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Ghost Shrimp Turning Red?

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josh63762

josh63762

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hay all I bought 6 ghost shrimp 2 weeks ago and they are currently housed in a 30L tank with puppy fry they have molded since I got them and now I notice they are getting a slight red tinge and very small pin head sized red dots on them? they are still small only about 2.5 cm. I was told by the seller that when the females are going to breed they carry the eggs on there backs (and you will see a small white patch in the ditch of there back) then the eggs will move down to there tail Area? is this true because some of them now have this white patch does it mean they will start Breeding?
thanks a bunch :)
guppy fry not puppy fry lol
 
your fry can be eaten by the shrimp, they'll try to catch them.. just so you know
to tell if it is female the female will be larger then the male and also will have green eggs... because they are see through you are able to see, there will be green area on the back, and later move down underneath the tail.
the red can be the organs which is what i'm guessing what you are seeing.
 
hi thanks for the reply :) there is a white patch in the saddle area (dip in her back) not Green? and the red dots are all over the body heresy a pic sorry about the bury they so fast IMG_201306210243.jpg
 
Ghost shrimp is just a generic name we use but it actually isn't just one species but several sold under that name. Some of them are not fully clear but have markings. Foods high in carotene can alter coloration as well. This is common in foods that are designed to brighten the color of fish. So it could be diet, but more likely than not its a maturing of a species that simply has coloration. Also they change as they prepare to molt and just after molt as well.
 
oh thanks for the reply :) I was also thinking it was just a branch of the species do u think the female is carrying eggs? has anyone else heard about this white saddle then moving down to the tail Area? thing
 
I can't tell from the photo but when they are carrying you can easily tell by looking.
 
Some shrimp will take on red colouration when stressed, so it would pay to keep a close eye on your water parameters. Otherwise as stated it could be just down to their species, food ( high colour producing foods) and also their surrounds. Many shrimp will change their colour to suit their mood and environment.
The only white saddle I have seen on shrimp has been on snowball shrimp (which are definantly not ghost shrimp), when a shrimp is berried you will be able to see the eggs being held in the under body region towards the tail. Also the female will fan these eggs with he swimmerets to keep the eggs well oxygentated.
 
so what could this white patch be because the women I bought them from showed me a adult shrimp she had with this white saddle now mine are getting It?
 
If the adults had it, and your shrimp is getting it, then I would assume it was a natural feature of the species. If this is the case it's nothing to worry about but just means you have a shrimp that isn't commonly sold under the name ghost shrimp.

Perhaps, as baccus stated, a snowball.
 
wow Guys!! thanks a Bunch! I Googled images of snowball and I'm 100% sure that's what they are :) not ghosts could you give me any info on Snowballs? thanks :)
 
My understanding of snowballs is that they are a species of Neocaridina but not the same as Cherry shrimp which are Neocaridina heterpoda. Snowballs have some German name, but I did read somewhere that Snowball shrimp where being reclassified.
I have not had the pleasure of keeping snowballs but from what I have read they have pretty much the same requirements of standard cherry shrimp and need the water temp around the same range, if the water is too cool then breeding will slow down.
 
After looking at the picture you supplied I am not sure the shrimp you photographed is a snowball, if anything I would be looking in some of the tiger breeds of shrimp which are Caridina cantonensis. Tiger shrimp have been used to breed with other caridina shrimp to produce many of the amazing shrimp colours and patterns currently being kept in aquaria.
 
Neocaridina zhangjiajiensis is the snowball but I don't think the one in the photo is a snowball.
 
Unfortunately I can't zoom in on the pictures and make much bigger than the picture already displayed in the thread. But what I can see just doesn't look quite right in body shape and rostrum size to be a neocaridina.
 
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