RCS Genetics

[seangee]

Around 6 years ago I bought 10 red rili neocaridinas. They were not particularly high grade and I left them to do their own thing and never culled anything.
Today I have a tank of clear shrimp. The tank only has the RCS and MTS and is incredibly low maintenance but I do love watching the shrimp and would like to get some colour back. So should I:

1. Buy more red rilis knowing they will get diluted over time (and leave the clear ones in the tank)
2. Buy some fire reds and see what happens (still leaving the clear ones where they are). What will happen???
3. Start again, possibly trying to source some better quality shrimp - or I could buy caradinas and leave the neos to do their own thing.

 

[Magnum Man]

I got 2 different breeding colonies, from 2 different suppliers, originally... with the intent to diversify my gene pool as much as practical, & then pretty much left mine alone for 6-8 months... they got fed, but being in a tank close to the floor, viewing from the top is easiest for me... & this tank had a thick layer of Giant Duckweed, that completely covered the top of the tank... I recently skimmed most of the Duckweed out, to feed my Tilapia outside... imagine my surprise, when I saw between 50 & 100 nice red shrimp... my original thought, was to cull out the lighter ones, but with the tank nearly on the floor, I'd have to lay down in front of the tank, to do that... but I'm not seeing any lighter colored ones, just looking through the top...

my thoughts... if most of yours are lighter, you should probably cull those ( I intended to put my culls, in bigger fish tanks, as feeders )... but suspect not all lighter babies will grow aggressively & breed aggressively, but it only takes one or two breeding to dilute your red color...

but, if you like watching them as they are, I like your idea of getting a different kind of shrimp to add to the tank...

 

[MaloK]

I know it's going to sound dumb...

But, feed them sweet paprika mixed with other powder food you have. Also regular meal of blanked carrots.

The red pigment in paprika, called lycopene, can significantly intensify the coloration of cherry shrimps.

Just remember to use paprika in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

Spirulina and Chlorella are excellent sources of astaxanthin, a pigment that also contributes to cherry shrimps coloration.

That said, my colony is pretty young and is a mix of multiple colors. but for the moment new babies are showing deep coloration at very early age, whatever their color. I have not seen a clear baby shrimp in months.

I have them also in another tank that I never given any "color enhancing supplement" they nearly only eat biofilm and algae growing in the tank. they are growing a lot slower, their colors are dull and really pale in comparison to the other tank.

 

[gwand]

I supplement my fire red Neocaridina colony with Dennerle Shrimp King Color. It works great.

 

[Naughts]

y thoughts... if most of yours are lighter, you should probably cull those ( I intended to put my culls, in bigger fish tanks, as feeders )...

Take care not to crash the colony. RCS are lighter if young, male or moulting.

 

[Naughts]

Seangee, what are the conditions like in the shrimp tank? Can you post a photo of some of them?

 

[seangee]

When I say clear I mean transparent with no pigment whatsoever. There are a few with rili colouration and a few that have small red patches, but most I could probably start a business selling glass shrimp

pH in this tank is around 7, dGH = 6 and dKH = 3. Temp is set to 22 but this time of year its around 27 most of the time, sometimes nudging over 30. 50 - 70% water changes most weeks when I am around, although when I bust my shoulder I just ignored it for a few months (but they were already very faded). RO water with salty shrimp GH/KH+. Plenty of plants.

I just cleared out loads of duckweed. If I do go with caradina I'll stop adding the KH booster and allow the pH to drop closer to 6 like in my nano tank. (Nano is actually close to 5, bonus is that duckweed doesn't thrive in there).

I'm on hols for 2 weeks and then away for work - so no pics for a while.

 

[Naughts]

Those conditions sound pretty stable in terms of temperature and pH - you can try the colour foods but I’m thinking you need new stock.

 

[MaloK]

I would say you change too much water for a shrimp tank... A lot.

But I'll wait for these pics of these glass shrimps...

I have witnessed only one to date and it didn't make it...

One thing is certain, Is whatever the conditions they need for this... You have.

I'm sure that If I keep my tank going it will never create a Clear Translucent Cherry Shrimp.

Soooo... Before flushing everything and restart. Check if you are not the first to have them...

It would be a lot easier to cull those that have color left then the others