# Ch3f's All Things Shrimps



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Hi Folks. 

Just wanted to share my ADA 60-P Taiwan Bee. Very quickly, tank was set up early Jan. 2014 with ADA AS for the substrate and left to cycle/mature for 4 months. Tank is layered with biomeida rocks similar to seachem matrix capped with about 4in of Aquasoil. Tank is utilizing both Eheim 2115 & UGF. The UGF is driven by a small water pump that is routed to my breeder box and fed back into the main tank. Tank has only moss including my favorites such as fissidens, mini fissidens, fissidens geppi, rose moss, and mini pellia.

FTS:









Top View:









Shrimps:


























































































PRL from another tank



























Low light Pic:


----------



## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

What type of prl are those


----------



## serenityfate (Jan 29, 2014)

What crypt is that on the prl tank, and nice looking shrimps/tanks!!


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Badass bro! Them TB's are lovin it in there.

PRL tank aint so shabby either.


----------



## Ebichua (May 13, 2008)

Awesome macro shots!! Sweet tank


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

sbarbee54 said:


> What type of prl are those


These are Nick's Xin/Feather PRL. I've been breeding and culling these guys pretty heavily for over a year now. Females and Males have beautiful white and sexy red legs. Very happy with the purchase.



serenityfate said:


> What crypt is that on the prl tank, and nice looking shrimps/tanks!!


The crypt you see is a cluster of C. Flamingo. If memory serves me correctly, I was one of the ten original to participate in the group buy over at APC and one of the five or six people to successfully transition the tissue culture. This specimen was displaying a more pink color prior to moving it into this higher light and fertilized tank. I'm working on achieving the signature pink that C. Flamingo is known for. I have a few daughter plantlets to work with now.



speedie408 said:


> Badass bro! Them TB's are lovin it in there.
> 
> PRL tank aint so shabby either.


Thanks Nick. I kept the TB inside a breeder box for a while. They bred like 2 times for me whilst inside the breeder but not all the babies made it. They're thriving inside the 60-P. It's much bigger and the parameters is much more stable. I must have great genes because a majority of the babies are either Shadow Pandas or BKK 1-2 Bars. I'm even getting Bolts from these guys. Not too shabby. :thumbsup:



Ebichua said:


> Awesome macro shots!! Sweet tank


Thanks Jerry! Working on saving money to get a Nikon D7100 and a 105mm Nikkor Micro. One day I'll be able to take pictures like Nick.


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Big PIMPIN!  You'll never be as good since you'll be using Nikon  

BTW your buddy Matt is about to get another [email protected] package from me . You got him hooked real good! haha


----------



## DETAquarium (May 7, 2014)

Love the setup, great work.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

speedie408 said:


> Big PIMPIN!  You'll never be as good since you'll be using Nikon
> 
> BTW your buddy Matt is about to get another [email protected] package from me . You got him hooked real good! haha



That guy man! He just messaged me and told me his secret buy. Hahahaha. Btw, can't we just all get along? Nikon & Cannon? . You'll need to teach me your secrets!!!



DETAquarium said:


> Love the setup, great work.



Thank you! These guys are great. A lot of silly characters inside this tank. 

Side note:

Some silly waterchage behavior. Anyone else experience sunbathing Taiwan bees?


----------



## evodrgn (Dec 6, 2013)

Communial huddle at the UGF pump!!!!! Reminds me of finding nemo where they plan their escape!!! HAHA

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk


----------



## sewoeno (Apr 12, 2014)

absolutely amazing!


----------



## Unikorn (Jun 14, 2012)

Those are some awesome shrimp  How difficult are they to care for? what parameters do you keep them at? I hope to try these guys out in the future


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

evodrgn said:


> Communial huddle at the UGF pump!!!!! Reminds me of finding nemo where they plan their escape!!! HAHA
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk



Thanks Matt! Never thought of it like that but I guess you're right. Hahaha. They're definitely climbers. 



sewoeno said:


> absolutely amazing!



Thanks!



Unikorn said:


> Those are some awesome shrimp  How difficult are they to care for? what parameters do you keep them at? I hope to try these guys out in the future



Taiwan Bee aren't much more difficult than CRS or other bee shrimps. Stable parameters is important. Specifically, I use ADA AS filled to about 3-4in. I always use an UGF but it has to be layered with something in between the UGF and soil. Ada AS isn't great if it comes in contact with an intake as it breaks down quite easily. Temperature should be in a cool range of 70-74 degrees. Ph:6, TDS: really depends on remineralizer product, gH: 4-6, kH: 0. 

That's pretty much it. Pretty easy.


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

I have no secrets. It's all in the camera bro. I can't help you with Nikon lol.


----------



## genetao (Jun 25, 2008)

speedie408 said:


> I have no secrets. It's all in the camera bro. I can't help you with Nikon lol.


Ouch! 

Man absolutely no love for Nikons...


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

genetao said:


> Ouch!
> 
> Man absolutely no love for Nikons...


I'm not kidding man... I don't know how to use them. :icon_lol: Menu system is all wack on Nikons. :icon_cool


----------



## genetao (Jun 25, 2008)

speedie408 said:


> I'm not kidding man... I don't know how to use them. :icon_lol: Menu system is all wack on Nikons. :icon_cool


LOL! We all know you've got some ninja secrets when it comes to photography. :icon_mrgr 

Besides, it's not the car; it's the driver


----------



## plamski (Sep 25, 2009)

Great setup and shrimps Congrats!!!!!

About Nikon.
If you have DX body 40mm macro or 60mm macro . For FX 60mm.
2 flashes 6-7feet from the tank one 3-4 feet left one 3 feet right . So if you are upfront of the tank light should be behind you and further left and right. They should be little bit higher than tank top edge feet or so. Camera sinc speed 1/250-300.Flash speed the same.
ISO 500-800 depend of the camera and noise.EV+1 to +2.5 depend how bright you like to have your shrimps. High iso and EV is to make shrimps to pop over background.
Do DIY lens hood from black paper and insert it over the lens. The carton hood should reach the front tank glass or to be no further than 1-2" from it. Purpose is to stop Flash reflection from the glass going in to the lens. 5.6-11F should do the job. It depends of your DOF requirements. Post processing with Adobe Light Room will do the rest.
LMK if you need further info. You can find some of my pics in the forum. Not that great like Nick-Canon combo thought :smile:


----------



## Rock Island (May 29, 2013)

> I have no secrets. It's all in the camera bro. I can't help you with Nikon lol.


This would have offended me about ten years ago, but since then I've seen the light. I'll take a Canon any day.

Don't get me wrong, I still have all my old Nikon film cameras.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

speedie408 said:


> I'm not kidding man... I don't know how to use them. :icon_lol: Menu system is all wack on Nikons. :icon_cool



I was thinking more or less along the lines of the sittings I think the two should be pretty comparable in terms of picture quality. Tried to convince the gf to allow me to use our joint to buy a d7100 but didn't work out. Hahaha. She wants a GoPro.... 

Btw what's that thingamegig you told me about a whole ago. You mount a flash on it?



plamski said:


> Great setup and shrimps Congrats!!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Plamski, you're the best!!! Thank you. Exactly what I was looking for. I'll write this down. From personal experience, do you recommend the 60mm, 80mm or 105mm micro? There's a huge price difference between the 80mm and 105mm. Wondering if the bang is worth the buck.


----------



## plamski (Sep 25, 2009)

105 is the best but too expensive + you have to stay further so more reflection light will go to the lens which is bad. If you have D700, D800 or D610 then you may go with it but for D7000 or D7100 the new 60mm is perfect.
For macro 1:1 and close up portraits Canon is better because it’s JPG processing engine and compress codec is way clear than Nikon. It is the same with camcorders. Canon has much sharper image than Sony and Panasonic. But....when we are talking about build quality and look, lens quality and software futures Canon is way back. Now I have Canon T3I + 60mm macro for shrimps and flowers and 3x high end Nikon bodies + 20ish lens for rest of the photography.
Cheap flashes $50-80 from amazon with SU4 features will do the job nicely.


