# Crystal Red Shrimp Information (Care and Breeding)



## milalic

Great article...this should be a sticky


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## hir0

excellent article. I have a couple CRS with eggs, so I hope they do well. Temperature in my tanks are always 80 degrees F because that's always the temperature here -.-


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## co2

There is no difference between the care of CRS and Cherries is there? It seems like all of the Caridina "family" would require the same conditions.


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## AlexPerez

Now if I can only get my hands on some CRS.  I can put all this great advice to work.


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## vinnymac

co2 said:


> There is no difference between the care of CRS and Cherries is there? It seems like all of the Caridina "family" would require the same conditions.



Well...the entire point of my write-up is there are subtle differences and they need to be observed if you want to breed crystal reds.


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## Kyle

Oh how I covet your shrimp! With my luck lately I'm lucky I have anything moving around in my tanks! Do you have any pics of your CRS?

Offtopic (sorta), but will cherries breed in small tanks? I have a 5 gallon laying around I am keeping some endler fry in that I would like to breed some cherries in.


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## milalic

Kyle said:


> Oh how I covet your shrimp! With my luck lately I'm lucky I have anything moving around in my tanks! Do you have any pics of your CRS?
> 
> Offtopic (sorta), but will cherries breed in small tanks? I have a 5 gallon laying around I am keeping some endler fry in that I would like to breed some cherries in.



They will breed in a 5G tank


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## Momotaro

> There is no difference between the care of CRS and Cherries is there?


I wouldn't think so either.

I never saw the "mystery" behind Cherry shrimp propagation. I use the word "propagate" as opposed to "breeding" because breeding implies there is some special hand in the process by the hobbyist. I just put the shrimp in an aquarium with plenty of fine leaved plants (heavily planted) for the shrimp to graze over, and kept the aquarium free of shrimpy predators and let them be. The shrimp propagate prolifically. I think "free of predators" is the key for some.  

I am certain I'd be able to do the same with CRS and Bee shrimp.

Mike


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## milalic

Momotaro said:


> I wouldn't think so either.
> 
> I never saw the "mystery" behind Cherry shrimp propagation. I use the word "propagate" as opposed to "breeding" because breeding implies there is some special hand in the process by the hobbyist. I just put the shrimp in an aquarium with plenty of fine leaved plants (heavily planted) for the shrimp to graze over, and kept the aquarium free of shrimpy predators and let them be. The shrimp propagate prolifically. I think "free of predators" is the key for some.
> 
> I am certain I'd be able to do the same with CRS and Bee shrimp.
> 
> Mike


 If bee is not the same as bumblebee they are more difficult to keep alive and breed than cherry red. They are more susceptible to nitrates than cherry and their water temp and alkalinity is lower than cherry red. That is my experience


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## mrbelvedere

When are you going to be selling crystal reds vinnymac? ever since I got cherries from you I wa stricken with shrimp fever.


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## vinnymac

Pics moved to top...


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## vinnymac

Thanks everyone for the great comments and questions. I'll continue to update this thread with information and pics.


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## vinnymac

I'm very pleased to report I've had a recent batch of new baby crystals. My females have been carrying eggs for several weeks and it's always difficult to keep track of which ones have released them since many look the same.

I noticed a few tiny baby crystals the other night and I ended observing my tank for nearly an hour counting the babies and verified there were at least 10 new ones. I'd say about 60% of them are very high grade like the parents and the remaining are only displaying moderate coloration.

It's amazing how vivid the colors on the babies can be even at a few days old. I'm in the process of clearing out my lower grade crystals to make more room for the really nice ones, so I'll post some pics if I can get some good shots. :thumbsup:


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## valleyvampiress

I'm also interested in when you're ready to sell some CRs. I'd love a batch myself. I want to start a 5g shrimp tank. Right now I only have 3 shrimp in a 2.5g.


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## beviking

I guess I'll jump in line here too vinny just so ya don't forget me 

-Bill


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## scrimp

I got mine and only one died woo hooo. Thanks vinny a few of these look like they arent such a bad grade. Though I am happy with my purchese and for the price wooo hooo how could you go wrong!


