Here's a still image from the Benibachi Gallery Tokyo YouTube video. Look at the amount of substrate in the tanks! I wonder if they use a large amount to help maintain water parameters, especially for sensitive, high grade shrimp...click to view the full video!

My Rili population has been growing nicely since I got them in March. I've noticed females carrying blue, green, and yellow eggs - all of which seem to produce the "Rili" pattern. Neocaridinas do seem easier to breed, as I also keep Red Tigers in the same tank, which have not bred yet :(, while the Rili has really blossomed.

CRS munching on spinach:

Shrimp Rack: To Build, or Not To Build?

I will be moving to a new apartment in one month and will unfortunately have less space for my tanks. I've been contemplating whether to build a single rack for a select number of tanks I will be operating. The rack will be made of 2" x 4" wood and will be 3-tanks high, with the top row in a "step" configuration. What I really want to try out is utilizing dado joints for support, which will make the rack look more appealing, yet be relative sturdy. Here are some sketches I came up with (click to enlarge):



I currently have six 20 gallon longs and 6 10 gallon standards (along with various other tanks that will not be on this new rack), all on metal stands that hold two tanks each. With this new rack, I will downsize to only two 20s, placed on the bottom row, then three 10s directly above that, then the remaining three 10s a step above that.

New Neocaridina Color Variant: Orange Rili

Jared Green (atyidae.wordpress.com) shows us pictures taken by Chris Lukhaup of a new Neocaridina heteropoda color variant. These shrimp were bred by Gerd Arndt and are beautiful! Click the photo below to view more.