----------



## Whiskey (Feb 15, 2005)

I tend to put the off camera flash much closer, and use ettl mode. I keep it on a tripod and position to light subject at about 45 degree angle if possible. I use flash compensation and manual mode to balance light sources. I always use f11 for larger depth of field and crisp focus, and I use lens extension tubes on a 100 mm macro to fill the frame with the subject.

My crop frame canon sensor is terrible with noise, you Nikon guys have better performance there, so I keep my ISO low, but you can get away with more.

Great tanks!

Whiskey


----------



## plamski (Sep 25, 2009)

If you put flash further it will give more light. Try 5-6 feet from the tank. You don't need to fill whole image with the subject. Probably 1/3 is the max.Big magnification and large size object make every mistake more visible. Look at Speedie photos. I think that he crops heavily. Ones he told that he shots pretty far from the tank.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

plamski said:


> 105 is the best but too expensive + you have to stay further so more reflection light will go to the lens which is bad. If you have D700, D800 or D610 then you may go with it but for D7000 or D7100 the new 60mm is perfect.
> For macro 1:1 and close up portraits Canon is better because it’s JPG processing engine and compress codec is way clear than Nikon. It is the same with camcorders. Canon has much sharper image than Sony and Panasonic. But....when we are talking about build quality and look, lens quality and software futures Canon is way back. Now I have Canon T3I + 60mm macro for shrimps and flowers and 3x high end Nikon bodies + 20ish lens for rest of the photography.
> Cheap flashes $50-80 from amazon with SU4 features will do the job nicely.


Thank you for the great advice. I've also read online about a long zooming micro lens isn't always a benefits for micro shots as it allows too much light into the lens. Something along those lines.. Your advice is greatly appreciated. It's good to know it's possible to do great pictures with a D7100 and a 60mm Micro vs 105mm Micro. I think if I set my goals to the 60mm Micro, it will be more easily attainable by end of year. 



Whiskey said:


> I tend to put the off camera flash much closer, and use ettl mode. I keep it on a tripod and position to light subject at about 45 degree angle if possible. I use flash compensation and manual mode to balance light sources. I always use f11 for larger depth of field and crisp focus, and I use lens extension tubes on a 100 mm macro to fill the frame with the subject.
> 
> My crop frame canon sensor is terrible with noise, you Nikon guys have better performance there, so I keep my ISO low, but you can get away with more.
> 
> ...


What's the name of the off camera flash? Speedie told me a while back but I cannot remember it now... my memory is soo bad...:icon_sad:


----------



## Whiskey (Feb 15, 2005)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


> What's the name of the off camera flash? Speedie told me a while back but I cannot remember it now... my memory is soo bad...:icon_sad:


The one I have is an EX 580 but it is made by Canon, so I don't think it will work for you.

I'd recommend something that does TTL, they are more expensive than the ones that don't, but far more useful.

Whiskey


----------



## jimko (Aug 17, 2007)

Set your aperature higher, the back ground items will look less grainy. 

I get scared when the shrimps start climbing. I always find them on the floor around the tank. It's amazing that they can climb up glass when water is running along the side. I think it's a survival instinct to go to area where the water is fresher. 

Nice Shrimps!!! Still to scared to get taiwan bees. Don't know why I feel they aren't as stable because of the whole mischiling deal, even though there have been so many varieties coming out.


Nick is right... 






CANON'S RULE!!!


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

jimko said:


> Set your aperature higher, the back ground items will look less grainy.
> 
> I get scared when the shrimps start climbing. I always find them on the floor around the tank. It's amazing that they can climb up glass when water is running along the side. I think it's a survival instinct to go to area where the water is fresher.
> 
> ...



I'll try the aperture recommendation when I actually buy a dslr and macro lens. Currently using iPhone for pictures. After finding out that a 60mm micro lens from nikon would still work and work really well with the d7100 it's really out things into more affordable ranges. The d7100 is around 1k for body (less if I bid on eBay) and the 60mm micro is around 400ish vs the 105mm which is around 800-1k, I'm slowly opening up to just pulling the trigger sooner vs the end of year plan. 

It's pretty crazy when I first observed the climbing behavior, but after doing weekly waterchanges for months and experiencing them doing every single time, I'm a bit more accustomed to it now. As long as there's moisture on the surface, they'll climb... There climbers man... I've seen them break the surface tense with oncoming outflow pushing up. It's hard to stop these guys. 

Genetically speaking, I feel like Taiwan Bee are stronger now than ever. I remember keeping Taiwan Bee in the past (unsuccessfully) and how they were so weak, they just hide away from strong currents. Not so today. Taiwan Bee today have been breed and mixed with other genes and have since become a lot stronger and more durable.

I agree with you insight that it could be a survival thing to explore fresher outlets of water. They seem to always gather around the corners where I feed new clean water back into the tank during my WC. 

Don't be scare to try them out jimmy! Taiwan Bee = PRL = CRS in terms of durability. 

Next goal: Pintos [emoji111]️


----------



## mightymizz (Mar 3, 2014)

What is PRL mean in the shrimp keeping world?

Great shrimp too! Just learning about all this and currently have 4 RCS, 1 with eggs!


----------



## evodrgn (Dec 6, 2013)

Pure Line Shrimp ^^ From what I understand they are CRS that have been bred to not have golden offsprings and are bred to have the whites and red parts of their bodies all filled in rather than having clear spots in them like CRS. Maybe someone else more experience in explanation can tell you more details about it but I have both PRL and CRS and the PRL are more vivid color and all filled with color whereas the CRS have clear spots here and there


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

evodrgn said:


> Pure Line Shrimp ^^ From what I understand they are CRS that have been bred to not have golden offsprings and are bred to have the whites and red parts of their bodies all filled in rather than having clear spots in them like CRS. Maybe someone else more experience in explanation can tell you more details about it but I have both PRL and CRS and the PRL are more vivid color and all filled with color whereas the CRS have clear spots here and there


You pretty much nailed it on the head. Nothing else to really explain. Good job!


----------



## mightymizz (Mar 3, 2014)

Thanks! Learned some more!


----------



## evodrgn (Dec 6, 2013)

Shrimps get taken to a whole new level once you get caught up in it!!!!! Tons of threads about different variations of shrimps and how to keep them happy! It's fun to learn about all of them then you get addicted.....-_- most would know what I'm talking about haha


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Always wanted a picture of a feeding cluster. Never really had it happen till recently. Thought I'd share. Sorry for the glare [emoji24].


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


> I was thinking more or less along the lines of the sittings I think the two should be pretty comparable in terms of picture quality. Tried to convince the gf to allow me to use our joint to buy a d7100 but didn't work out. Hahaha. She wants a GoPro....
> 
> Btw what's that thingamegig you told me about a whole ago. You mount a flash on it?


Get a GoPro. I love mine! I use it for fishing all the time .

You just need a cheap ebay off show flash trigger. No need for no fancy smancy TTL trigger :wink:. 



jimko said:


> Nick is right...
> 
> CANON'S RULE!!!


Damn right son!  I still remember visiting your pad when I was a noob and showing you how to work your brand new Canon gear .


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

C. Flamingo in PRL tank.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

*Ch3f's all things shrimps *updated 6/30**

Dragon Blood Taiwan Bee. He/she looks pretty neat.


----------



## evodrgn (Dec 6, 2013)

The second pic almost makes it look like a reverse mosura grade!!! Looks pretty awesome man!


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

evodrgn said:


> The second pic almost makes it look like a reverse mosura grade!!! Looks pretty awesome man!



Hahaha. Thanks! The dragons blood Taiwan Bee looks pretty cool. Wish I had Nick's skills and equipment so I can take better pictures.










Taiwan Bee enjoying RAC F-3. 

For now, I'll have to make do with my iPhone camera and a macro lens attachment.


----------



## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

Man you shrimps look great!

What's fissidens is that on the ss mesh?? Geppi?


