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March 18th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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Red cherry shrimp (CRS) journal
Hi!
Well, once I've healed up the fish that my friend didn't want anymore which currently live in my 7.5gal, I'm going to start a colony of RCS - with 6 shrimp. I decided it would be a cool idea to set up an 'RCS breeding journal' for other people interested in breeding these great little shrimp so they can hopefully have some more success with knowledge from another RCS breeder.
So, I'm setting this up a little while in advance so I can also show you the various stages the tank goes through as it's set up. It will be a low-tech planted tank, with lots of Java moss and CRS only.
Last edited by Blub; June 13th, 2008 at 11:50 AM.
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March 18th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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Red cherry shrimp - the stats
Red cherry shrimp
Neoncaridina denticulata sinensis
Potential adult size: 3cm
Stocking rate: These shrimp have an extremely small Bio-load - you cannot keep 500 shrimp in a 10gal tank simply because of the Bio-load the food will produce!
Tank: Shrimp do not tolerate ammonia or nitrite well, a well established tank is a must. They do best in planted tanks, and Java moss is a good plant to consider for their tank.
Breeding: The set-up should be a Low-tech planted tank, most success with breeding these fascinating shrimp has been in these kinds of tank. They don't require any special conditioning beforehand. Watch this thread progress for more detailed information. A good temperature to maintain in the breeding tank would be 24-25C.
Compatibility: These shrimp are totally peaceful, your main concern with compatibility is will the fish eat the shrimp? Loaches and Puffers are generally incompatible as they often make a meal of inverts.
Temperature tolerance: 4-28C. It's best to keep it in the 20's.
pH tolerance: 7-8. As shrimp are invertebrates who need a good calcium supply in the water you shouldn't keep them in a pH of under 7.
Food: Sinking foods are readily taken. It eats algae - although it isn't the best of Algae munching shrimp out there. An 'algae rock' is an extremely cheap and effective way to feed your shrimp. Simply place a rock in a container of water on a windowsill (South facing windowsills are brightest and best for these purposes) and wait for your rock to become green. When it's green, place it in the shrimp tank for them to feed of the algae. These shrimp are good scavengers, and can be a danger to fish eggs.
General notes: These shrimp are very hardy, and excellent additions to the average community without large or predatory fish that may view them as food. They are best kept in groups of 3 or more.
Last edited by Blub; June 8th, 2008 at 04:28 AM.
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March 18th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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What do you have to pay for CRS in the UK?
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March 19th, 2008
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Fish Addict
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Nice. I'd like a few of these little buggers, or some type of shrimp when I get my next planted tank. I probably couldn't have small shrimp with my angels, I just don't think they'd fair too well...I have a MTS. He came with one of the plants I purchased the other day lol. I could have rinsed him down the drain but decided to let him in the tank.
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March 19th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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Hatchet, if you CAN get them, order enough to be sure they will breed. I say this because they can be hard to acclimate. Your tank has to be sparkling clean, cycled, and nitrates low....
Give them all this, and you should soon have a tank full.
I got 25 CRS last June, and just sold 100 for $2.00 each! There are at LEAST 500 more in the tank! The tank is a 55 gallon with LOTS of Java moss, and an assortment of little fish that don't pay any attention to them. Neon Rainbows, rainbow platties, Liberty Mollies and fry. The shrimp move around the tank without fear, and I have successfully moved them into all my tanks now except the 125 gallon tank.
I just moved some java moss to the 125 from my shrimp tank, a few shrimp were clinging on, and were swiftly eaten as soon as they got in with the more agressive fish. 
Long and short of it is, if you spend some now, you should have shrimp to sell/trade for more goodies! |
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March 19th, 2008
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Fish Addict
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susitna. Just wondering where I can view shots of your 55 gallon with all the java moss and CRS.
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March 19th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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Quote:
Originally Posted by susitna-flower
Hatchet, if you CAN get them, order enough to be sure they will breed. I say this because they can be hard to acclimate. Your tank has to be sparkling clean, cycled, and nitrates low....
Give them all this, and you should soon have a tank full.
I got 25 CRS last June, and just sold 100 for $2.00 each! There are at LEAST 500 more in the tank! The tank is a 55 gallon with LOTS of Java moss, and an assortment of little fish that don't pay any attention to them. Neon Rainbows, rainbow platties, Liberty Mollies and fry. The shrimp move around the tank without fear, and I have successfully moved them into all my tanks now except the 125 gallon tank.
