Unusual color variations?

[YuccaPatrol]

Looks like this turned into a poll. . .

So I will vote for Root-Beer Shrimp!

Very neat, Mustafa!

[Newjohn]

Well, What ever color Mustafa calls it. I will be purchasing a few.

When Mustafa posted the Pictures,
He said, he would hope to have enough to sell to the public, In a couple of months.

Well, that time has past Show Me the Shrimp

I think they look like topaz
John

[Mustafa]

Unfortunately, stuffing almost all of my tanks full with Najas wreaked havoc in my tanks after a while (after the najas turned my tanks into biological deserts) and these guys were one of the many casualties. I learned it the hard way. So, I am back to the drawing board now...I still have 3 of these guys left (2 females, one male), although the ones still left are nowhere near as orange. I'll have to see if I can selectively breed some orange shrimp again. So....if it happens it will take a while..unfortunately. This just shows how important it is to maintain several populations of a species/variety.

[zwergkrebszuechter]

There is a shrimp like that in Germany too. It is called red Tüpfel shrimp. There is orange/red color in the body, not in the shell. That one is no zhangjiajiensis, but the genetic mutation is probably much the same, like red tiger shrimp and CRS.

[Mustafa]

There is a shrimp like that in Germany too. It is called red Tüpfel shrimp. There is orange/red color in the body, not in the shell. That one is no zhangjiajiensis, but the genetic mutation is probably much the same, like red tiger shrimp and CRS.

Yes, the mutation seems to be extremely similar. I've had those other orange shrimp (rote tuepfelgarnelen) before, too, and just like my orange "snowballs" they almost turn white (i.e. bleach out) when they first start carrying eggs. The egg color is exactly the same, too, a nice bright brown. My shrimp are a lot easier to breed, though, as the other variety seems to prefer more acidic water.

I know lots of otherwise successful breeders in Germany have trouble keeping the "roten tuepfelgarnelen" alive. Next time I am in Germany I will pick up some more of those, though, as I think they are a worthwile shrimp to have once one figures out what their exact needs are.

[Newjohn]

Mustafa
Sorry to hear about your tragic lose.

It is nice of you, to share your bad experiences as well as the good ones.

So, that the other members do not have to go through the same problems.

Good Luck
On the Carmel / topaz / Rootbeer Shrimp.
John

[ToddnBecka]

One thing I don't understand:

Unfortunately, stuffing almost all of my tanks full with Najas wreaked havoc in my tanks after a while (after the najas turned my tanks into biological deserts)

I don't have najas in my shrimp tank, but it is an aquatic jungle of java moss, Aponogetum's, java ferns, duckweed, and stem plants. There is even green hair algae thriving among some of the plants. I would think the plants would be beneficial, in keeping the nitrates low. This pic isn't quite current, but close enough:

My colony of cherry shrimp thrive very well in this environment, and the Cambarellus seem to be doing fine as well. There are always new baby shrimp to be seen, and I'm hoping baby crayfish won't be far off either.

[Mustafa]

I would think the plants would be beneficial, in keeping the nitrates low.

Actually, I have found out through experience (and confirmed in scientific papers) that plantless, leaf-litter tanks are *much* more effective at removing nitrate and other organics than any plant tank. The good thing is that these tanks don't need *any* fertilizers at all, no CO2, and high light is not absolutely necessary. The nitrates are used up by both the algae and the micro-organisms breaking down the leaf-litter. When I had my tanks full with Najas I *always* had high nitrates no matter what I did. And the najas was growing so strong that I had to throw away *pounds* of that stuff every week or two.....

My colony of cherry shrimp thrive very well in this environment, and the Cambarellus seem to be doing fine as well. There are always new baby shrimp to be seen, and I'm hoping baby crayfish won't be far off either.

Well, "thrive" is relative. I still had babies (for quite a while) in my monospecific najas tanks, but I also had adults (and babies) die regularly. It's a "creeping" phenomenon...you might not notice anything drastic for months...but during that time your aquarium is turning into a desert..and then at some point some mass deaths follow. You say that you have hair algae growing, so that means that there are still enough nutrients in your tanks for possible micro-organisms to grow. Plus, your tank has several different plant species, which compete with each other wihout one just taking over the tank. In contrast, my tanks were just Najas tanks and *nothing* else was growing in them...not even algae...plus they were so tighly packed that not enough light was reaching the bottom. It was literally a biological desert.

In any case...if you turned your tank into a plantless leaf litter tank then you would see improvements, too. Then you would *really* see your population take off.

[ToddnBecka]

I have a 30 long about to become the new home of the inhabitants of the 10. I have a handful of oak leaves soaking in a glass bowl of water, and plan to collect more soon. I will also be adding plenty of dead water lily leaves from the backyard pond, since the end of their season is nearly here. I need to get some glass cut for the tank cover, and some hinge and rear cover strip to finish it. The substrate will be the same, a thin layer of crushed coral and black gravel. Another established sponge filter/air pump will be added, since the tank will be divided in the middle.
I'm hoping to get a pair or orange Cambarellus this week, to breed with the orange/brown. I plan to split the pair/trio, so that one parent of each fry will be orange, the other orange/brown. The substrate from the 10 gallon will be used, along with fresh coral/gravel, to keep the bacteria intact. I don't expect any ammonia spikes doing it that way.
There will be some plants on each side of the divider, but quite a bit more leaf litter. I would think/hope this type of setup will be better for the long-term well-being of the shrimp and crayfish. At the very least, the volume of water will be much greater.

[Neonshrimp]

Mustafa, Hope things work out for you.

ToddnBecka, so your shrimp like the dead water lily leaves that much ? Your 30g sounds great, please keep us updated.

[ToddnBecka]

The shrimp and snails will completely consume a 5" water lily leaf in about 24 hours. There will be nothing left, even the stem is eaten. The oak leaves are still soaking, but the water lily leaves are always ready. Since they are aquatic plants, the leaves contain more water, and decay faster than oak leaves. I'll have to fish out that cantelope rind I dropped in there a while back, and try a piece (on the shrimp ) It should be well-enough aged by now.