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## vinnymac

scrimp said:


> I got mine and only one died woo hooo. Thanks vinny a few of these look like they arent such a bad grade. Though I am happy with my purchese and for the price wooo hooo how could you go wrong!



Glad to hear you received the package. Sorry to hear one died.

Yeah, a few of them are actually going to be better than grade C...so it works out nicely. :thumbsup:


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## WISH

Hello Vinnymac,



Your article about your cherry shrimps is very well written. I am from Singapore and would you be kindly enough to let me know which hobbyist you imported the shrimps ? I am having some problem to get hold of these beautiful shrimps locally here in Singapore.



Hear from you soon and thank you.


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## kimbm04r

Hi Vinny,

Is there an easy way to tell a male from a female Crystal? I know I have lost 2 of the ones I received from you and can only find 3 remaining. I am afraid they are all females. Is there an easy way to tell them apart? If not, I quess I will have to get some more from you once the weather gets warmer.

Thanks


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## vinnymac

kimbm04r said:


> Hi Vinny,
> 
> Is there an easy way to tell a male from a female Crystal? I know I have lost 2 of the ones I received from you and can only find 3 remaining. I am afraid they are all females. Is there an easy way to tell them apart? If not, I quess I will have to get some more from you once the weather gets warmer.
> 
> Thanks



Females are generally larger and have wider abdomens compared to the males. The females will have larger tail sections and the shells will grow down farther past the rear swimmers compared to males. The females have these tail developments to help hold their eggs when they are incubating.


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## kimbm04r

vinnymac said:


> Females are generally larger and have wider abdomens compared to the males. The females will have larger tail sections and the shells will grow down farther past the rear swimmers compared to males. The females have these tail developments to help hold their eggs when they are incubating.


Thanks,

I will have to check that out when I get home but I am afraid they may be all females that are left.


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## vinnymac

kimbm04r said:


> Thanks,
> 
> I will have to check that out when I get home but I am afraid they may be all females that are left.



Could you take some pics and send them to me? I could try to help you identify the gender.


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## kimbm04r

vinnymac said:


> Could you take some pics and send them to me? I could try to help you identify the gender.


Here is a picture I was able to get of one of them yesterday, they sure are hard to get clear pictures of. I thought I would post it here just incase anybody else is interested as well. I will try to post more when I can get clear pictures of them.

Am I correct in thinking this to be a female?














Thanks


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## vinnymac

kimbm04r said:


> Here is a picture I was able to get of one of them yesterday, they sure are hard to get clear pictures of. I thought I would post it here just incase anybody else is interested as well. I will try to post more when I can get clear pictures of them.
> 
> Am I correct in thinking this to be a female?
> 
> Thanks


Nice pic. That one is definitely a female. In fact, if you look closely, you can see the developing ovaries. They should breed every 28-35 days if you keep the water clean and have your temp around 73.5F.

My current breeding colony of CRS are cranking babies like crazy. :thumbsup:


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## kimbm04r

vinnymac said:


> Nice pic. That one is definitely a female. In fact, if you look closely, you can see the developing ovaries. They should breed every 28-35 days if you keep the water clean and have your temp around 73.5F.
> 
> My current breeding colony of CRS are cranking babies like crazy. :thumbsup:


Thanks, Then I believe I may have one male because one other one looks just about like this one. I quess time will tell. That reminds me, I need to do a water change tonight.


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## vinnymac

I'm very pleased to say the first few batches of CRS babies have turned out really nice.

About 90% of the new babies are Grade A or better with very nice color and well shaped red and white bands. I counted around 45 last night with a few up to 1/2" in size. I noticed you can tell nearly right away how well the coloration and banding will turn out since the really high quality babies display very distint red and white bands right after they hatch.

I've been feeding them generously every day with HBH Crab & Lobster Bites and HBH Algae Wafers. I use a pinch of the C&L Bites and break up one whole Algae Wafer each night. I am still keeping up with 20% water changes every 4-5 days and keeping the water temp right at 73F. My PH is still at 7.4 so I'm not convinced you have to have acidic water to succesfully breed CRS.

