Sexing sand/pearl shrimp

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Lotus
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Sexing sand/pearl shrimp

Post by Lotus »

Does anyone know how to sex pearl/sand shrimp. I have one that seems to have a red/orangy pink patch on the neck. Are their ovaries red? I have a hard time seeing these shrimp in my tank, so I'm hoping it won't be too hard to tell. I've only had them a week, and wasn't even sure if they were still in the tank. They had hidden themselves really well!

Any other anecdotal info on these would be appreciated. I read the profile on here. What about favorite foods?
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Post by Mustafa »

In mature females you can see the green eggs developing in the ovaries in the "neck" area. Also, the carapace in the abdominal area hangs down more in *mature* females to accommodate the eggs.

They are omnivores and don't seem to have any special likes or dislikes. In my tank they eat algae, flake food and everything else they can find. They do seem to be especially fond of blackworms or tubifex, though. However, I would not feed them with worms exclusively. Normal fish food in any shape or form will satisfy their nutritional needs.

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