I just moved some java moss to the 125 from my shrimp tank, a few shrimp were clinging on, and were swiftly eaten as soon as they got in with the more agressive fish.
Long and short of it is, if you spend some now, you should have shrimp to sell/trade for more goodies! |
Hi!
Thanks Susitna! I was going to put a few babies in the 47gal - if they breed and the shrimplets survive then I'll have 2 colonies! I'll buy 12 - as I don't have a great deal of cash right now. However, I'm doing all I can to get the RCS to do the guppy impression!
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March 19th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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Day 1 - 20/3/08 - Making the Algae farm
I must be mad... "Grow algae, grow!"
Well, today I made my Algae farm. It's quite modest - a couple of rocks in a small tub of water on my south facing windowsill. I added some fish food, I just hope it gives the algae some nutrients! I'm going to use the 'Algae rocks' as a food supply for my CRS once they're fully green - 1 growing algae, the other being treated like a shrimp salad bar. Well, of course I'm also going to give them special shrimp pellets as well. Snail Shop sells them - no doubt they'll have a shortage of that pretty soon! I'm probably going to see if my Takashi amanos in the 47gal like it as well - no doubt the BN in there will be chuffed to receive such a gift from heaven; a green rock!
I am also considering trying to find Red crystal or maybe Bumblebee shrimps which I can also breed in the tank with the RCS. I've seen it done plenty of times, in tanks half the size I have.
I'm also going to make the tank an Iwagumi style Lo-tek planted, Although I'm stuck on what plants to use for the 'grass'!
Last edited by Blub; June 8th, 2008 at 04:26 AM.
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March 19th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gamer
susitna. Just wondering where I can view shots of your 55 gallon with all the java moss and CRS.
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 Don't want to hi-jack this thread, but long story short, I am JUST now getting pictures of my fish, haven't ever had a digital camera before, and hope to figure out how to do this very soon......just put the CD in the computer yesterday and uploaded 3 fish pictures (not very good ones), but will work on it! |
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March 19th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HatchetHaven
Day 1 - 20/3/08 - Making the Algae farm
I must be mad... "Grow algae, grow!"
Well, today I made my Algae farm. It's quite modest - a couple of rocks in a small tub of water on my south facing windowsill. I added some fish food, I just hope it gives the algae some nutrients! I'm going to use the 'Algae rocks' as a food supply for my RCS once they're fully green - 1 growing algae, the other being treated like a shrimp salad bar. Well, of course I'm also going to give them special shrimp pellets as well. Snail Shop sells them - no doubt they'll have a shortage of that pretty soon! I'm probably going to see if my Takashi amanos in the 47gal like it as well - no doubt the BN in there will be chuffed to receive such a gift from heaven; a green rock!
I am also considering trying to find Red crystal or maybe Bumblebee shrimps which I can also breed in the tank with the RCS. I've seen it done plenty of times, in tanks half the size I have. |
They do eat algae, but also love shrimp pellets, algae wafers, and all the left over flake food....the thing I did with this tank that helps it was to add a huge chunk of coral to raise the ph. It also gives them something to "graze" to get calcium. Be VERY careful not to add things to this tank that include ANY copper. Some folks suggest food for crabs etc, but I have never yet found one that doesn't list copper in the ingredients.
As expensive as Red Crystal Shrimp are, I wouldn't mix them with CRS's.....keep the RCS's breeding just with themselves, and try to upgrade with the addition now and again with a top show quality shrimp. I don't even know if I could get RCS. It is best to start off with the less expensive CRS until you have a proven program. |
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March 19th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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I posted pictures on my tank.  |
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March 20th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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Quote:
Originally Posted by susitna-flower
They do eat algae, but also love shrimp pellets, algae wafers, and all the left over flake food....the thing I did with this tank that helps it was to add a huge chunk of coral to raise the ph. It also gives them something to "graze" to get calcium. Be VERY careful not to add things to this tank that include ANY copper. Some folks suggest food for crabs etc, but I have never yet found one that doesn't list copper in the ingredients.
As expensive as Red Crystal Shrimp are, I wouldn't mix them with CRS's.....keep the RCS's breeding just with themselves, and try to upgrade with the addition now and again with a top show quality shrimp. I don't even know if I could get RCS. It is best to start off with the less expensive CRS until you have a proven program.
