Colored Ghost Shrimp?

HI so I have an empty planted 3 gallon tank since my Betta just died and I've been trying to decide what to put in it. I was thinking about Red Cherry Shrimp at first but then I thought, what if I get some ghost shrimp and just drop them in a bowl of colored food dye that has been de-chlorinated for like 2-3 seconds then back in a temp holding tank to clean off the excess before putting them in my tank, that should work right? Or do you think they need longer in the food dye?

I'm trying to think of a cheap way to get colored shrimps so I don't have to pay $3 each at my LFS when I can get like 2-3 ghost shrimp for $1

 

It doesn't really work that way. When they dye fish they dip them in acid to get rid of their slime coat then they dye them. Its incredibly hard on the fish.

 

What?

 

What?

Op wants to dye shrimp.

 

It would be pretty awesome if it worked. I would actually keep them in there until they molt a couple times.

 

You might get a little bit of dying of their exoskeleton, but not much. Food coloring usually isn't a very effective dye but should be fairly harmless at least.

To get some really effective coloring you'll want to use some much stronger dye solutions than would be safe for the fish.

 

Op wants to dye shrimp.

I understand the words.

But the shrimp wouldn't get dyed, they would just die. Not to mention that even if they didn't suffocate, they would molt off the dyed skin anyway.

 

what if I put the shrimp in like a 1 gallon tank filled with water that's been dechlorinated after I put like 12-15 drops of food color in it? maybe they wouldnt die then? keep them like that for a few hours or a day and maybe then they would soak the color better?

 

Dont.

 

what if I put the shrimp in like a 1 gallon tank filled with water that's been dechlorinated after I put like 12-15 drops of food color in it? maybe they wouldnt die then? keep them like that for a few hours or a day and maybe then they would soak the color better?

They will die. I really don't think even shrimp can breathe in food coloring.

 

You'd be better off getting RCS...they come in just about every color now.

Not only would the dye not work (you might get a tint, if that) shrimp are very sensitive to sudden water changes and water quality, the whole process would kill them.

 

It's a fun experiment I've thought of doing.

If you are going to do it, go to petsmart and buy their cheap ghost shrimp. They are pretty much doomed to die anyway as most get sold off to in-experienced keepers or as feeder-shrimp. Like TwoHedWlf said it might not effect them as much.

You could also try feeding them food soaked in dye if anyone knows what I'm getting at??

Or maybe just slowly increasing the drops of food dye in the tank?

or just not doing it at all...

 

I would leave them in a tank with a bit of dye, not so much that they die, but enough that it colors them. Then leave them in there till they molt and reform a shell. Then move them back.

 

Just no.

 

would this work?

 

That's a dying method for bait fish that removes their slime coat and stains their scales...definitely not healthy for anything you plan on keeping as a pet.

No matter what you use (bait dye, food coloring, etc) the shrimp won't get that much color, if any. Even if the color did take they'd molt it off.

 

Fun fact. Healthy adult ghost shrimp get a blue tint and orange bands around their legs. I have 2.

 

That's a dying method for bait fish that removes their slime coat and stains their scales...definitely not healthy for anything you plan on keeping as a pet.

No matter what you use (bait dye, food coloring, etc) the shrimp won't get that much color, if any. Even if the color did take they'd molt it off.

Yeah, it would last 1 molt, maybe 2 but probably one.

My best suggestion is splurge and buy some neocaridina. Why, well 1 they live longer so that's a plus. 2 they breed, so as long as you don't kill them all, you will get a sustainable colony. 3 they have resale value, and 4 they keep their color forever.

 

Fun fact. Healthy adult ghost shrimp get a blue tint and orange bands around their legs. I have 2.

yeah, mine always get orange bands around their whiskers and legs. I've never seen the blue, but maybe that's since I've always had them on blue gravel, and never in my sand tanks.

 

Just splurge ghost shrimp don't have viable babies anyways pay 3 dollars for a red cherry shimp.....

 

I really wouldnt do it, there is no benefit to doing it and you will just hurt and kill them. I would just buy coloured shrimp like cherries or if you can't afford them, not get them until you can

 

I mean we already dip fish in acid just to make them look the way we want them to, which I really am against. the shrimp won't be able to breathe while your trying to dye them and will most likely die in the process which will just make you waste your money on both the dye and shrimp. if you do go with cherry shrimp then you won't waste your money since they will breed on their own

 

I don't like the idea. I wouldn't do it, but if you think about it at some point somebody had a crazy idea of "making" Glow in the Dark fish... That person must be one happy camper now.

 

So... I don’t understand... why not just buy shrimp of a specific color???? Reds, yellows, oranges, blues, all different shades of these available... if shrimp were able to be dyed they would already be on the market as such.

 

So... I don’t understand... why not just buy shrimp of a specific color???? Reds, yellows, oranges, blues, all different shades of these available... if shrimp were able to be dyed they would already be on the market as such.

They don't want to spend the extra money to buy the colored shrimp. Personally, I would just set aside a "shrimp fund" and save up for some colored shrimp. It won't take that long.