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

*Ch3f's All Things Shrimps **updated 06/30***

Hahah. Yes! Remember me telling you how tying moss gave me neck cramps... Well... That happens when you're tying moss on 7 sheets of SS mesh. I'm a big fissidens guy so the 60P is filled with different types of fissidens. 



















Kinda OCD, but I placed the geppi leaf by leaf in a uniform pattern then tied down with fishing line. [emoji111]️. Into the perfect uniform growth!


----------



## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Yeah you're OCD  alright.


----------



## jimko (Aug 17, 2007)

Hella OCD, i use to do that, but it takes too much time. I just slap that sucker on SS mesh make sure there are no holes. I think I have over a 100 patches of Geppi now. I ain't gonna sell it cheaper though. I like it too much and it's too slow growing to sell cheap. Good hiding spots for baby shrimp.


----------



## genetao (Jun 25, 2008)

Kinda OCD??? You tied that down like your life depended on it!


----------



## evodrgn (Dec 6, 2013)

Ya but Ha's SS squares are awesome once they're fully grown in!!!! Totally worth all the hard work and effort put into it! Props to you man!


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

evodrgn said:


> Ya but Ha's SS squares are awesome once they're fully grown in!!!! Totally worth all the hard work and effort put into it! Props to you man!


Thanks buddy! 



speedie408 said:


> Yeah you're OCD  alright.


Hey, do it right or don't do it at all. That's how I see it. [emoji1]



jimko said:


> Hella OCD, i use to do that, but it takes too much time. I just slap that sucker on SS mesh make sure there are no holes. I think I have over a 100 patches of Geppi now. I ain't gonna sell it cheaper though. I like it too much and it's too slow growing to sell cheap. Good hiding spots for baby shrimp.


+1. This moss grows sooooo slow! I can't imagine selling it for cheap. It's a lot of work to grow and propagate. 



genetao said:


> Kinda OCD??? You tied that down like your life depended on it!



I don't always tie moss, but when I do, my neck and back hurts! I guarantee it! [emoji23]


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Got new stuff to try. Sample size foods from Wilson at shrimpydaddy.









Came home and found out I lost 2 Red Wine but not the berried mommas so that's always good news. Have a berried Blue Bolt so there's the silver lining. 

Taiwan Bees don't like 78 temps folks. Keep it nice and cool, buy a fan! [emoji28]


----------



## DETAquarium (May 7, 2014)

Glad you made it back with goodies. Sorry to hear the losses, but berried mommas will replenish.

Curious to see the new foods in action.


----------



## jimko (Aug 17, 2007)

you know you want to send me some of that to try... right???

Sorry for your lost.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

*Ch3f's All Things Shrimps **updated 06/30***



jimko said:


> you know you want to send me some of that to try... right???
> 
> Sorry for your lost.



Hey man I'm here to share. Toss me your address again and I'll send you some free o' charge. I got so excited I didn't even get a chance to open it! Haha. 

I'm making a big deal so Jerry gives me some more of his sick Red Wine/Ruby Red. I want that berried dragon momma he's flaunting around. 😄


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

*Ch3f's All Things Shrimps **updated 07/17**

Tank was pretty dirty this week so I took some time to clean the glassware, scrapper the glass, and performed a small waterchange. Please excuse the dirty breeder box. I haven't cleaned it in ages. 

FTS:








Top:








Side:









Shrimps:









































































Overall, algae is slowly going away. I tried the Sinewy Cereal last night and they seem to enjoy it. It's Still too soon to know but it looks promising. 

Until next time. 

Cheers!


----------



## DETAquarium (May 7, 2014)

Fantastic Pictures, tank looks great!!


----------



## sewoeno (Apr 12, 2014)

what camera/lens do you use?


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

DETAquarium said:


> Fantastic Pictures, tank looks great!!


Thanks! Simple fissidens tank. It's happy with the growth so far. 



sewoeno said:


> what camera/lens do you use?


No camera. Only my trusty iPhone 5s camera with a lot of patience. These guys move a lot so a good photo is a godsend. roud:


----------



## Unikorn (Jun 14, 2012)

Where did you get the shrimp sculpture in your avatar?


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Unikorn said:


> Where did you get the shrimp sculpture in your avatar?


I picked it up during one of my trips to HK.


----------



## evodrgn (Dec 6, 2013)

Shrimp lookin' good man! Gotta let me try some of Wilson's stuff haha. Is that a berried dragon ruby hinomaru?!?!?!


----------



## 35ppt (Feb 24, 2014)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


> Thanks! Simple fissidens tank. It's happy with the growth so far.
> 
> 
> 
> No camera. Only my trusty iPhone 5s camera with a lot of patience. These guys move a lot so a good photo is a godsend. roud:


Wow, the photo quality is pretty impressive.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

evodrgn said:


> Shrimp lookin' good man! Gotta let me try some of Wilson's stuff haha. Is that a berried dragon ruby hinomaru?!?!?!


Yep. Gimmie your address and i'll send you samples of what I have. I tossed in some of the Sinewy Cereal and they went for it right away. It's pretty much gone now so I guess it wont get a chance to break down and enter the substrate.. Oh wells! 

It's kinda light and fluffy. I definitely can see why it's okay to let decompose. 

PS: It is a Dragon Ruby Hino. Hahhhh I admired the beauty of the shrimp and never even noticed it's grade. Blah!



35ppt said:


> Wow, the photo quality is pretty impressive.


My strong neck and patiences is impressive, but thanks! :biggrin:


----------



## evodrgn (Dec 6, 2013)

Dude...how can u not notice the dragon ruby hinos awesomeness?!?!I wanna see them babies now haha


----------



## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

The tank and shrimps look awesome! But please, change the fan!


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

evodrgn said:


> Dude...how can u not notice the dragon ruby hinos awesomeness?!?!I wanna see them babies now haha



I dunno [emoji25]. I've always liked her but it never occurred to me that she was a hino grade. This recent event has made her even more special to me! 



usgetata said:


> The tank and shrimps look awesome! But please, change the fan!



I really like that fan.. [emoji23]. It's worked perfectly for 80-85 days. It keeps the tank around 73-74 plus it's served me well the past 2yrs. 

I do have those clip-on fans utilizing PC fans bought from China but I haven't had a chance to set it up. They're buff fans thought, capable of dropping my tank down to 70-72 on 90-93 degree days. Evaporation is crazy but it works wonders if you have rodi to topoff. 










HIGHLY recommended for those living in California that needs extra cooling but don't want to drop high dollars for a chiller or pay the expensive electricity bill. [emoji106]


----------



## jimko (Aug 17, 2007)

is that tank really small is that downoi really big. I don't know you might have a large form. Maybe it's a different species. 

Are you using Miracle gro on in your tank? 

It's bigger than the crypt. What's your secret? It looks as if they are 6 inches across. The downoi I have are like 2 inches.


----------



## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

I like the ones seven ports has a link to on their cooling page. They work the best on shrimp tanks. I have tested every type out there and they are the best besides a chiller


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

C. Flamingo as we've all seen...








... wished it stayed this pink into adulthood...
[emoji25]


----------



## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

I have some of my 20 that have stayed bright pink and others that died back at first that did not.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

sbarbee54 said:


> I have some of my 20 that have stayed bright pink and others that died back at first that did not.



I think light is a major factor with C. Flamingo. Too much and they'll turn brown on you. I need to figure out how to shade it.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

*Ch3f's All Things Shrimps **updated 07/17**

Whoo!!! Hot from the post. Ebita foods and Benibachi breeding liquid courtesy of Ian from Ebilab. 









Also managed to snap a few shots of my Taiwan Bee inbetween breaks from cleaning up the house. 










































Lucky for me both berried mommas decided to venture out today instead of hiding under the DW. Got a great opportunity to take some good close ups of them. 

Niskihi PRL (3wks - 1mo old)









Xin/Feather PRL (adult)









Cheers, [emoji111]️


----------



## Unikorn (Jun 14, 2012)

Wow the mom with the black mixed with red and nice solid white. The Niskihi PRL is adorable  It's eyes are expressive.