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Hi!
Coral! Hmm, as long as it's not the stuff they rip out of reefs... I was acctualy going to go around the garden collection snail shells, crushing them, puttign them in a bag and hanging that in the tank. I'll probably go by just CRS - I don't even know where I'd get RCS from anyway! I guess once I have an established colony I may consider some Bumbleebee shrimp - I don't think they can crossbreed with CRS? I'll probably stick with CRS - and maybe with the profit from CRS sales maybe a new 7.5gal (There's a cheap kit 7.5gal in the UK. You need to buy a heater - my LFS does them for 5 quid more with the tank and you need to upgrade filter!) is coming my way? Another species of shrimp for another time...
Last edited by Blub; June 8th, 2008 at 04:25 AM.
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March 30th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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30/3/2008
Day 10 - 30/3/08 - Upgrades, and obsessions...
4 Tanks and counting!
Well, since my friend quit fishkeeping, and gave the their 11gal to us to give to our cousins, (OK, for £40 but with filter, heater and all), and our cousins didn't want it, I've been able to add a new tank to my arsenal! OK so it's not set up yet, but once the Bolivian rams which are coming soon have had their QT period, it will be free for use with shrimp. So, I've been spending the past few days reading and reading about shrimp breeding. So far, my plans for this tank have come to this: A breeding colony of Cherry shrimp, and another smaller colony of Tiger or Bumblebee shrimp. *You notice the mad professor look on is face!* Plants? Java moss, Java fern, Some algae balls, and perhaps some crypts. I'll have rocks, maybe wood, and leaf litter for the shrimp to live in. I'm eyeing up some nice, holey rocks at my LFS, which would be a perfect medium for java moss and would have plenty of hideouts for shrimp.
Last edited by Blub; June 8th, 2008 at 04:25 AM.
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June 8th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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8/6/08
Day 69 - 8/6/08 - And we have lift off! I'm mad alright - I haven't posted an update for 59 days!!!
So, in the 59 day I haven't posted, a lot has happened. The shrimp tank is officially up and running, I was using it to QT a pair of Panda apistos the other day. I also have 6 RCS (Getting 4 more from a different source soon!) in there right now. No leaf litter or marimo balls yet. They are coming soon! I'm planting some Dwarf hairgrass and cryptocorynes in the foreground soon as well.
I also have this little plan: as well as the shrimp, add 6 Glowlight danios and 6 Ember tetras. I've read all the compatibility stuff, and I think I can do it. Or, if not that plan (I can source them both thanks to my legendary LFS!) 8 Neons. Or, 6 Glowlights and 3 Dwarf corys, or 6 Embers and 3 Dwarf corys.
Last edited by Blub; June 13th, 2008 at 12:14 PM.
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June 13th, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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13/6/08
Day 73 - 13/6/08 - Time for an update!
Don't you just love it when everything goes swimmingly?
So, today I bring you a general update and a small question. So far, the entire tank has gone great. The MTS are breeding, RCS doing well, and I've planted those crypts and Dwarf hairgrass from the 47gal. Yay! As for that fish plan I've come to the Ember tetra and Dwarf/pygmy cory conclusion. I think I should be pretty safe, with all this cover the shrimp are getting, and the fact a full grown RCS is 1cm bigger than an Ember tetra!
However, I am having a problem sourcing leaf litter. It's summer here in the UL right now, and those trees just don't want to drop their leaves! Anyone got any help? I might try doing some 'DIY Autumn/Fall' stuff if you get what I mean...
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June 22nd, 2008
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Fish Mentor
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Day 82 - 22/6/08 - Make mine an Amano 2 Shimp species down...
So, today is the day when I perform an *ahem* complex manoeuvre! I, the daring Hatchet man, will attempt to catch all 5 Amano shrimp in the 47gal planted tank, and move them into the humble shrimp breeder!
I've been noticing recently how much more the RCS come out with no fish in their tank compared to the amanos. I think it's time I let the amanos loose in 'Shrimp heaven', don't you? It's a shame they only breed in SW. Anyway, today I am probably ordering some more RCS from the interweb.
Last edited by Blub; June 23rd, 2008 at 01:33 PM.
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June 24th, 2008
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Fish Helper
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Good luck! Let us know how it goes!
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