# Bloody Mary and Fire Red difference.



## KeeperOfASilentWorld (Mar 18, 2017)

The difference in color is huge. Bloody Mary's have a deeper and more vibrant color where the Fire Red's are just solid red.


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

I often liken the BM to a ruby... they can come in dark, medium or light versions (I have a medium shade of red, no dark reds) and they have a shell that kind of glows.

Fire reds on the other hand just tend to be 'red' shrimp. They are an opaque color generally speaking, and even if they aren't, they don't glow like the BM shrimp do.



You'd have to see the BM in person to really understand.


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## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

Thanks lot guys. One more question are bm little delicate than other neos? I know they are neos as well but just asking if they are sensitive because of selective breeding or if they are just hardy as other neos?


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

Probably depends on the line. I'd say the BM that I got were pretty much like the cherries, except they weren't breeding for the longest time. They are now breeding.


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## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

Zoidburg said:


> Probably depends on the line. I'd say the BM that I got were pretty much like the cherries, except they weren't breeding for the longest time. They are now breeding.


I see. But are you sure they were BM and not just sold as BM? I am sure you know a lot about shrimps but just asking. I read they have deep red flesh instead of just red outer shell.


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

They glow red! Cherries don't. I do have some good photos of them, but they are apparently on a different device. I was told that the line originally came from Han Aquatics. I trust the person I received them from, and she is still selling them.


Bloody Marys - Han Aquatics


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## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

Zoidburg said:


> They glow red! Cherries don't. I do have some good photos of them, but they are apparently on a different device. I was told that the line originally came from Han Aquatics. I trust the person I received them from, and she is still selling them.
> 
> 
> Bloody Marys - Han Aquatics


Thanks and yes they look vibrant red.


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## KeyeNewen (Jul 7, 2017)

Here's some close up of my Bloody Marys. I really haven't had to cull them from this 10g tank. I started with about 20 juvies of the best colored one from my original Bloody Marys 5g tank and they have multiplied tremdously in this tank. I do have to cull from my original 5g tank every other month though.


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## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

KeyeNewen said:


> Here's some close up of my Bloody Marys. I really haven't had to cull them from this 10g tank. I started with about 20 juvies of the best colored one from my original Bloody Marys 5g tank and they have multiplied tremdously in this tank. I do have to cull from my original 5g tank every other month though.


They are very beautiful. Thanks a lot for the close up pictures. I am getting my BMs soon. They are indeed very vivid red.


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## KeyeNewen (Jul 7, 2017)

Exciting! You will be very happy with your purchase.
I have three tanks with BM now and about to start a fourth one. The pictures I took for you is from my 10g hi tech tank, CO2 injection, 50% weekly water change and EI dosing. My 5g breeder tank is strictly low tech: marimo ball, subwassertang, dwarf water lettuce floaters, 20% weekly water change and no fertilizers. Key is for them to breed quickly and the new shrimps will adjust the your water parameters and are good to go. I don't think I have any of my original BM shrimps that I purchase back in Sept of last year, however I do have plenty BM shrimps now that are breeding constantly. Was a little nerve racking watching my new shrimps die at the beginning.


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## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

KeyeNewen said:


> Exciting! You will be very happy with your purchase.
> I have three tanks with BM now and about to start a fourth one. The pictures I took for you is from my 10g hi tech tank, CO2 injection, 50% weekly water change and EI dosing. My 5g breeder tank is strictly low tech: marimo ball, subwassertang, dwarf water lettuce floaters, 20% weekly water change and no fertilizers. Key is for them to breed quickly and the new shrimps will adjust the your water parameters and are good to go. I don't think I have any of my original BM shrimps that I purchase back in Sept of last year, however I do have plenty BM shrimps now that are breeding constantly. Was a little nerve racking watching my new shrimps die at the beginning.


Thanks. That's great news. Sadly the supplier is out of stock of BMs but i did got some fantasy blue dreams. 15 blue dreams and they are different than blue velvet. More vivid blue. Also some chocolate shrimps. Both blue and chocolate are of very high grade. Chocolate so dark brown that almost look black. Love them. Attached images. Hope to get BM soon.


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

"Fantasy blue dreams"..... please don't tell me these are imports???


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## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

Zoidburg said:


> "Fantasy blue dreams"..... please don't tell me these are imports???


They are indeed. But i bought from same seller before and they thrive good. Everything i buy from this guy is imports. Usually from Germany. Something i must worry about? 😓


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

German imports are probably fine then! It's the others I think we'd need to worry about? Could be wrong though...


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## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

kashif314 said:


> Zoidburg said:
> 
> 
> > "Fantasy blue dreams"..... please don't tell me these are imports???
> ...


