it a go and see how he gets on then.