----------



## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

Nishiki looking good.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Unikorn said:


> Wow the mom with the black mixed with red and nice solid white. The Niskihi PRL is adorable  It's eyes are expressive.


Thanks! He/She looks upset with those grumby eyes. Probably didn't want the photo taken. The TB mommas on the other hand were happily out and about.


bostoneric said:


> Nishiki looking good.


Thanks Eric. Had the Niskihi since I came back from HK a few months ago. Went through hell to get them from HK back to US, but I'm glad they made it. They bred and mommas are preggers but I haven't had the chance to take pictures because they're kept inside a breeder box and the box is covered with GSA. I wanted the babies to grow out more so I moved 5 into the 60P to grow out. Got too lazy to net the others, but definitely noticing faster growth from the ones roaming the bigger tank. :bounce:


----------



## Bananariot (Feb 28, 2012)

Dude this is a sweet tank lol....so much going on.
I'm a fissidens guy myself too...just looks much better than any other moss....if only they grew super fast like other mosses lol....

Wondering if you ever got your nikon setup going, I bought a Nikon d5100 but then I realized that I'm too poor to get the lenses lmao.....if I buy camera stuff.....less money for shrimps....hahaha.

Great shrimps roud:


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

*Ch3f's All Things Shrimps **updated 08/17***



Bananariot said:


> Dude this is a sweet tank lol....so much going on.
> 
> I'm a fissidens guy myself too...just looks much better than any other moss....if only they grew super fast like other mosses lol....
> 
> ...



Ya this tank is becoming a dump for my extra buces floating around. Hahah! I love how fissidens attach so I like to scape with it for my tanks. It's also a fluffier moss so babies tend to hide within the fronds, which is fine by me. 

I was debating between the D7100, D7200 (would be released later this year), or the D610 and go FX but decided on something else. I was in the same boat but I figured if just dive into it and get a body and the lens for macro photography. 

Anyways here's 3 pictures of my pandas. Still learning the ins and outs on my camera so these 3 are the best of the whole lot.


----------



## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

what lighting are you using? I've found that to be the hardest part of taking photos!


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

bostoneric said:


> what lighting are you using? I've found that to be the hardest part of taking photos!



Using a FujiFilm EF-42 flash. With a bounce diffuser cap.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Did another photoshoot but it's harder this time around without a flash clip. I really like this picture of my Blue Bolt. 










Sorry if it's kinda dark. Couldn't get lighting right.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

*Ch3f's All Things Shrimps **updated 08/17***


----------



## Computer Science (Sep 20, 2012)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


> View attachment 403609
> 
> 
> View attachment 403617


Whoa which lineage is that? Those are some thick shells


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

*Ch3f's All Things Shrimps **updated 08/17***

Hmmm no lineage..not really.. I didn't pick a lineage because a lineage is nothing more than a brand and I didn't want to drop top dollars for a brand and ignore the more important things, instead, I just hand picked the ones that looked most beautiful and expressing the traits I was looking for. I found that a lot of folks were seeking The white legs so I selected a tank with only shrimps expressing the red legs traits and picked the best of those. They're also not PRL for folks wondering. These are Japanese Red Bee, one step higher on purity than PRL. PRL is a product of Taiwanese marketing and since these originated from Japan I'll continue to call them by their local names. 

They're quite beautiful [emoji1] I'll try to setup close up macro photography for these guys in the near future.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

^ Spotted-Head Pintos

I apologize for not posting on tpt in since a long time. I'll try to update with my shrimp doings more frequently going forward.


----------



## Salvanost (Mar 30, 2014)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


>


O... M... G!!!!!!!
what has been seen cannot unseen
you got so much beautiful shrimps
salute for u sir, i want to start my own taiwan tank for sure


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Salvanost said:


> O... M... G!!!!!!!
> what has been seen cannot unseen
> you got so much beautiful shrimps
> salute for u sir, i want to start my own taiwan tank for sure



Thanks for the kind words! 

I'm excited to see how they're doing. I'm finally back in the states and I'll get to see how my mother-in-law is as a babysitter.


----------



## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

Who did you get the red bees from?


----------



## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

Nothing they appeared out of the sky

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

sbarbee54 said:


> Who did you get the red bees from?






sbarbee54 said:


> Nothing they appeared out of the sky
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk



Japan mate. So I supposed yah, Japan > the sky > NY > my house.


----------



## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

Well I think we all figured Japan being it is a red be. Was more or less asking the breeder.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Hmmm if I recall correctly the breeder is KBrand.


----------



## genetao (Jun 25, 2008)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


> View attachment 403681
> 
> 
> ^ Spotted-Head Pintos
> ...


Hey bro, there's sooo much shrimp porn here. :bounce:
That pinto is just ridiculous!!!!

You better get yourself a chiller in the summer man. That way, you needn't worry about relying on your Mom to do water top offs as often.


----------



## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

I kbrand, never heard of them. Have a buddy in the service out in Japan and every time he comes back he asks if I want him to bring anything. Seeing he is in the service he can bring just about anything back. Who did you have bring them in or get them for you.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

*Ch3f's All Things Shrimps **updated 12/16*



genetao said:


> Hey bro, there's sooo much shrimp porn here. :bounce:
> That pinto is just ridiculous!!!!
> 
> You better get yourself a chiller in the summer man. That way, you needn't worry about relying on your Mom to do water top offs as often.


LOL!! Thanks! I'll try to post more, during this week. I have a lot of photos so stay tuned. 



sbarbee54 said:


> I kbrand, never heard of them. Have a buddy in the service out in Japan and every time he comes back he asks if I want him to bring anything. Seeing he is in the service he can bring just about anything back. Who did you have bring them in or get them for you.


Japanese aren't into brands as much as the rest of the world. I don't know if I've mentioned before, but Japan has a lot of small time breeders/enthusiast breeding shrimps and actually perfecting their line. The quality of shrimps is pretty high (higher than the "brand" name stuff I got in HK last year). I suppose some folks like name brand and pay the premium, but personally I like a nice looking shrimp and if I can save a few bucks not buying brand name then I'm perfectly happy. At the end of the day if my non-brand name is better than brand name than I suppose...I win?

Is your friend a shrimp-head? If not, I'm not really surprised (again, Japan isn't big on brands) that he hasn't heard of the brand. Half of the brands I saw when in Japan I did not recognize. It would seem like the brands that couldn't survive the competitive Asian Market attempt to penetrate NA markets (at least to me...). Only an enthusiast with an eye for something can really spot the difference, it's like denim... Japan as raw selvage denim and regular denim.. Looks similar but build and quality is no-where near the same.

Yah, if you have a source that can "bring just about anything back," you're better off waiting for him to do so. My GF is in the military as a teacher and is on the Naval Base near Tokyo so I'm sort of in the same boat... but I don't ask her to bring anything back because she doesn't have an interest in the hobby so a red/white shrimp is just a red/white shrimp in her eyes. There's no grade/quality distinction so it would be pointless to ask her. (Nice to get tasty snacks though...)

If there's enough money, there's always a way. I just tell them I'd like to bring this back and the dude made it happen. I hand picked ones I like from their stock on on Thursday and it's here on Sunday when I arrive at my house.

I don't really know how they do it (I think there's someone in NY doing this importing/export they contact similar to a transhipper?), but it gets done, they get paid, and I get my shrimps. 

Eh.. I suppose I end paying a bit higher than what I usually would from an importer but at least I know I'm getting something I hand picked rather than a promise of a nice shrimp from a great photo. :hihi:

In the end it's worth it for me but others might have a different opinion.

Ps: I don't think being in or part of the military grants any immunity from the import/export laws. Pretty sure it's still illegal and if caught you're going to face fines and punishment that would make your head spin. During my trip back everyone going through customs got scanned. I'm not sure if it's due to it being the holiday season or not but it's definitely more worth it.


----------



## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

I think all places have a brand, it may not mean as much to people. But I think everyone agrees, it is about the finished product, and I agree some smaller breeders have great products that can exceed the main stream big ones.m I think any where has a bunch of small time breeders, actually I think that is all the US is... Lol.

