Questions Regarding North Australian Chameleon Shrimp.

[TallTree01]

Any answers to my questions would be appreciated.
 
 
 
1. About how long is gestation period?
2. How long does it take them to become adult?
3. Does substrate matter regarding colors?
4. Does anything make a difference to their colors or is it purely genetic?
5. If 2 blacks breed will all the offspring be black also?
6.  What's breeding like? Livebearers? Egg scattereers?
7. Is it beneficial to introduce new chameleon shrimp every now and again to stir the genetic pot so to speak?
 
Thanks for any answers you can provide.

 

[Baccus]

Wish I could be more help but I will try to answer your questions, also which chameleons are you talking about we have two types commonly called Chameleon one that needs brackish for their young and the other that can breed in pure fresh. I am keeping the second type Caridina sp. WA4.
 
1. I am not 100% positive but I think the gestation of berried female is around the 30 day mark this could also be influenced by water temp and water changes.
2. It seems to take a while but that could also be my tank and the fact that they are hard to find in the tank, I would say slightly longer than a cherry shrimp to become adult.
3. Substrate doesn't seem to matter, they will change colour depending on mood and other water parameters like pH and gH. I had a lovely chocolate chameleon with a tan stripe happily living on white sand, and now they are all on black sand and I still find them chocolate with the stripe.
4. Their colours are not set hence their name, so two black chameleons wont produce only black young, although you may end up with higher odds of their offspring choosing that colour more often over other colours.
5. They carry their eggs just like other shrimp, fanning them regularly, when the shrimplets hatch they are tiny a lot smaller than a new born cherry shrimp. I have been told to ensure there is plenty of mulm in the tank to enable the shrimplets to find enough suitable food.
6. I personally like to introduce new blood every so often to my stock ( of mostly other shrimp), but if you wanted to do some selective (line) breeding to establish some particular colour traits then it is better to just work with your original stock.
 
And always keep in mind that once you have them breeding in a tank situation the resulting offspring have a better chance of producing more viable young that are suited to your tank conditions.
 At least 3 chameleons in this shot, the almost clear shrimp I am pretty sure are young Blackmore River shrimp

 

[TallTree01]

Thanks baccus! This helps a lot.
 
Tonight I watched about 20 babies go about their nocturnal business. They're so cute!