I also noticed I have 5 grade S females carrying eggs in various stages of development. One of them has eggs that are nearly ready to hatch as evident by the visible eyes and banding of the developing shrimplets. I've been very pleased to see how well they are reproducing so far.

...also, before I get a flood of PMs...I'm not going to sell any CRS from this batch. I want to build up my breeding stock before I let any of them go. 

I REALLY appreciate everyone buying Cherry Shrimp from me as all the money is going into my CRS fund. I'm planning to import another batch of S and SS CRS from Asia next month. The only drawback is the cost since each SS CRS will be $25-$32 each!

Let me know if you have any questions. I'm always willing to help out. Thanks! :thumbsup:


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## Kyle

Vinnie, do you still have some Cherrys available? I've got about 6 in my 5.5 gal and wouldn't mind bumping up my stock a bit, they aren't breeding fast enough!

I had one big one carrying eggs for about 2 weeks, now I don't see the eggs (or baby shrimp), but I noticed that I can see the eggs inside her again. I haven't figured out where the eggs or babies went! It is tough to see with all the java moss I have in there however.


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## Ðank

Hi Vinny. Great shrimp and helpful thread. On a website, here, there is this picture of an SS CRS. 









Can you tell me if this is a common with black like this? It looks very cool.


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## vinnymac

Ðank said:


> Hi Vinny. Great shrimp and helpful thread. On a website, here, there is this picture of an SS CRS.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Can you tell me if this is a common with black like this? It looks very cool.



I had a black diamond once...but it died after a couple of weeks. I do not believe they are very common at all...at least not in SS grade.

I'm hoping to get a couple with this next order from Asia.


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## Ðank

That is a black diamond crystal red shrimp?? Is the double black diamond even harder to keep? hehe. I sure hope you are able to get those to breed.


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## vinnymac

Ðank said:


> That is a black diamond crystal red shrimp?? Is the double black diamond even harder to keep? hehe. I sure hope you are able to get those to breed.



They are not more difficult to keep, but they are certainly more difficult to find.


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## Chucknorris

*crs*

Hey Vinny,

Seems like a lot of people are interested in your CRSs'. Well add me to the list! I have a cherry tank going and I am in the midst of setting up a 20gal long for CRS. Except there is no where to get these in the states. Im up in Wi and the local pet store really doesnt cut it, so im buying a lot of plants and stuff online. Do you have any idea when you would be willing to sell some CRS? Appreciate any info

Chuck


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## mossman

Ðank said:


> That is a black diamond crystal red shrimp?? Is the double black diamond even harder to keep? hehe. I sure hope you are able to get those to breed.



Sorry what is double black diamond? I have been keeping CRS/Diamond for a while, have never come across double black? Is it something like the black one in my picture below?


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## mossman

kimbm04r said:


> Hi Vinny,
> 
> Is there an easy way to tell a male from a female Crystal? I know I have lost 2 of the ones I received from you and can only find 3 remaining. I am afraid they are all females. Is there an easy way to tell them apart? If not, I quess I will have to get some more from you once the weather gets warmer.
> 
> Thanks


male:









female:









Details


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## turbomkt

Double Black Diamond is probably referring to the most extreme slopes for snow skiing.


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## mossman

turbomkt said:


> Double Black Diamond is probably referring to the most extreme slopes for snow skiing.



How does this work for shrimp?


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## fresh_lynny

stupid question, but what are the criteria for grading?


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## gabeszone247

Can you keep an airpump with airstone running with CRS? I just got into bredding CRS in Japan.


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## milalic

Not sure if that will work in the long run, but I would use either a sponge filter or small canister filter.

Cheers,
Pedro


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## turbomkt

I don't think an airstone will harm them, but I would think there should be something like a sponge filter to at least provide some mechanical filtration (as well as additional biological filtration).


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## gabeszone247

I got 2 sponge filters running water is crystal clean.