No he is into shrimp, heck he has been all over Japan to many breeders while he is out there. He has also traveled to Taiwan and brought back shrimp for me. Nikishi ellen and a couple others. He really does not get inspected much being in the military. He does not fly commercial jets home, he comes to and from via military equipment and personnel carriers, there is no customs or inspections.

So did you fly out there and hand pick them and they sent them back.. A little confused on that.

I am always willing to pay top dollar for good shrimp..... Heck I would not have the shrimp I do if I was not. 

I would be interested in getting some if you have a contact. You can pm me


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Like I promised, here's a little surprise for all you shrimpholics out there!!
































































This was my first visit to Japan and my first shrimp store visit in Tokyo. I did a little write up of the store for those interested in reading. 

Click my name -> "Visit Ch3fb0yrdee's homepage!" option for more info on my trip and a little reading..


----------



## agro (Nov 29, 2013)

Who is this person in NY that you speak of? Soshrimp?


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

sbarbee54 said:


> I think all places have a brand, it may not mean as much to people. But I think everyone agrees, it is about the finished product, and I agree some smaller breeders have great products that can exceed the main stream big ones. I think anywhere has a bunch of small time breeders, actually I think this is all the US is… Lol


I completely agree with you. What I meant to say and convey is that Japan doesn’t idolize brands as much as NA do. It relates back to what Shrimpy Daddy said on another forum, but brand is a way for Japanese folks to give credence for the original breeder and show their gratitude for contributing and developing the bloodline, not as a means to make money. A lot of the stuff that happens now-a-days in other parts of the world is a breeder breeds something, enters a competition, wins, establish their name, and sell their products for money. Their workup is just to make money instead of pursuing the hobby for the joy. 



sbarbee54 said:


> No he is into shrimp, heck he has been all over Japan to many breeders while he is out there. He has also traveled to Taiwan and brought back shrimps for me. Nikishi ellen and couple others. He really does not get inspected much being in the military. He does not fly commercial jets home, he comes to and from via military equipment and personnel carriers, there is no customs or inspections.


Hah! He sounds like the perfect guy to have help you get shrimps, mate. I’d love if it my GF was more into shrimp keeping so she could help me out, but atlas it’s not meant to be that easy. If I recall correctly, Nishiki has moved on from breeding PRL and has shifted their focus to Pintos and Taiwan Bees. Ellen isn’t a Japanese based lineage so I doubt you’ll find her in Japan. She is better known as a Taiwan Breeder, no? Benibachi is a Japanese brand but has since shifted their market demographic to Taiwan and HK. I didn’t see any tanks dedicated to any of the three breeder’s while in Japan. Tell your buddy that if you two team up, you’d probably corner the shrimping world (at least for the NA market). Most folks pay an arm and a leg just to bring them over, he can just bring it in his carry on, what a lucky guy!!

By the way, what are your opinions on Ellen Wangs and Nishiki PRL? I got Nishiki PRL in HK (which in hindsight is a bad idea) and I’m not overly impressed. Never kept Ellens but they look good in pictures. You’re as big as a shrimp head as me and I think you have a deeper drive to get PRL than I do. Are you still keeping these guys?



sbarbee54 said:


> So did you fly out there and hand pick them and they send them back.. A little confused on that. I am always willing to pay top dollar for good shrimp… Heck I would not have the shrimp I do if I was not.


I didn’t fly out to JUST get shrimp but that’s sort of how it happened. The original plan was to have a little surprise visit to my GF who’s currently out there. It was supposed to be a surprised Christmas present to her and I just happened to work the Shrimp stores (along with other stuff) into the mix and take full advantage of Japan. Luckily for me, my GF did all her sightseeing while she’s been there so I was able to spent more time doing what I wanted to do.

I did hand pick my shrimps at the store. Lowkeys Tokyo is a bit smaller and the owner doesn’t have NA connection who could clear customs for me so I didn’t get anything there. 

Basically I hand-picked my shrimps at Lowkeys Osaka (I visited two stores while in Japan) because Osaka location was the main HQ and they had NA connections. I was able to hand pick my shrimps and Lowkeys Osaka made the proper arrangements to have it clear customs in NY and the NY person shipped it to me.



sbarbee54 said:


> I would be interested in getting some if you have a contact. You can PM me


Steve & Agro, I honestly couldn’t give you a straight answer on who in NY did this for me. I pay the bills and Lowkeys Owner got it done. The fun parts of having funds is not having to deal with the troubles of figuring that messy stuff out. I’ve never done business with SoShrimp (albeit his shrimps are lovely) because I’ve always had Speedie. Both are importers but Speedie is closer to me (less than 20min drive) and I’ve always been able to swing by and see his shrimps. I never had the need to buy from SoShrimp. It could very well could be SoShrimp who acted as my intermediary but I’ll never know.


----------



## agro (Nov 29, 2013)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


> Steve & Agro, I honestly couldn’t give you a straight answer on who in NY did this for me. I pay the bills and Lowkeys Owner got it done. The fun parts of having funds is not having to deal with the troubles of figuring that messy stuff out. I’ve never done business with SoShrimp (albeit his shrimps are lovely) because I’ve always had Speedie. Both are importers but Speedie is closer to me (less than 20min drive) and I’ve always been able to swing by and see his shrimps. I never had the need to buy from SoShrimp. It could very well could be SoShrimp who acted as my intermediary but I’ll never know.


If you can find out I'd like to know :3. Only person i know who even have a variety of shrimp locally is soshrimp, but if there's others I'd love to know.


----------



## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

Jealous very, very jealous. If I ever have the extra space I want my another rack just for shrimp lol


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

agro said:


> If you can find out I'd like to know :3. Only person i know who even have a variety of shrimp locally is soshrimp, but if there's others I'd love to know.


Probably would have helped a bit if I didn't toss the entire package out the door... At least then i could get you a first and last name. Maybe next time I visit Japan and do another purchase I can ask for you. 

How come you don't just rely on SoShrimp? The shipping method for me was by no means cheap if that's what you're thinking. I avoided a lot of the headaches and paperwork, but I paid for the benefit.

If I recall, SoShrimp has some pretty awesome shrimps AND he has a stable Nishiki PRL bloodline going on. Last time I checked his photos, they look pretty amazing.



lamiskool said:


> Jealous very, very jealous. If I ever have the extra space I want my another rack just for shrimp lol


Thanks Mate!! Today's a bit rushed and I don't have time to post my Lowkeys Osaka photos. I'll post it tomorrow for everyone to see. Osaka Location is even better!!


----------



## agro (Nov 29, 2013)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


> Probably would have helped a bit if I didn't toss the entire package out the door... At least then i could get you a first and last name. Maybe next time I visit Japan and do another purchase I can ask for you.
> 
> How come you don't just rely on SoShrimp? The shipping method for me was by no means cheap if that's what you're thinking. I avoided a lot of the headaches and paperwork, but I paid for the benefit.
> 
> ...


Hard to reach, usually out of stock on stuff, quite a distance away.
Not really searching for shrimp, more searching for what other dealers are out there besides soshrimp, i'd like to know them.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

*Ch3f's All Things Shrimps **updated 12/16*

Hmmm if that's the case, then is highly recommend speedie. I'm sure you already know if him but he is a veteran shrimp importer and if you're not looking for something super special he's pretty good as the go to guy for your shrimping needs. 

Regardless, most importers won't be able to give you that "hand-picked" shrimp but most cases that isn't a problem unless you're a super hardcore shrimper. 

It does sound like we might have an up and comer with sbarbee if he can arrange something with his buddy.


----------



## jimko (Aug 17, 2007)

dada dang... Must of cost an arm and a leg? Thanks for sharing. Going to check out your blog right now.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

jimko said:


> dada dang... Must of cost an arm and a leg? Thanks for sharing. Going to check out your blog right now.



Hey Jimmy!

