Red Tigers

My Red Tigers have been doing fairly well, though others in the US have reported difficulties with this Tiger variety (based on a recent forum discussion).  Obtained from quality stock and acclimated properly, I think they are as hardy as regular tigers and maybe even like Neocaridinas.  I also have not had bacterial outbreaks with them, and hopefully will not experience it.

I keep my Red Tigers in a 10 gallon tank with ADA Aquasoil I, peacock moss, and a sponge filter.  They are fed Ebita Breed brand and Mosura brand food, including BioPlus and Tonic Pro.  Red Tigers are quite a nice shrimp and hopefully US shrimp keepers will have more success with them.



p.s. - Happy New Year!

The Lure of Pure

The US shrimp hobby has seen a wave of "Pure Red Lines" (PRL) for sale recently, marketed to be from reputable breeders such as Benibachi, Crimson, and Ebi-ten.  Such shrimp carry quite a hefty price, but cost hasn't deterred many shrimpkeepers; most of these shrimp are pre-ordered and the remaining are quickly purchased by eager buyers.

This isn't the first time Pure Red Lines were in the US though.  Shrimp breeder Yoyo has been keeping Ebi-ten PRL CRS since June of 2011, and has successfully bred them, and continues to do so.

Benibachi PRL CRS

Wanting to see these shrimp for myself, I purchased a group of 10 last month.  As I am already working on selectively breeding my own lines, I opted to go with the "lowest" grade, just to see what they are like.  Phenotypically, they look just like my other CRS, whites and reds aren't any thicker or brighter. Perhaps this is what the low grades are like, culls from the high grade shrimp; though from seeing photos from keepers who purchased high grades, they do not seem comparable to shrimp featured on the sites of said line (again, culls?).  We'll see what the subsequent generations are like.

However, I warn novice shrimpkeepers to not make a quick decision to purchase these PRL shrimp.  The prices are quite high compared to other CRS in the market, and if you are inexperienced with keeping shrimp (particularly the "more difficult" Caridina types), the risk exists that the shrimp won't last very long.  Though it is great to see PRLs available in the US (I am grateful that these breeders are allowing their shrimp to be sold here - thank you!), I suggest shrimpkeepers keep, breed, and maintain their own lines as well - breeding projects are great fun and doing so will propel US shrimpkeepers in the international shrimp hobby.

Last August, there was a 2-week period in which I transitioned from my old apartment to my new one.  I had to move all my tanks to my parents' (2.5 hours away!) since the construction of my new building wasn't completed yet.  When I moved back, I left a few tanks, along with a 20L CBS.  This past weekend, I visited my parents; the CBS population has grown well and I may be reaching the "high-density tank" level - though I anticipate selling/donating some shrimp.

Among the CBS was a "Super" Crystal Red Shrimp, though this one may be a low grade Super CRS, or simply just a super low grade CRS.  Common names aside, it is simply a CRS that has a wider red coverage and minimal white.

Here's a video of it making its way to the food:


And a video of the CBS feeding:


(sorry for the poor quality, videos were taken with my phone)

Happy Holidays!

BKK:


Wine Red:


CRS:

Happy November!

Winter is definitely coming as the temperatures outside are gradually getting cooler and the days are getting darker sooner. But things are heating up in my tanks as several females are berried. My Super Tigers have finally picked up breeding again - I think the hot Summer months really slowed them down. I also finally saw some activity with my Black Tigers, although it was a male BTOE x female Super Tiger; I suspect my original Black Tigers were all males, a similar experience shared with other breeders. And my Red Tigers have berried and released, but it is difficult to pick out the shrimplets from the mass of Red Rilis in the same tank. Finally, my Taiwan Bees have picked up activity as well. I removed all my CRS/Hybrids from this tank (except for two female CRS and their recently released shrimplets) and am sure the male responsible for the berry is either a BKK or Wine Red. Now comes the hard part of maintaining the berry and shrimplets upon release.
Fingers crossed ;)

Red Cherry vs. Taiwan Fire Red

Red Cherry

Fire Red

Shrimp Feeding

Here is an old video of my Super Tigers, Red Cherries, and New Bee Shrimp feeding: