red cherry shrimp - how to get the best color?

[vha7777]

I just got in some cherry reds and well... they aren't that red ( i think they are really young still) Is there anything I can feed them to get more color? they look more pink then red, some are very light in color but I just assumed those are males. thanks in advance!

[quanou]

It may be normal, if they are young :). Mine get more red with age.
Water conditions are important too: NO3- as low as possible. Personnaly, I observed that they are much redder.

[jamesstill84]

If you have a darker substrate, when they get older, they will brighten up. My females are super red and the saddle is really bright as well.

[vha7777]

thanks for the info! My are in a heavily planted 10 gal with just a few neons, dark substrate, and I try to keep the water in tip top shape. This is my first attempt with shrimp so I'm still trying to learn as much as i can.

[jamesstill84]

Just note that if you're trying to breed the cherries, the neons will eat any babies they find and it may slow down the reproduction process whereas a predator will be around. If it's heavily planted like you say, they may still breed readily. I only keep Oto's with mine though. :) The shrimp walk right up to the Oto's face and look...lol.

[vha7777]

well i have been watching the tank a lot and the neons don't seem to be bother the shrimp. I do have a question though, I got 20 shrimp but now when I look into the tank I can only see 4-5 at a time! Are they all just hiding? I haven't seen any little shrimp bodies and I placed a fine sponge filter over the intake of my filter so they wouldn't get sucked up. If I take the neons out will the shrimp be out more often?

[jamesstill84]

they more than likely view the neons as predators. If they're taken out of the tank, you'll see them much more often. I can go in at any point and time and count over 10-12 being active (i only have 20 not counting new babies).

You could always test it by taking the neons out. If you don't see any change in a couple of days, then you could always put them back in if that's the way you prefer it. But they'll be much more happy with a species only or invert only tank. :D

[vha7777]

so I have another 10 gal tank, planted with no fish in it, so I was just thinking of moving the berried shrimp until they release their babies and then return them to the tank, would that work?

[IWantShrimplets]

sounds like it could work but i would be worried the stress of moving might cause the berried shrimp to drop there eggs too soon.

[Basss]

I think, that to get good color of RCS (cherry) depend on many factors. 1) Good water - low nitrogen as is possible 2) Good feed - something with carotenoids and some vegetable or Urtica dioica 3) Select shrimps with good color to one or more tanks. Results you can see in my video. I´m beginner on this forum, so I hope, that I can give here a link..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DRHUAPcZTs

[Peakie]

That's a great video! My cherries are nowhere near that red. I'm jealous.;)



I think, that to get good color of RCS (cherry) depend on many factors. 1) Good water - low nitrogen as is possible 2) Good feed - something with carotenoids and some vegetable or Urtica dioica 3) Select shrimps with good color to one or more tanks. Results you can see in my video. I´m beginner on this forum, so I hope, that I can give here a link..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DRHUAPcZTs

[mordaki]

im n expert but my cherrys i had after about 2 weeks went bright and i only have "pea" gravel small smooth stones and that isnt really dark in color. some are brighter than others but i do have one that is what i would say extreemley bright red .

[mtbjuls]

My LFS has Cherrys in a 40 litre odd tank, probably 200+ fully planted out, which they sell from there. I noted when i first saw them there that they where very dull compared to myn at home. Both my home tank and there tank had dark/black gravel, so the colour of the gravel was making no difference.

anyway I wanted a few more shrimps and they where at a good price,
so I picked up 20 of them.

I put them in my tank, the next morning all the females i bought the day before where now nice and dark red. Very very red compared to the day before.

I keep my tank with a nitrate level of 0, by using seachem denitrate in my eheim canister limited to 140lph (anything over 200lph it doesn't work)

I got the LFS to check there Nitrates and they are at 15-20ppm.

Both myself and the LFS feed the cherrys Hikari algae wafers.

so the only thing i can come up with is the nitrates are making them duller because there bodys are weakend by the nitrates i assume?

in my experience the colour of the gravel makes no difference to the way the shrimps produce the colour of there shell, but it can make them easier/harder to see.

Water conditions make all the difference.

Juls

[retardo]

Water conditions make all the difference.

Genetics also plays a large role.

[Ghanguss]

The cherry's in my shrimp tank have been dull coloured mostly. I moved some to my 400 gal community tank. The ones that survived have become bright red, almost flourescent.
The shrimp tank has 5ppm nitrate, the community 0ppm.
Theres not alot of difference in nitrate there???
I was thinking the community tank has lots of organisms because nothing in there eats them, so the shrimp have an endless supply.

[silane]

I think, that to get good color of RCS (cherry) depend on many factors. 1) Good water - low nitrogen as is possible 2) Good feed - something with carotenoids and some vegetable or Urtica dioica 3) Select shrimps with good color to one or more tanks. Results you can see in my video. I´m beginner on this forum, so I hope, that I can give here a link..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DRHUAPcZTs

All your cherry has this color? Or just one or 2?

[Basss]

All your cherry has this color? Or just one or 2?

Not all cherries has this color, but not only 1 or 2. In this aquarium I have all (about 50) females in this color, because I select them for two yrs and man who sold them selected them too. Next reason for good color is what I wrote in last report - good feed and good water. But males are still not good red. In half of this video are red cherry shrimps from another aquariums http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVy7gp9FU7o . In this video is another very red shrimp from aquarium where I keep only best red females - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TssgCh4rWNc

[AquaVu]

Selective breeding is the best way IMHO

[silane]

Not all cherries has this color, but not only 1 or 2. In this aquarium I have all (about 50) females in this color, because I select them for two yrs and man who sold them selected them too. Next reason for good color is what I wrote in last report - good feed and good water. But males are still not good red. In half of this video are red cherry shrimps from another aquariums http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVy7gp9FU7o . In this video is another very red shrimp from aquarium where I keep only best red females - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TssgCh4rWNc

I see, that color is rare. :)


I was told some farm stress their cherry in high pH water to sequeeze the reddness. Is it true that high pH can bring out red?

[wilz86]

Nice RCS basss...wonder u have CRS there in poland...cause in ukraine they are so rare and nobody selling

[inque]

you can try JBL's novo bits ....
i've combine with mineral plus 1/3 cap daily or every 2 days to get the
Fire Red effect ........... look like red hot chillies lol
will post a pic tonight if i can grab hold of one of the cherries :D

interesting fact is once i've stopped feeding the colour fades back slightly

mine cherries are on gourmet meals but so far i believe its the
novo bits causing the colouration

[duyacc]

My RC in my tank
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/1637/teprc.jpg

[inque]

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/inque171/09062009001.jpg

sorry for the lousy quality :cry: they camera with mine sis :(

[NISSO]

I think, that to get good color of RCS (cherry) depend on many factors. 1) Good water - low nitrogen as is possible 2) Good feed - something with carotenoids and some vegetable or Urtica dioica 3) Select shrimps with good color to one or more tanks. Results you can see in my video. I´m beginner on this forum, so I hope, that I can give here a link..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DRHUAPcZTs


Dear Basss
can you pls tell me if you boil THE
Urtica dioica

Tnks
NISSO :thumbsup:

[Basss]

Yes, I boil the nettle, but only 1 or 2 minutes. Long boiling can devastate some good substances in leaves.

[Basss]

I see, that color is rare. :)


I was told some farm stress their cherry in high pH water to sequeeze the reddness. Is it true that high pH can bring out red?

Yes, I think, that high pH can bring out red color. But in a bit high pH - about 7 the number of shrimps more increase.. Maybe because of more calcium carbonate in the water. They built their crust in high pH better. So it is small dilemma for all breeders..