Yep. I was prepared to drop 5k in Japan but ended up only spending around 3k. I'm giving the JRB and JBB a few weeks to situated themselves then I'll take a few photos to share with everyone. I have high hopes that their offspring will be very high quality. I managed to pick a few berried females when I was at the store. Interestingly, they didn't cost anymore for being berried females.


----------



## Nuthatch (Jun 18, 2014)

OMG! Was that all on shrimp?? It's a good thing I figured you are a dealer and not just a fanatic! LOL


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Nuthatch said:


> OMG! Was that all on shrimp?? It's a good thing I figured you are a dealer and not just a fanatic! LOL



Hmm about 2k was for shrimp and shrimp related goodies. The other was for food and shopping. Heheh. [emoji1]

Japan's Red Bee shrimp aren't cheap. A majority of my bee shrimps were ranging between ¥20000-¥50000. They're pretty serious in Japan about their Black Bees and Red Bees.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Tired of the iPhone photos? I had some free time today and I spent it taking photos of my shrimps with a real camera. Please enjoy!! :bounce::bounce:

*Japanese Black Bee:*



























*Shadow Panda:*









*Panda Taiwan Bee:*









*Full Bodied Blue Bolt:*









*Mosura Blue Bolt:*


----------



## agro (Nov 29, 2013)

Looking good, I really need to get a pushing on my shrimping.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Thanks! I'm really have issues with my DoF for my photos... I need to get better so I can have clearer photos of my shrimps... Need more practice, that's all.


----------



## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Those black bees....woah! I love them, such nice legs! Your shrimp are really great, as are your photos. Apologies if I missed it, but what camera setup are you shooting with??


----------



## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

man that Mosura Blue Bolt is sexy as hell


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Duck5003 said:


> Those black bees....woah! I love them, such nice legs! Your shrimp are really great, as are your photos. Apologies if I missed it, but what camera setup are you shooting with??


Thanks! The black bees are very special to me. I think I've been searching for good black bees for a few years now and had all but given up. I got a chance to pickup some contest winners so I pulled the trigger without hesitation. 

Camera is the FujiFilm X-T1 w/ Carl Zeiss Touit 50mm macro. My flash was a bit high so their colors were a bit washed out, especially on the full bodied blue bolt. 



lamiskool said:


> man that Mosura Blue Bolt is sexy as hell



I managed to pick him up for $20USD, which is extremely cheap consider the going market price for something similar is nearly 90-100$ stateside. He's a bit washed out because the photo was taken 3 days after acclaiming to their new home. I anticipate after this first molt within 2 weeks he'll color up and be exceptional. [emoji1]

It's always nice to be able to pickup a few cheap shrimps and turn them into hundred dollar shrimps. [emoji41]


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Sorry for the delay folks, but I got a chance to upload and update my blogger with new photos and a small writeup on Lowkeys Osaka. Folks interested in getting more photos and seeing the full write up can visit my blogger.

My User (Ch3fb0yrdee) -> Visit Ch3fb0yrdee's Homepage! -> Enjoy

Here's some photos for everyone else. :icon_cool


















































































Thank you for reading, cheers!


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Originally Xin/Feather PRL but I've been breeding these for a while now and considering how I hate to put a label and brand on things, let's call these guys Fan's PRL going forward. 

Enjoy!



















These are considered S grade. All are Tiger's Tooth (Saber Tooth) or Hino No-Entry Patterned and all are red legged. 

:bounce:


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Take 2!


























Photos are a bit dark but it's hard because the tank is heavily planted with a lot of leaf coverage over the top. This renders me flash and flash equipment useless. Apologizes! :icon_roll


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Happy Momma


----------



## Yuuki_Akitsuki (Jan 15, 2015)

Hello, I've read and learned so much from this site but after seeing this thread I finally decided to join. 

I have to say those are some magnificent photos! The shallow depth of field is just beautiful! 

Go Cannon!! 

I hope to one day be able to have shrimp as nice as these, but for now I will work with my red cherry shrimp.


----------



## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

Man, those ate some beautiful looking shrimp. Great photographs too btw


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Yuuki_Akitsuki said:


> Hello, I've read and learned so much from this site but after seeing this thread I finally decided to join.
> 
> I have to say those are some magnificent photos! The shallow depth of field is just beautiful!
> 
> ...


I'm glad I stuck around and very happy that my thread encouraged you to join and post! :bounce:

I'm still learning a lot about my *FUJIFILM X-T1* :hihi::icon_twis

Not only is it not a Canon, but it's a FujiFilm and a mirrorless camera for that matter. LOL!! Definitely not the traditional photography tool seen among my Nikon and Canon bertherns but it love it nonetheless and it's takes good photos, especially macros.

Shrimps are easy to get, keeping them happy and healthy is hard, but that's why we're here to help each other out. I post more photos but don't shy away from asking me any questions.



lamiskool said:


> Man, those ate some beautiful looking shrimp. Great photographs too btw


Still got a long way to go. My mentor still tells me my photos sucks. LOL!! :confused1:


----------



## Yuuki_Akitsuki (Jan 15, 2015)

I spent a semester in high school in an advanced photography class and the topic I chose to spend the semester on was macro. After reaserch a decently priced option was to use my cannon rebel 2000 and a reversing ring. This is my favorite photo I ever got. Even then this took thousands of photos to get maybe 10 in focus because it was all manual focus and the slightest movement changed what was in focus. And it's not easy taking a macro picture of a spider while it's moving and trying to gnaw your face off through the lens. I tried some macros of my red cherry shrimp but I don't have the lighting equipment to take even a semi somewhat decent photo. Maybe in the future when I'm not broke. 

I didn't understand how the flash works are you pointing it at the glass or above the tank down into the water? I understood using the paper ring as a filter to block the flash but how were you positioning the flash. 

Your mentor need to shut up!! (I mean this jokingly =) ) those are some awesome photos. Are you editing them any? I shoot in RAW format and edit in Adobe photoshop. I actually kinda like the fact that they're slightly dark and under exposed it makes the beauty of the shrimps really pop. The little crs and cbs figurines are so cute!!!! 

Thank you!


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Your macro of the spider is very beautiful and it reminds me of similar photos of macro shots of spiders I’ve seen online. I think their colorful faces makes for really good subjects for macro photographers.

I know exactly what you mean when you said that out of thousands, only a handful are good photos. It’s very much the same with taking macros of shrimps, but slightly harder because you have to account for the distortion from the water between your lens > water > subject. This is also why it’s a bit more difficult to take good macros if you have a really long macro lens. The longer the lens, the more you’ll have to be away from you subject and the more the water distorts the picture. Ideally, you want to have 50-75mm.

I don’t even play with the manual focus, it would be so hard as shrimps are never standing still. Even their waving antennae presents an issue when taking photos. LOL!!

The flash has to be above the subject. If It’s positioned in the front it would blow out the white balance of the shrimps and make them glow and create a “fake” look. It would be impossible to determine the true white color of a shrimp (in this case the PRL would be impossible to determine). For some of my under-exposed photos, the flash positioned at the top is shaded by my plant overgrowth at the top. I have a really big plant that have since breached the surface and grown emerged. This plant blocks 90% of my flash’s light and so most photos of my PRL in the 10G is under-exposed.

Like you, I also really like the slightly dark and under exposed photos. It makes the subject pop and look more dramatic. LOL!! I run my images through PS Lightroom to fix lighting (for my other shrimp photos) and add my signature but that’s about it. I’m actually a novice with all PS related software so I don’t play with it much. A majority of my photos are shown as is.

My mentor believes in showing the TRUE look of shrimps so he things my artsy underexposed photos are “cheating” but ehhhh. I like ‘em. The berried momma is a really nice colored shrimp. That photo gives a good representation of show she looks, but slightly worst (in photo of course). She’s quite beautiful in person. I try not to stress them too much so I don’t take many photos of them. Like models, I have to position my shrimps, that’s why she’s in that position. It’s the shrimp’s “Alert, Danger!” position. Hah!!

I’m a big shrimp head so I travel overseas a lot to see shrimp shops. On such travels, I collect miniatures wherever I find them. I decorate my work desk with these little toys. LoL!!


