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Neocaridina: Blue Pearl Shrimp | Red Cherry Shrimp | Neocaridina heteropoda | Yellow Shrimp Other: American Glass Shrimp | Bamboo Shrimp | Green Lace Shrimp Caridina: Amano Shrimp |
Bee Shrimp |
Crystal Red Shrimp | Cardinal
Shrimp | Tiger Shrimp |
Malaya Shrimp
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Redder Red Cherry Shrimp I am often asked how to make Red Cherry Shrimp even redder. Well, this is a question that has many answers and in my opinion there are basically 3 factors to consider to get Red Cherry Shrimp to express their color to their optimal amount water conditions, environment and genetics. But, before I get into those three factors it is important to know a little bit about the Red Cherry Shrimp (RCS). The RCS does not exist in the wild. It is a selectively bred color variant of the Neocaridina heteropoda (or Neocaridina denticulata sinensis).  In the wild this shrimp displays a pale brown color that is quite variable to dark brown to almost clear. These shrimp are found in South East Asia in rivers and streams. Now, on to the 3 factors. Water Conditions All aquatic creatures are their most healthy and look their best when their optimal care requirements are met. Cherry Red Shrimp are no different. When the water in their aquarium is in their optimal ranges it allows the RCS to display optimal colors! So what are their optimal conditions? Ph Range: 6.2-8.0 Environment When a Cherry Red Shrimp has ideal water conditions the next thing to consider is their environment. This subject is often debated, but I believe that a darker substrate and plants cause a RCS to display brighter reds. And here is why! In the wild, the Neocaridina heteropoda, like most aquatic invertebrates, will adjust its coloration to blend in with its surroundings. When they are on a light substrate they will turn to a lighter almost clear color. When they are on a darker substrate they will turn to a dark brown color. This holds true with Red Cherry Shrimp. When they are on a dark substrate they turn to a deeper red. This red color, obviously, does not blend in with the dark substrate, and in fact does quite the opposite. The shrimps natural instinct does not know that it is red and it is just trying to blend in! Genetics This is the most important factor when considering coloration in a shrimp. No matter how perfect the water conditions are and how ideal their environment is a Red Cherry Shrimp will never get redder than its genetics will allow. Selective breeding has created some strikingly red shrimp, but a lower quality stock will not come close to the coloration these shrimp display. How do you know what type of genetics a shrimp has? The only way to know for sure is to see the parents. Out side of that, it is trial and error! Hope this all helps! Please feel free to discuss! If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!Related posts: |
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I don’t know what to think about the info on the parameters affecting the coloring very much. It probably does to some extent. My reasoning is that I have 2 tanks that have RCS and both have a mix of color range. Some are fairly bland and yet others are deep solid red, some are so dark that they have a purplish tinge. I go for the genetics as being what determines how red they get. Even some of the barely visible newborn will be very red. If you want a redder color, I have heard that it can depend on what they eat, to some extent. Wild caught salmon have the red colored meat because they eat crustaceans so a fun experiment might be to try feeding a crustacean based food.
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You are correct. Food can affect the coloring of a shrimp, but it is only temporary and will fade once the food source is gone. Any food that contains astaxanthin (found in some algae and crustaceans) will cause a color change. I think you just inspired my next blog post.
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