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## turbomkt

Sounds like a good set up to me.


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## LS6 Tommy

I have abeen getting CRS' locally but they're too small to go into my 58. I have been keeping them in my 10 gallon hospital tank trying to grow them out a bit. It seems like I'll lose one out of the clear blue for no apparent reason every once in a whil. It's frustrating. H2O parameters are good, except the temp gets a little high sometimes (85* F). Are they that sensitive to heat?

Tommy


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## turbomkt

Yes! They really like the heat in the mid 70's.


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## LS6 Tommy

turbomkt said:


> Yes! They really like the heat in the mid 70's.


That's probably why I only seem to have success with Japonica in my 58. It's basically set up for Discus. 80*F, 6.6 Ph, GH of 5-6, KH of 7-8. The plants don't seem to care though.

Tommy


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## turbomkt

You may also have a problem with discus supplementing their protein intake


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## fresh_lynny

I'll try this again...anyone? Bueller? What are the criteria for grading?


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## h20 plant

Have you tried googling it (you probably have thus another stupid question) The criteria depends on the white stripes really. The more solid white stripes it has then the higher the grade also in has to have defined red stripes, large one by head two in mid of tail and one at end then dots on the tail tips. The shrimp cant look like a 1 year old coloring book if you know what im talking about. I don’t know if this is what you wanted to know but its better then nothing.


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## turbomkt

fresh_newby said:


> I'll try this again...anyone? Bueller? What are the criteria for grading?


Actually...the info is quite readily available on ShrimpNow. Check here.


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## h20 plant

yea follow Mike he has been dealing with these species longer then I.


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## A Hill

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/shrimp/35594-talk-about-nice-crs-sss.html

more nice pictures from one of the best breeders in japan... found the link on aquabid that is in my topic there, feel free to add it to the list vinnymac!

i'm probably going to be in the market for these guys sooner or later.....:icon_roll

new pics guys? its been a while....

- fish newb -


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## ikaikah

hey don't CRS eat eachother upon death?


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## A Hill

ikaikah said:


> hey don't CRS eat eachother upon death?


not usually, They will like any other shrimp pick out eggs of dead shrimp though.

- Andrew


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## SicilianDefense

It's possible to brred shrimp in 5 gallon tanks, right?


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## wayneside

is it advisable to keep crystal black shrimp with my crystal reds to strengthen the gene pool? i remember reading that somewhere but thought i would ask here.


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## Ebichua

wayneside said:


> is it advisable to keep crystal black shrimp with my crystal reds to strengthen the gene pool? i remember reading that somewhere but thought i would ask here.


Yes, pure crystal blacks will strengthen the gene pool. I believe inbreeding only starts affecting the offspring after the 6th or 7th generation though (and anything past). So there's plenty of time before you actually have to start mixing. Adding black and reds together is a nice combo though. Personally, I'd combine the two right from the start.


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## wayneside

cool cool...now i need to find some crystal blacks!


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## ikuzo

my tap water parameter are these :
pH 7.5
GH 12
temp around 28°C

what's my chance for keeping CRS?


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## brohawk

10% I'd guess.


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## ikuzo

wow that's low 
what do i have to do to increase it? mix my tap water with RO water?


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## logmm

Hello everyone
Is any one knows where to by CRS in toronto are (canada)
TNX


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## fishsandwitch

ikuzo said:


> my tap water parameter are these :
> pH 7.5
> GH 12
> temp around 28°C
> 
> what's my chance for keeping CRS?


 for grade C about 70+ percent


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## chase127

i have basically the same params as ikuzo,

ph 7.3
gk/kh idk
temp 77

i know the op bred his in a ph of 7.5 so would my ph be okay too see some CRS breeding?


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## fishsandwitch

chris127 said:


> i have basically the same params as ikuzo,
> 
> ph 7.3
> gk/kh idk
> temp 77
> 
> i know the op bred his in a ph of 7.5 so would my ph be okay too see some CRS breeding?


get low grade!