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Winners from tonight's photoshoot. Please enjoy! 




























Close-up


















Blogger has a few more photos. Same stuff: User (Ch3fb0yrdee) -> Visit Ch3fb0yrdee's Homepage! -> Enjoy


----------



## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Gorgeous photos! Now I feel annoyed that I splurged on the Nikkor 105mm macro, since it seems like a 60mm macro lens is going to give me better results. 

Also, now I want to get a shrimp tank going even more. *sigh*


----------



## Yuuki_Akitsuki (Jan 15, 2015)

That first one is immaculate!! Frame that and put it on a wall.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

@kman - 

Don't be annoyed of getting a 105mm nikkor macro lens, those are beasts! Pop some of your photos up, I want to see!

I was advised that when take macros of shrimps in the aquaria environment, it's better to have a shorter lens because longer lens would require you be further away from the subject and the water distorts a lot of the image quality in such cases. 

You should get started on a shrimp tank. They're nice critters and have a lot of character so it makes observing them quite interesting.

@Yuuki_Akitsuki - 

Thanks, I like that one a lot too! It's really awesome but I wished the subject (shrimp) wasn't standing at an angle. His lower body is unfocused and looks strange. The blurr of the background is nice though. Nearly a perfect picture!


----------



## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

I'm going to start cycling a tank tomorrow. Once I have an established colony, I'll be sure to post up some pics.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Japanese Red/Black Bees time!! :icon_smil

The Three Mommas



























Hinomaru BlackBee Baby









Male Japanese RedBee 









Newest member to the RedBee Fam


----------



## Yuuki_Akitsuki (Jan 15, 2015)

Great pics. But what's the difference between Taiwan Bees, Japanese Bees, and Crystal Red/Black shrimp?


----------



## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

When I get my other new tanks setup you will have to let me buy some black bees from you....


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Yuuki_Akitsuki said:


> Great pics. But what's the difference between Taiwan Bees, Japanese Bees, and Crystal Red/Black shrimp?


Taiwan Bees originated from CRS/CBS genetics and probably occurred as a mutation from mixing with Golden genetics. This occurred a while back and happened in Taiwan, hence the _Taiwan _Bee name. This is at least what I believed happened, the event happened a while back so the exact information is a bit obscured.

Japanese Bees (RedBees and Blackbees) are just that, they're bees. I used the moniker _"Japanese"_ as a means to identify the origin of the shrimps. This is also why babies are referred to as BlackBees/RedBees as they originated from my tanks in NA. 

Japanese folks don't refer to the term Crystal Red/Black as much as they do identify with RedBees and BlackBees. I think is is just a product of geographical location.

To the best of my knowledge, Japanese RedBees and BlackBees were the predecessor of all Pure Red Lines we see today. Taiwanese shrimpers bought and brought these shrimps back from Japan and as part of a very successful marketing campaign, sold the brand *Pure Red Line*. 

Japanese RedBees and BlackBees are similar to very high grade Pure Red Lines in terms of colors and intensity. Somewhere down the line, the Pure Red Line brand became a means to sell shrimps Because of this reason, many farms started mixing and matching genetics as a means to mass produce shrimps to meet demand. This is why we see a lot of low grade shrimps labeled as PRL.



sbarbee54 said:


> When I get my other new tanks setup you will have to let me buy some black bees from you....


Hahah! Most Def Brah. Still need to increase my population so I can start my breeding projects first though.


----------



## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

Sounds good, I am now the proud owner of 2 mk breed super prl. So I hope I can breed them out....


----------



## ShortFin (Dec 27, 2005)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


> Japanese folks don't refer to the term Crystal Red/Black as much as they do identify with RedBees and BlackBees. I think is is just a product of geographical location.


"Crystal" was trademark by the creator so they just called them Red/Black Bees.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Yah you're probably right about that. I don't know the entire history of the species.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

From my Red Wine tank. The single survivor from the 3rd batch of babies that never made it.










What do you guys think?


----------



## jimko (Aug 17, 2007)

I want some blackbees. The first mama looks kind of shadowy, you might want to cull that in my tank. I believe this is an undesired trait for breeding. I want it. Are these from your Japan trip?

Bump:


sbarbee54 said:


> Sounds good, I am now the proud owner of 2 mk breed super prl. So I hope I can breed them out....


I just saw those yesterday. You peeps got a steal (my jaw dropped). I missed out on the auction.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

jimko said:


> I want some blackbees. The first mama looks kind of shadowy, you might want to cull that in my tank. I believe this is an undesired trait for breeding. I want it. Are these from your Japan trip?
> 
> Bump:
> 
> I just saw those yesterday. You peeps got a steal (my jaw dropped). I missed out on the auction.


Haha!! Yah right!! I love the blueface trait. I don't quite understand the cause behind the blue face so i need more time breeding and observation before I can make an educated reply, but I do like it a lot and know Japanese folks love the trait as well.

Steve had all the fun and luck. He has some amazing PRL that he recently won. MK's SUPER PRL.

Anywhose, more photos of the JBB/BlackBees from this weekend's photoshoot. 




























More on blogger and with HD quality. 

Interesting observation -

I've noticed that a majority of my JBB/JRB are ranges from the Tiger Tooth - Hino (no-entry included). Most if not all my PRL and JRB/JBB have this feature. I like it the patterns so its not an issue, but I would like to compare with folks who has those Mosura patterns or no red markings on the body. Interested to know how colors will compare.


----------



## ShortFin (Dec 27, 2005)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


> From my Red Wine tank. The single survivor from the 3rd batch of babies that never made it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


All of my red/pink bolts looks similar to yours. What was interesting is I was at Blue Crown and saw that their red/pink bolt has a bluish color on the head and the whole shrimp looks kinda like a golden. I should have taken a picture.



ch3fb0yrdee said:


> Interesting observation -
> 
> I've noticed that a majority of my JBB/JRB are ranges from the Tiger Tooth - Hino (no-entry included). Most if not all my PRL and JRB/JBB have this feature. I like it the patterns so its not an issue, but I would like to compare with folks who has those Mosura patterns or no red markings on the body. Interested to know how colors will compare.


Is it because in order to get the Mosura pattern, it has to be mix with a snow white? I remember that in some camps, that a Mosura is not consider pure. I could be wrong on all of this.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Very interesting insight, ShortFin. I like that your said the red bolts are more pinkish as I've also noticed this. Mines more pinkish - orangish than true red. Its still pretty young so I'll have to wait for it to mature to see how colors are. I haven't seen Blue Crown's Red/Pink Bolts. I curious now.



ShortFin said:


> Is it because in order to get the Mosura pattern, it has to be mix with a snow white? I remember that in some camps, that a Mosura is not consider pure. I could be wrong on all of this.


This is the exact information I've been told by a breeder when I was in HK. He told me that it's not feasible for CRS to be breed to have the mosura grade without mixing golden genetics. No one really knows for sure, but based off my personal observation, I like the ones with the patterns on the mid sections more than those with all white body. Something about the colors and the intensity.


----------



## ShortFin (Dec 27, 2005)

Here's what some of mine look like.

Peachy color









Reddest one I have...eating a blood worm.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Finally, I had a chance to take a few good photos of one of my berried female JRB. She's due very soon. 

Higher quality photos available on my blogger.

UserName -> Chef's Homepage


----------



## Yuuki_Akitsuki (Jan 15, 2015)

Stunning photos as always. In The second photo is that an itsy bitsy little shrimp next to the mama?


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

I hadn't noticed but yes! I guess momma and baby are out and about when I was taking photos. Ha Ha, so cute!


----------



## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


> @kman -
> 
> Don't be annoyed of getting a 105mm nikkor macro lens, those are beasts! Pop some of your photos up, I want to see!
> 
> ...


Tank is up!

First attempt, and handheld on Program with ambient light, so be kind. I'll make a more serious effort when I have more time. 


























Yours are definitely better and more crisp, but I hope to get there as I get things dialed in.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

That's really good for being a handheld photo. I'm all shaky when I hold my camera so 90% of my photos are taken on a tripod. 

