# Malaya/Rainbow shrimp Q's



## ~T~ (Dec 18, 2006)

I have had a half dozen of these beauties for close to a year and a half now(and they were reasonably large when I got them). I also got a juvie recently that came mixed in with cherries/tigers/BB but all mine are female. Does anyone know how long they live? And also if its difficult to find males? I really want to breed them but without any males I dont think they will be gracing my tank for much longer 

Heres a pic of two of them.


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## ~T~ (Dec 18, 2006)

Anyone?


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

I would think their lifespan would be similar to those of cherry shrimp's.

I would try and talk to your LFS and see if they can try and special order you some more, hopefully resulting in some males. The reason you probably can't find any is they're less colorful and the collectors don't bother with them.

-Andrew


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## ~T~ (Dec 18, 2006)

A Hill said:


> I would think their lifespan would be similar to those of cherry shrimp's.
> 
> I would try and talk to your LFS and see if they can try and special order you some more, hopefully resulting in some males. The reason you probably can't find any is they're less colorful and the collectors don't bother with them.
> 
> -Andrew


Thanks man, I have found my cherrys tend to live about 6 months alough its difficult to tell individuals so I might have had some for longer. Do they look like regular malayas to you as the ones I have seen on here look darker/drabber.


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## fishymatty (Feb 25, 2007)

If I'm not mistaken the rainbow shrimp will cross breed with the cherries resulting in a brown shrimp. 
I think I bought rainbow shrimp one time and I got a few that look like that and a bunch that are brown.


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## ~T~ (Dec 18, 2006)

fishymatty said:


> If I'm not mistaken the rainbow shrimp will cross breed with the cherries resulting in a brown shrimp.
> I think I bought rainbow shrimp one time and I got a few that look like that and a bunch that are brown.


Nup they dont cross with cherries, never had any berried ones. Are they not a different species/genus anyway?


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## Dwarfpufferfish (May 29, 2004)

Well, the problem with “Rainbow Shrimp” is they are much like “Ghost Shrimp”. Dealers have no idea what shrimp they actually have so they slap a generic name on them. I have seen “Rainbow Shrimp” that are everything from Neocaridina heteropoda all the way to Caridina multidentata!


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## customdrumfinishes (Apr 4, 2008)

the big red shrimp looks like the one i have. i dont think there malaysian though who knows anymore? lol. as the one red has changed to blue green today while sitting on some green plants and turned red sitting on some driftwood.
im asked my lfs to get somemore next week hopefully they will. after looking at 30 pics of malayan/rainbow shrimp im thinking thats what they are like the ones i have but im still wondering.

i see azgardens sells these shrimp as rainbow shrimp and says they change colors. so they must be malaysian/rainbow shrimp. caridina species.


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## customdrumfinishes (Apr 4, 2008)

friend of mine has one of these red malayian/something shrimp that is 4 years old, ive read they out live most shrimp. i think 4 years is a long time for a shrimp.


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Dwarfpufferfish said:


> Well, the problem with “Rainbow Shrimp” is they are much like “Ghost Shrimp”. Dealers have no idea what shrimp they actually have so they slap a generic name on them. I have seen “Rainbow Shrimp” that are everything from Neocaridina heteropoda all the way to Caridina multidentata!


Thats what I've been thinking, trying to remember if I'm thinking right 

I think (its a bit fuzzy here) that Malaysian shrimp are different from 'rainbow' shrimp generally by breeding form, "rainbow" are usually high and Malaysian are low, but my memory may be incorrect...

-Andrew


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## migs_hernan (Jan 12, 2013)

Hi! I have I guess 15 of these so called Malaysian Rainbow Shrimps in my 20 gal planted tank. I got them from the wild here in the Philippines. I think I can call them Philippine Rainbow Shrimps just because they are originally from the Philippines as I caught them here. Hehe.








Rainbow Shrimp

It's so easy to find and catch them. They hide under rocks in the river stream and all you have to do is to lift the rock and presto, a Rainbow Shrimp is present but not all the time. You can catch them using a fishnet and by blocking their way by your hands and then lead them to your fishnet. 

I've been keeping them for about 8 months and they are doing well with my tetras like Ember, Rummy Nose, Serpae and White Skirt Tetras.
Most of my shrimps were pregnant at the beginning and up to now but I can still find a single baby shrimp. Maybe the eggs won't hatch or my fishes ate the baby shrimps before I can see them. They love eating hair algae in my tank's substrate. They also eat leftover fishfoods like sinking pelltes and flakes.

I love having them in my planted tank because of their big size compared to other shrimps like Red Cherry Shrimps that are delicious foods for my big White Skirt and Serpae Tetras. I also love their color.

You may view my thread about this kind of shrimp and see more photos at this link: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=4743481#post4743481


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## Rony11 (Jan 21, 2012)

I've been keeping my rainbow for quite a long time (above 2yrs).
They show diff.colors depending on the food I feed them-Astaxanthin "red" Algae or Spriulina Algae "green" wafers, tank temp, whether they're on the dark substrate, dark green moss/marimo,bright green plant, brown driftwood, etc

I have added rainbow from diff.sellers to strengthen the genes and frankly I'm very happy with the results. 
I have dark greenish shrimp but they change colors during pregnancy.
The babies are born transparent and turn darker as they near adulthood. 
I have a few reddish brown shrimps but most have dark green color. 
Rainbow shrimps are quite hardy and very active. I love to watch them.


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## migs_hernan (Jan 12, 2013)

Rony11 said:


> I've been keeping my rainbow for quite a long time (above 2yrs).
> They show diff.colors depending on the food I feed them-Astaxanthin "red" Algae or Spriulina Algae "green" wafers, tank temp, whether they're on the dark substrate, dark green moss/marimo,bright green plant, brown driftwood, etc
> 
> I have added rainbow from diff.sellers to strengthen the genes and frankly I'm very happy with the results.
> ...


Can you post some of your rainbow shrimps' pictures?


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