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## NyteBlade

Does anyone know if there's any truth to the crystal reds not breeding readily in a tank under 20 gallons? Would a 10 gallon with moderately hard water and a pH of ~7.8 be okay for CRS?


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## epicfish

pH may be a bit high. Mine didn't start to breed until around 7.0 or less.


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## NyteBlade

epicfish said:


> pH may be a bit high. Mine didn't start to breed until around 7.0 or less.


Hmm...will they at least survive and co-exist happily for a bit in these conditions? I won some today at our fish clubs auction. At about 15 for a $1/piece I couldn't pass it up. I'm going to put them in a breeder net inside my cherry shrimp tank until their own 10 gallon is ready 

Is there anything deemed "safe and effective" to alter the pH outside of just using RO water? Would something like Seachem Acid Buffer/Neutral regulator be okay to use?


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## fishboy87

My pH is 7.3 last time I checked. Tank is halfway through a cycle right now. I'll lower my temp if I were to ever get some. Am I ok right now as far as pH goes and how long after the cycle is it ok to start adding the shrimp.


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## dxiong5

NyteBlade said:


> Is there anything deemed "safe and effective" to alter the pH outside of just using RO water? Would something like Seachem Acid Buffer/Neutral regulator be okay to use?


There are several methods in lowering pH withouth RO. I use Seachem Acid Buffer to bring my water from pH=7.8 to pH=6.9. Dosage depends on your local tap pH and KH.

Another method is using pure peat moss. Simply mesh the moss and place in the HOB filter or hang in the side of the tank. Peat usually leaks tannins into the water, so your water may slightly turn brown.

Substrate does effect pH, KH, and GH. Many shrimp hobbyists use ADA Amazonia soil for its buffering capabilities.


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## dxiong5

fishboy87 said:


> My pH is 7.3 last time I checked. Tank is halfway through a cycle right now. I'll lower my temp if I were to ever get some. Am I ok right now as far as pH goes and how long after the cycle is it ok to start adding the shrimp.


pH looks okay; I've read about several successes of keeping and breeding CRS at pH 7.6. As far as cycling is concerned, simply test your water parameters to see if they are in the safe range, ie, KH, GH, ammonia, etc.


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## mointhehouse128

> Originally Posted by logmm:
> 
> Hello everyone
> Is any one knows where to by CRS in toronto are (canada)
> TNX


Yes.....I just want to know if anyone knows where to buy CRS, Crystal Black Shrimp, and Red Cherry Shrimp in Barrie or can ship to Barrie.

Vinnymac I was wondering if you had any Cherry Shrimp for sale and put me line for the CRS when you start selling them.

Mike


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## mointhehouse128

Oh, yeah....I had a pair of CRS and a pair of CBS and my ph was about 7.0-7.4, most of the time 7.2, the temp was 25 C, but the dh/kh I dont really know. They bred in about a month and had many fry.


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## CKJ

You might want to do a post in the swap n shop area of the forum or start a new post in this area so that you get more responce to your question.

Hope that helps some.


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## mointhehouse128

Thx much CKJ.

I also had tons of Cherry Shrimp.....but they all died cause of the food 
I got. The food had some copper that made the shrimp die. IMPORTANT NOTE: ALWAYS READ THE LABEL OF FOOD AND CHEMICALS YOU ARE GOING TO PUT IN YOUR FISH TANK AND NEVER PUT ANYTHING THAT HAS COPPER. (IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT HAS SMALL TRACES OF COPPER).


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## ramawo

Is malaysian driftwood good for CRS ?
Dose it lower the ph?

Thanks!


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## mointhehouse128

I dont think it does because I have maylasian driftwood in my tank and it did not lower the ph...


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## ramawo

Oh... I see !
The guy from lfs told me....it does lower the ph.
Well, I put it in shrimp tank last night, I will check the ph next couple days to see any ph change.

Thanks for your info


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## mointhehouse128

if the ph does go down in your tank.....maybe big al's scammed me:eek5:


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## infopimp

I just wanted to add to this thread - CRS rule! What fun creatures!