I really like the mid-swim photo. I always love the ones showing them in mid movement. 

Good stuff mate. Keep it up!


----------



## Yuuki_Akitsuki (Jan 15, 2015)

=D that's just adorable... it's so little!! I tried some photos of my shrimp, but all I have is an 18-mm55mm so this is the best I got. I know they're dark; but it's my first try so be brutal, but not cruel. =) thanks.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

I really like the photos. I remember by first photos without a macro lens. It was terrible. Yours are much better than mines when I first started. I really like the second photo. The female looks amazing. Reminds me of my old colony.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

A before and after of one of my Blue Bolts after introducing a new mineral supplement. Colors are amazing!

*Before:*










*After:*









A little backstory. This guy was born and raised in another tank. I culled him and was going to sell off because of the poor blue colors but noticed that he had a remarkable blueish pattern forming around his head. I decided to keep him and raise him to see how the colors would be. I wasn't all too impressed by the developing colors so I decided to put him inside one of my other tanks using some new products i've been testing with great success over the past few months and he colored up very nicely after that.

I'm really glad I decided to keep him. I knew he was special.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

She released her clutch a few days ago. Tank is too planted for me to spot and babies, but i'm hoping to see some within a few weeks.










I'm so terribly excited to see the babies from this Mosura Blue Bolt mother.


----------



## Nuthatch (Jun 18, 2014)

She's very pretty. Love the color!


----------



## Hockiumguru (Sep 3, 2008)

Whats the mineral supplement you introduced it to?


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Nuthatch said:


> She's very pretty. Love the color!




Thank you. I adore her and another that looks very similar to her. I/m hopeful that her babies will display similar traits as her. 





Hockiumguru said:


> Whats the mineral supplement you introduced it to?




Hm I started switching over my product rotation (Mineralizers, Minerals, Traces, Supplements and Food) over to Shrimpy Daddy. I cannot provide a link but if you google search "Shrimpy Daddy" his website will come up.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Update! I visited my folks briefly today and brought along the camera. Turned out to be a great photo session! 

Please enjoy.

J.RedBees & RedBees






















































^ This is a newborn. I'm super amazed at the color. I have to give it up to my male. He is such a champ

J.BlackBees and BlackBees juvis.






















































^The growing family.


----------



## CatOhCat (Mar 15, 2014)

I'm going to HK next few weeks, do you know any good shrimp shops?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Hmmm. HK's Mongkonk "GoldFish" street is probably the best allocation of time. It's a gathering of all the fish/pet related stuff. All the COOL shrimp shops will be on the 2nd floor. 

Fish Loves Aqua, Nigons, Crimson x Crimson are a few that comes to mind. Owner of Nigon is name Tat and he is a cool dude. If you go, let him know I pointed you there. . He's a salesman so he will most likely sell you but be stern. 

Nigon's has a good selection of shrimps. His own PRL lineage "Elegant Ladies" are pretty nice but are pricy. He shares a workspace with a insect specialist, which is also very cool to walk over and window shop. 

If you want the Japanese experience, then there's EbiLab off Kowlong (sp?). Ian owns and operates that store. It's hand down the BEST store in all of HK. Also, he is probably the only one in HK that will carry Japanese Bees, similar to mines. I believe he is partnered with Rosso which is a big brand in Japan. He visits Japan often to hand pick the more expensive shrimps. Young dude but super cool. 

Also, bring good amount of money because the stores sells a bunch of off brand items such as eheim parts for dirt cheap prices. Good to stock up parts when you're there.

It's been a year since I've been there so my memory is hazy. 

Click my User ID > Visit Chef's Homepage and it'll direct you to my blogger. 

I wrote about my visits in HK and the stores I went to. It'll be mid-2014 so you may have to dig around. 

Enjoy and take lots of photos!

Ps: most stores will say "No Photography" but approach the owner and ask nicely and respectively and they'll give you free range of their store.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Blue Bolts today.


















She is currently my favorite blue bolt. Her shade of blue is so beautiful.




































Fissidens sp. "Mini Taiwan"


----------



## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Really great photos. And shrimp


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Duck5003 said:


> Really great photos. And shrimp



Thank you.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

J.BlackBees & BlackBees



























^Finally all grown up. A first time mother! :icon_smil


----------



## mfnatik (Aug 22, 2014)

ch3fb0yrdee said:


> I dunno . I've always liked her but it never occurred to me that she was a hino grade. This recent event has made her even more special to me!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Where did you get that hanging tool holder on the left? Thats pretty cool. 

Nice tank and shrimps btw!


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

mfnatik said:


> Where did you get that hanging tool holder on the left? Thats pretty cool.
> 
> Nice tank and shrimps btw!


The hanging tool is something I picked up when I was in HK. I think AquaForest sells it if you're located in SF. I also believe BostonEric has some for sale, PMing him may be helpful.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Red Taiwan Bees


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Some dusting off this old thread!


----------



## colorfan (Nov 12, 2013)

what are the blue ones?


----------



## bsherwood (Nov 22, 2007)

Awesome tank!
How deep is that substrate?


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

@colorfan 
Royal tigers. 
@bsherwood
Tank has about 1-1.5 in thick substrate.


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Japanese Red Bees


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

My Ellen Wang colony.


----------



## r45t4m4n (Feb 12, 2014)

Those are E2? Still no JRB for sale?


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Don't remember exactly which Ellen Wang Grade they were originally. These guys were from Jimko which was purchased years ago. Probably be best to have Jimmy chime in but I BELIEVE he's been working on these guys for years now. Ive had these for about a year and been really happy with them. 

No JRB yet. Expected them to be available sometime mid year but I need more tanks to expand on selective breeding. Hard to do with just 3 tanks. Once my new tanks cycle I can do selective breeding more aggressively.


----------



## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

Can you clarify exactly what Japanese Red Bees are or what makes them different?
They look mainly like CRS/PRL's to me, but a few of them look Wine Red!?!? Are they a cross between the two?


----------



## ch3fb0yrdee (Oct 2, 2008)

Hello,

Crystal Red Shrimps, Pure Red Line, Japanese Red Bees are essentially all the same moniker to describe the signature red colored cardinia we’ve grown to adore.

The differences between the names really boils down to where the shrimps originates and the “grade” or “coloration” of each shrimps. A while back, CRS were exported to China and other Asian countries (from Japan), where the lineage was expanded upon by selectively breed and/or mixing. While other parts of Asian (excluded Japan) focused on increasing the pattern of the shrimps, Japan focused on the coloration of their shrimps.

In its infancy (shrimp keeping), a lot of CRS sold online were labeled with grades such as S-Grade, SS-Grade Hino and Hino No-Entry, SS-Grade Tiger’s Tooth, SS-Grade, SSS-Grade Mosura and so on and so forth. Although the patterns were nice, many folks noticed that the colors were lack lustered and disappointing, to say the least. Asian breeders, in their quest to increase patterns (the high end SS-SSS grades), sacrificed the coloration, intensity, and density of their shrimps. The results of mixing CRS x Golden/Snow white genetics as a means of a “short cut” diluted and degraded the colors of their Crystal Red Shrimps.

You may or may not have been keeping shrimps during the time when Saline discovered the existence of Pure Red Lines. Pure Red Lines (PRL) were a result of a breeding project of focusing mainly on mixing CRS x CRS with focus on developing coloration rather than patterns. Because of this linear breeding, the genetics were never mudded and thus never really produced shrimps of inferior colors similar to those that were mixed with Goldens/Snows. A test to determine of a shrimp is considered PRL is to breed the shrimps and observe if the offsprings produced a Golden/Snow white shrimp.

Japanese Red Bees (JRB) are (to me) considered a step above PRL as they were never exported to other parts of Asia and were bred and kept in Japan where this line developed its deep red color and purely white color.

For me, JRB have a much more striking colors although I also like keeping PRLs as well.

Hopefully the above is a sufficient explanation regarding CRS, PRL, JRB


----------