Like from which country you mean? And this guy always keep shrimp with him for like a month before selling so any shrimp stressed from long travel or some other reason dies and only the healthy remain for customers.


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## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

I have a question that is BM hardy as other neos or if they are delicate or sensitive because of selective breeding?


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

I believe it's Asian countries where Neos are mass produced (particularly in Taiwan?) and thus have a high chance of having the "green fungus" (elobiopsidae or something else). I haven't heard of issues with German Imports?


I'd say that BM's are going to be as hardy or as sensitive as the line they came from. Generally speaking, they are considered to be hardy shrimp, like most other Neos.


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## kashif314 (Oct 11, 2017)

Zoidburg said:


> I believe it's Asian countries where Neos are mass produced (particularly in Taiwan?) and thus have a high chance of having the "green fungus" (elobiopsidae or something else). I haven't heard of issues with German Imports?
> 
> 
> I'd say that BM's are going to be as hardy or as sensitive as the line they came from. Generally speaking, they are considered to be hardy shrimp, like most other Neos.


Thanks a lot. So glad that bm are not sensitive. I hope to get them soon. 

About unhealthy shrimp, guy from whome i but shrimps is only in shrimp business and sell only quality stuff and nothing else. Bees I bought him before were more intense colors than i seen online. Same goes for the chocolates and blue dreams i bought recently. Never seen such dark intense on YouTube even. So I don't fear when buy from him and some of his imports are from asia as well but he has a very strong quality check so i am happy. Attached two pictures. One is dream blue and one is chocolate. Both so intense in color that look black from a distance on green carpet.


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## sharonemery1 (Mar 30, 2014)

I just saw this thread... I've had my bloody marys since 2013. They were from the original line that came into the US from Europe.

They're neocaridina davidi, just the same as blue dreams, blue velvets, painted fire reds, golden backs, regular cherry shrimp etc. Allmost all the neo's are all neocaridina davidi. Each variety is just a highly bred strain that was bred for that color. I think the only neo out there that is anything else are blue pearls which are neocaridina palmata.

The difference between bloody marys and painted fire reds is in the shell. Painted fire reds have an opaque, solid shell. The light doesn't pass through it, and the shrimp have a lovely deep red color. Bloody marys have a transparent red shell. The light can shine right through the shrimp, and makes it seem to glow from within like a pretty ruby or garnet gemstone. They're both neos, just with a different look.

Here's a pic of one of mine. It was in a specimen container, and you can see how the light shines through the transparent shell and seems to 'light it up'. 

I don't know about Hans shrimp, but mine are very hardy. I have 3 tanks of them. My oldest tank has suffered from 2 catastrophes that killed most of the fish. But the bloody marys sailed through like nothing had happened! The first was an ammonia spike 4 years ago that resulted when I over vacummed that tank. The second was a year ago when we had a power outage that lasted for over a week in my area. Had the tank on a battery operated air pump and sponge filter, but it just wasn't enough for the heavily stocked 40 breeder... So mine at least seem pretty hardy LOL!

Also the culling rate is a myth. If you cull regularly, they'll be fine. If you're culling 50%, then the stock was bad. I only have to cull about 5-7% to keep their color. That myth arose because the original stock that came over from Europe was initially over bred and under culled. Folks just saw $$$ and were selling every shrimplet they got, even if it had no color at all. It was kind of shamefull... It really degraded the initial population that came into the states, and gave bloody marys a bad name. It took me a few years to breed the color back into them. But the genes were there... Just took a little patience.

I'm not sure about weather they have red flesh or not. I've been keeping them since 2012 or 2013, so of course I've had some die naturally of old age in my tanks. The flesh on those appeared white to me, but of course they'd been dead for a while when I found them. That could be a change that takes place after death. 
The only way I'd know is if I killed one myself and dissected it immediately after death. Haven't done that. Their shed shells appear a translucent/white.

They're really pretty easy keepers, and very pretty shrimp.

Hope this helps.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/36568171286/in/dateposted-friend/


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

@sharonemery1 absolutely stunning BM! My starting colony basically died off, but I do have some surviving offspring from them. Still, I feel like I should restart and get a new colony going. When/if I do, I'd love to find some like yours!


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## Reks (Apr 17, 2018)

@sharonemery1 I love my BM colony, if anyone's ever looking to get BM I highly recommend Sharon's. So far the BM I got seem very Hardy, all of them survived transit which I can't say for other shrimp I've gotten in the past. The colors of BM compared to painted fire reds is night and day. I have my BM in a 5 Gallon tank and watching them swim through the water makes me smile, they really do seem to illuminate. My males are going crazy right now so I'm sure another female will be berried soon.


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