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## infopimp

NyteBlade said:


> Does anyone know if there's any truth to the crystal reds not breeding readily in a tank under 20 gallons? Would a 10 gallon with moderately hard water and a pH of ~7.8 be okay for CRS?


I would like to dispute this... I have CRS getting berried in a 10 and a 3 gallon tank, consistently.

So scratch that theory off the list, please.


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## j_keen24

Do you need salt in the water to "propagate them"? And on that note what does salt do to live plants?


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## A Hill

j_keen24 said:


> Do you need salt in the water to "propagate them"? And on that note what does salt do to live plants?


No salt needed.

Salt can make plants shrivel up more or less...

-Andrew


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## ramawo

Is it normal eggs change color ?
I have a female which carry black eggs at begin.
Recently, I found the eggs turn white color.


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## ramawo

> Is it normal eggs change color ?
> I have a female which carry black eggs at begin.
> Recently, I found the eggs turn white color.


Never mind, I found all shrimp pellets last night.


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## Timerelease

*shrimp*

Thanks Vinnie. Your article was extremely informative, and a pleasure to read. I am curious though, to hear that the shrimp are maintained by most in their own tank. Ours started in a 30 gallon tank with galaxies, harlequins and golden barbs. The fish did not even look at them. Even the first crop of babies was completely ignored by the fish. If they have predators I have not discovered them.
Indeed, I have given many away to friends since starting with the initial six, and they seem to be impervious as well.
Breeding is so simple that it is enough to start the ole head spinnin'. I increase the temperature of the water to 82F. from 76F. and leave them alone...amazing results. Anyway we have well over one humdred in the tank now, a few new-born, and I have given away three groups of twelve. All from the original six that were given to me about 6 months ago. A delightful beginner hobby for children:smile:
Again my thanks,
Time


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## Timerelease

Yes ramawo the eggs do change colour, but only slightly. Cherry shrimp can have either yellowish-brown or green, but with maturity of the babies come the eyes. They appear as tiny black dots on the side of the egg, and the eggs darken until birth. Nothing like the miracle of living, eh ramawo?


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## bklyndrvr

Here are my observations on CRS keeping. Again these are what I observed so YMMV.

I received 20 healthy and awsome CRS from the SNS here. I put about 6 into a 10 gallon that I have 5 RCS and two albino cories, and alot of java moss. I found 2 berried CRS in there. The water temp is around 73, and pH is around 6.5.

The rest are in a 5.5 gallon formally RCS only tank. The water there is hard, and PH 7.6 and temps running around 78, but I found 3 berried shrimp in there.

*knock on wood* Hopefully on another week I'll have little baby CRS swimming around.

One question, is that on my berried CRS, the eggs used to be brown, but now I'm noticing that the eggs are turning more dark red. Is that normal?


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## fishboy87

I just got shrimp babies in a 10 gallon so it is def possible. I've had the shrimp for 9 months (3) so noone came in berried or anything. Temp. of 75 or so helped me.


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## DCMarathoner

Is R/O water an absolute must for keeping CRS? Thanks.


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## dxiong5

DCMarathoner said:


> Is R/O water an absolute must for keeping CRS? Thanks.


No, although most have more success keeping and breeding CRS in slightly acidic water. You can use tap water, provided you have a pH lowering substrate such as ADA Amazonia. Folks in Germany, however, keep theirs in more basic conditions (pH ~ 7.8) and report successful breeding as well.


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## btan

This was a great read!

Learned a ton =P.


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## zxc

Great, thread. A lot to learn from here and a lots of beautiful shrimp picture.


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## adrianng1996

hey guys,i got a 5.5gallon tank that i just set up for attempts of trying to breed CRS/CBS....can they breed if its about 25-27C and the pH is about 7...please reply this...im very very very curious...


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## miko12

HI! At what age or size do CRS reach sexual maturity?


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## SHMaRiM

My question: How hard are higher grade CRS to take care of? From what I've read people make it out to be almost unachievable without expensive equipment.


