Nixed Crytsal Red Shrimp Project :-(

[dan2x38]

I have a love for inverts especially FW shrimp. When I first saw the Crystal Red Shrimp I fell in love with them.

They are not a natural occurring shrimp they're a morph of the Bee Shrimp. A guy Hisayasu Suzuki in Japan about 15 years ago found 3 Crystal Reds among some baby Bee Shrimp. He removed them then and selectively was able to start this strain. So all CRS are derived from those first three. So they are a sensitive little bugger to say the least.

A triple 'S' CRS can sell for $350 or more. OK enough history I bought 5 Grade 'A' for $75 to start a colony less than 2 years ago. I lost three bought three more. After finally getting the set-up going I manged to start breeding them. I was up over 30 but all of a sudden they stopped berrying up. For months I tired different stuff but no berried females. I had two tanks for awhile slightly different set-ups nothing. So decided to set-up a large tank and added them all in there. Bang in a month had 6 females berried up - Wow! Each female can produce 12-14 babies per hatch.

The babies started to appear but then that was it they died off? Slowly the adult population started to die too. I changed how often I did water changes - nothing still dying off. Added a 2nd Aqua Clear filter with seeded media - nothing still died off. I used carbon in both filters no good... plus other things too. Finally there was so few I moved to a 10 gallon tank. Well now I am down to ONE left... 

I have lots of theories but no real answers... Well if you are squeamish about the cost then expensive FW inverts aren't for you...  I must be crazy because I am not giving up...  I hate failure!

Does anyone know where I can get some more Grade 'A' Crystal Red Shrimp. OR even Bee Shrimp AKA Crystal Black Shrimp. Maybe someone would like to go in on a group order? If anyone can help out let me know please. I think I figured out something to make it successful this time... I sure as hell hope so! 

[smalltownfan]

I'd love to step up to CRS but until I can say that I can manage a colony of RCS without the occasional crash, I will have to pass for now. I'm also trying some greens, so far so good and I have some orange but lost 3 of the 4 in a week.    I'll be going back to see Marc Andre again for more.

[dan2x38]

FW shrimp are sensitive to NO3. Of course all nitrogen compounds but NO3 is deadly after they molt. Levels of 3ppm or less are needed. You need temps around 75* and water close to neutral or a little above for the shrimp you are keeping. Maintaining a bio-filter is tough with an invert species tank. Water changes should not be greater than 10%-15% so the water parameters do not change suddenly. So this way you need to do water changes more often like every 2-3 days. Invert tanks are extra work. Keeping a small dether type fish helps maintain the bio-filter but you have to careful they do not have a taste for shrimp.

[Agnate]

Have you ever looked into making an algae scrubbing filter for that tank?  I've gotten most of the parts for mine, just got to assemble it and hook it up (still can't find one of the parts).

You basically just create an amazing environment for algae to grow, and it just grows wildly (but controlled) and uses up all of the Nitrate and Phosphate, not to mention a lot of other nutrients/minerals we don't test for.  It could help to keep the water parameters where the shrimp prefer it?

I posted a topic in the SW forum for the algae scrubber, but it applies equally to freshwater. 

[dan2x38]

I will look into that... risky to try with CRS if it doesn't work you wipe out a lot of money in a hurry... with the one left I added 3 peppered cories... they will keep things clean and feed the filter too... so far the shrimp it doing well. I had them and a BN Pleco in my RCS tank and it prospers very well.

I had a plant filter set-up for ages on a tank and it work awesome.

[WTS]

hi,dan
i have some bee shrimps,they are breeding well in my tank now. i am sure they are not the crystal blak shrimps.  i always separate out some of them because of the bad colour or pattern. most of them are males. i can give some of them to you ,that may help you find out the problems of the water.
if you want, pm me please.

[dan2x38]

I have one left...

Thanks WTS not quite ready for any I testing a theory with the last one.

My thinking is the food & shrimp were unable to maintain a stable bio-filter in the 1st tank so NO3 would raise & fall preventing anymore berrying. So I went to a larger tank for water quality. The new tank the CRS were berrying up like crazy but the die off started. All testing showed perfect results. Now I figure there were slight flucations plus a deeper tank there was less circulation.

Now I am testing with 3 cories in the tank. They feed on any remaining food and create enough NH3 to feed the filter. I've had them in my cherry shrimp tank with no issues for years those shrimp breed like crazy. Still doing the same WC schedule every 3-4 days 10%-15%. So far the remaining shrimp is doing fine.

If he surveys I have found a source for some more CRS but it will be a few weeks before they are available.

WTS if that CRS source falls through I'd likely go for some Bee Shrimp... Bee shrimp are Crystal Black Shrimp. Again thank you very much for the offer. I still might take you up on the offer I do have an empty tank...