# Cherry Shrimp Lost Colour Overnight :(



## VicNorman (Jan 7, 2010)

Hi all, new member here, hoping for you advice please 

I had about 12 Cherry Reds living in my baby biorb - good water parameters, water about 24 celsius, and live plants.

I swap my plants between my 125l coldwater fish tank and the biorb, so the shrimp can have any algae, and the plants get a clean 

I put one back from the biorb into the fish tank yesterday and about an hour later, I saw my pregnant female shrimp had gone into the fish tank with the plant! The thing is, she's turned from pale pink to BRIGHT red, so I grabbed her to avoid the goldies eating her, and as soon as she got in the biorb into warmer water, she gave birth 

This morning, she's fine, as they all are - eating, swimming, grazing etc, but she's lost every bit of colour. None of the shrimp have much colour, so it might be the water parameters?

The coldwater fish tank is kept at 21 celsius and has the same plants as the biorb in a very fine gravel substrate.

Can anyone tell me why she lost all her colour overnight please? I'm going to do a water test today to check any difference in the parameters, and I have a feeling that as I now have babies in the biorb, I'm going to have trouble cleaning it out, lol 

Should I change from a biorb to a regular tank, like a Fluval Edge or something and have fine substrate rather than the rocks in the biorb?

Any help much appreciated!

Thanks alot, Vicki


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## Snikerz (Jul 8, 2009)

I've found that my pregnant cherries usually lose their color. Could be the temp change I guess?


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## VicNorman (Jan 7, 2010)

It's so weird - she went from light pink in the biorb to bright red in the fish tank, then after she had babies, she's totally clear.. you might have something there 

Although none of the others are colouring up much... wonder if they need more room? It's only a 2 gallon tank I think - 15 litres.. or it might be the lights she reacted to?

The Biorb has low lighting, whereas the tank has a regular tube light and moonlight tube both on together for 8 hours a day, so it might be that?

I've been looking online, and can't find any reason why she'd have changed so quickly. Just tested the water and all parameters are zero, so no different from the fish tank..

Thanks for your findings though, I'll keep an eye on them and see what happens.. although looks like I have another berried female who has almost no colouring at all..


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## VicNorman (Jan 7, 2010)

Ah - found something which says they need strong light - this can change their colour within an hour 

Looks like I need a new tank


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## VicNorman (Jan 7, 2010)

Got a Superfish Aqua 40 coming today - sand substrate too, so will seed new filter with old media and get the guys in asap 

I'll update and let you know how it goes!


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## bigshrimpin (Apr 2, 2009)

There are a lot of factors that effect shrimp color:
water temp
nitrates
salts
color of substrate
planted vs. nonplanted
light ( they are pale when the lights first come on)
genes
and a lot more...


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## steve_dowg2001 (Aug 4, 2009)

maybe she lost her color from all the stress of being pregnant lol you never know.


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## VicNorman (Jan 7, 2010)

LOL Steve 

Well, I got the new tank set up, transferred the old water (with the babies in) and seeded the new filter, and as soon as the light went on, the females all coloured to a light pink, then back to a dark pink after an hour or so 

Looks like the light was a factor, going to look into the other possible reason in the post a couple up - thank you


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## bigshrimpin (Apr 2, 2009)

keep the nitrates as low as possible, use live plants, steady water temp... and they will be very happy and breed well for you. Good luck!


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## VicNorman (Jan 7, 2010)

Brilliant, thank you 

You guys rock! :hihi:


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