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## narhay

SHMaRiM said:


> My question: How hard are higher grade CRS to take care of? From what I've read people make it out to be almost unachievable without expensive equipment.


Not hard. They breed like rabbits and guppies. Give them a good home, practice good husbandry and the rest takes care of itself.


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## MsNemoShrimp

Is Vinnymac still with us? Under his profile you can't message him anymore???


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## Bliasuk

Thought this link might be a welcome addition to the thread : www.shrimpkeeping.com


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## MsNemoShrimp

Thanks for the link. Vinnymac where r u! : )


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## Bliasuk

SHMaRiM said:


> My question: How hard are higher grade CRS to take care of? From what I've read people make it out to be almost unachievable without expensive equipment.


With 10 mins research they are extremely easy!

Get yourself a decent shrimp substrate (Ebi Gold, Benibachi) and a reliable brand for minerals/supplements and its easy.

The Substrate will buffer the water to the parameters you need, the minerals will take care of the rest (you MUST use RO water) It really is as simple as that!!!


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## pagemee

How long will it take CRS to grow to an inch from 0.6cm? Being fed algae wafers, bloodworms and tropical flakes i n10 gallon, lighted, plants aquarium.


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## gomesj

Is ecco complete substrate okay for breeding CRS shrimp?


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## diwu13

gomesj said:


> Is ecco complete substrate okay for breeding CRS shrimp?


Generally not, as it doesn't buffer your water column's pH. Unless your tap water is perfect you shouldn't use ecocomplete but something like fluval shrimp stratum, akadama, or ADA.


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## HunterTank90

thank you so much.
i have red cherry shrimp but i want some crystal and not sure if they will be ok with others.


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## hedge_fund

HunterTank90 said:


> thank you so much.
> i have red cherry shrimp but i want some crystal and not sure if they will be ok with others.


crs and cherries will be fine together


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## slimjim

awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! rcs are a master piece!! in any tank!! im just waiting for a good batch


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## sketch804

why excatly do I need a 'shimp substrate'?? If my ph is slightly acidic, soft water, and I add GH buffer or some other form of calcium for thier shells, and keep the same conditions through out the months, and keep clean water, do I really need this?? I do decent with other shrimp but I am new to crs'..thanks so much! 

Great sticky right here with a bunch of good info on it!


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## Moe

You don't need any special substrate, in your case sounds like you have ideal tap water. They will breed in bare tanks. If a person uses soil to buffer the water that soil will eventually loose its buffering capabilities.


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## sketch804

Thanks much Moe for that! Ya I really hope those shrimp you gave me do well! they are looking amazing right now!


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## triscene

not sure whether it was mentioned here but i have seen my 3 days old CRS shrimplets, when do they molt the first time?
I would like to check whether there are no molting problems or survival ones, adults have no issues.


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## Geniusdudekiran

I would say that mine typically molt after 4 or 5 days for the first time. Maybe a little longer :/


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## diwu13

Yea as Geniusdudekiran said. It's really hard to tell when a shrimplet first molts. The molts are tiny and probably get eaten right away :X


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## GeToChKn

diwu13 said:


> Yea as Geniusdudekiran said. It's really hard to tell when a shrimplet first molts. The molts are tiny and probably get eaten right away :X


Ya, every once in a while I'll see a tiny tiny molt floating around or stuck in the moss but with 100+ shrimp and snails in a tank, they go for it quick. lol.


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## ammon

*Anyone Selling RCS?*

I read about this and have a tank prepared. Is anyone currently selling RCS?
Thanks


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## thechibi

Plenty of folks sell both kinds.  You might even be able to grab some from Texas!


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## amarkantis

Thanks for the thread and great information!


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## triscene

hi guys, could be a reason why my shrimplets are not reaching juvenile stage the ph?
i can see babies several days after but their number are getting lower and lower

GH 4-5, mixing RO with tap to reach TDS 120, around ph 7.2


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## Moe

I would lower the PH.


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## sype2470

*Shrimp Food*

What do CRS eat? I have been feeding mine brine shrimp but that seems a little canabalistic, right? They love it though.


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