Freshwater Shrimp and Cross-breeding

[darrylzuk]

I'm working to stock a 29g planted community tank and have been contemplating adding shrimp for a while now. Currently, there are aout 15 MTS, a bunch of ramshorn and bladder snails, 2 nerites, a mystery snail, a school or corys (6), and a school of lambchop rasboras (8). The plants, driftwood, and snails have been in the tank since July, but the fish are recent (~2 weeks) additions. Substrate is Caribsea Supernaturals Sunset Gold sand. I have two HOB filters (Aquaclear 70 and Penguin 200) that have sponges on their intakes and soap dishes filled with Matrix to baffle the spillways. Water parameters are all stable. I'm going to test after work today and can update the post with numbers. As someone who would be new to keeping shrimp, I think it's best for me to stick to neocaridinas for now, as they seem to be best for beginners. I do have a couple questions.

First and foremost, should I wait for my tank to mature longer before adding shrimp? I know they are sensitive to changing water parameters, and have all the necessary items to drip acclimate them for as long as necessary. Secondly, there are so many colors to choose from that I've been hard-pressed to settle on just one. I think the bloody mary, orange pumpkin, snowball, and red/black rili all look stunning. I've read that having multiple colonies of different breeds can lead to cross-breeding and ultimately having them revert back to the more natural color of the wild form. But I've also read that some shrimp won't cross breed. I'm assuming this is because they're actually different species? Will all colors/types of neocaridina davidi cross-breed, or are their certain colors that stick to themselves? Finally are the rili varieties, or any certain colors, any less hardy or more difficult to keep? I'd probably want to avoid them for my first foray.

Thanks!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

What are the water parameters? Is the tank cycled?

Are you trying to breed the shrimp to look like their natural selves? Or are you worried they will do that?

 

[darrylzuk]

What are the water parameters? Is the tank cycled?

Are you trying to breed the shrimp to look like their natural selves? Or are you worried they will do that?

I will get some updated parameters later today, but typically the pH is around 7.4, ammonia and nitrites are 0, nitrates between 0-5 ppm, 3 deg KH (maybe considered a little on the low side), and 5 deg GH. Temperature is very steady at 77 degrees (I use an Inkbird controller). Yes, the tank is cycled.

As far are the natural selves, it wouldn't be the end of the world, but I would be a little disappointed if they bred out all the fancy colors and were brown/wild types after a generation or two. Maybe this is impossible to answer, but how quickly would the population revert back to looking like their natural selves?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

@essjay mentioned something about different species of shrimp not breading? (As in they won’t breed. She may be able to help)

Your parameters seem fine for shrimp.

 

[darrylzuk]

@essjay mentioned something about different species of shrimp not breading? (As in they won’t breed. She may be able to help)

Your parameters seem fine for shrimp.

Thanks. Good to know the parameters are in check. Hopefully, @essjay shows up to drop some knowledge!

 

[Essjay]

Your GH and KH are the same as mine and I have red cherry shrimps (Neocaridina davidi). Until I moved them recently they shared a tank with lambchop rasboras and Daisy's rice fish. It's only when I got pearl gouramis earlier this year that their numbers started to decline, which is why I decided to move them. The fish you have should not hunt shrimps and will only eat babies when they find them. Having lots of plants gives the baby shrimp somewhere to hide.

Cherry shrimps breed readily. The species of shrimps which won't breed in captivity are amano shrimps as their eggs hatch to larvae which need salt water to develop. And fan feeders like bamboo shrimps have not bred in captivity until someone recently claimed to have bred them.

I have no idea how many generations it would take to produce nothing but wild coloured shrimps as I've only ever had the one colour, red. But if it was my tank, I would keep just one colour; the problem is deciding which one. Reds are the easiest, if that helps

 

[StevenF]

Will all colors/types of neocaridina davidi cross-breed, or are their certain colors that stick to themselves?

The key to answering your question is to look at the first word of the name. Neocaridina That is the Species name. Any Neocaridina shrimp can bread with other Neocaridina even if the color is different. Davidi is the subspecies name.

However other non-neocaridina shrimp can sometimes bread with Neocaridina shrimp But not always. It all depends on how similar they are genetically. Shrimp compatibility charts are available on the web. I have attached one below. I have also attached some other interesting information.

shrimp compatibility chart

https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/...7-i-stupidly-mixed-shrimp-types-opinions.html

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/852517404448561763/

https://luckyaquatics.com/blogs/in-your-aquarium/setting-up-a-caridina-shrimp-tank
https://luckyaquatics.com/blogs/in-your-aquarium/setting-up-a-caridina-shrimp-tank

 

[Aussie_Bristle]

I have different colour neo’s in my tank now and they are throwing colours. Red is the main colour regardless of the shrimp as red is the most dominant colour. My last lot crossbred and I got beautiful wild with hints of colours through them eg. wild colour with a hint of red or blue. I think you would get some beautiful throws from the mix if you did mix but that’s MO

 

[darrylzuk]

The key to answering your question is to look at the first word of the name. Neocaridina That is the Species name. Any Neocaridina shrimp can bread with other Neocaridina even if the color is different. Davidi is the subspecies name.

However other non-neocaridina shrimp can sometimes bread with Neocaridina shrimp But not always. It all depends on how similar they are genetically. Shrimp compatibility charts are available on the web. I have attached one below. I have also attached some other interesting information.

shrimp compatibility chart

https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/...7-i-stupidly-mixed-shrimp-types-opinions.html

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/852517404448561763/

https://luckyaquatics.com/blogs/in-your-aquarium/setting-up-a-caridina-shrimp-tank
https://luckyaquatics.com/blogs/in-your-aquarium/setting-up-a-caridina-shrimp-tank

Wow, thanks for all that information. This gives me a lot to think about and research!

 

[darrylzuk]

I have different colour neo’s in my tank now and they are throwing colours. Red is the main colour regardless of the shrimp as red is the most dominant colour. My last lot crossbred and I got beautiful wild with hints of colours through them eg. wild colour with a hint of red or blue. I think you would get some beautiful throws from the mix if you did mix but that’s MO

I might have to get a couple of colors now... the mixed wilds with colors sound neat. Which colors did you start with?

 

[Aussie_Bristle]

I might have to get a couple of colors now... the mixed wilds with colors sound neat. Which colors did you start with?

with that lot I had blues, reds, yellows and ghost.