Saddled Cherry?

Suzie Q · Post by **Suzie Q** » Tue May 08, 2007 2:52 pm

Is this what I think it is?

Found out on another forum that it IS a saddle...also just found out that she can have this even w/o a male present Darn!

Now I am on the lookout for pictures of males and females so I can compare.

Thanks anyway!

pleco_breeder · Post by **pleco_breeder** » Tue May 08, 2007 3:08 pm

Hello,

It's definitely a saddle. Since you can take such nice pics, and I can't

it may be easier to explain how to sex by other characteristics than color. This is an immature female anyway, based on color. The plates along the base of a male's tail form a "reasonably" straight line. The same feature on a female has a convex shape, and distends below the swimmerettes.

There is also one other feature that you can try to look for, but I haven't got the nerve to even attempt. HINT, it would require a strong magnifying glass and getting the shrimp on it's back

Larry Vires

Suzie Q · Post by **Suzie Q** » Tue May 08, 2007 3:49 pm

pleco_breeder wrote:Hello,

It's definitely a saddle. Since you can take such nice pics, and I can't it may be easier to explain how to sex by other characteristics than color. This is an immature female anyway, based on color. The plates along the base of a male's tail form a "reasonably" straight line. The same feature on a female has a convex shape, and distends below the swimmerettes.

There is also one other feature that you can try to look for, but I haven't got the nerve to even attempt. HINT, it would require a strong magnifying glass and getting the shrimp on it's back

Larry Vires

Larry,
Thank you for the pics comment.

Here is my "missing" of the original 4...the other three look just like the above picture:

I think it may be female also...kinda looks like a saddle in photo number 3.

Any thoughts? This is the ONLY one with a stripe down its back.

pleco_breeder · Post by **pleco_breeder** » Tue May 08, 2007 3:57 pm

Hello,

I can't tell from the angle of the first 2 photos in this new series. The third is definitely female though. I'm still kinda new at this shrimp thing myself, and learning new stuff daily, so some of the other more experienced members may be able to help with those 2 pics based on something that I don't know about yet.

Larry Vires

Suzie Q · Post by **Suzie Q** » Tue May 08, 2007 4:06 pm

pleco_breeder wrote:Hello,

I can't tell from the angle of the first 2 photos in this new series. The third is definitely female though. I'm still kinda new at this shrimp thing myself, and learning new stuff daily, so some of the other more experienced members may be able to help with those 2 pics based on something that I don't know about yet.

Larry Vires

Larry,
All of these are of the same shrimp, so I guess I got all girls in the first shipment. This is the only one with a stripe down its back. How weird. How early can you tell males from females? The newest are still quite small, but I have seen at least one of the smallest that looks "skinner" than most...maybe I am just getting my hopes up? I will wait until the new ones get older...I may have to post in SnS for a single male RCS...boy wouldnt he be happy if all my RCS turned out to be female LOL! 14 girls to 1 boy! LOL

Thanks!
Lori

Newjohn · Post by **Newjohn** » Tue May 08, 2007 5:19 pm

Hi Suzie Q

If you look at the pictures posted in the Varieties Page.
Mustafa has posted a nice picture of a Male. It is the second Picture.

It shows the shape difference between adult Males and Females
( First Picture )

The Males will have a more slender abdomen.

It just takes time to tell the difference between Males & Females.

John

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » Tue May 08, 2007 5:32 pm

The males are pretty plainly colored. Unless each of your 14 were hand picked to sell you only females, statistically the odds are approaching certainty you have at least one male. He might be a busy guy but it just takes one to fertilize all the females.

You will know soon enough to still get males if somehow you only recieved females but there again the odds favor that some were fertilized prior to ending up in your tank.

It would be difficult to send out 14 unfertilized females from any normal breeding set up.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Tue May 08, 2007 6:06 pm

You probaby got wild cauught imported shrimp. You get nothing but females in this case. In the future, watch for people selling tank bred shrimp of mixed sexes. You'll see these all the time on ebay and aquabid. Be sure to read their feedback, and don't buy from someone without a long and good rep.

I got a batch of juvies that were supposed to be "super reds". Tuurned out they were mixed wild browns with lousy cherries. I didn't know until they colored up and mated with my good females. It took me months to clean up that tank and get pure reds again.

Suzie Q · Post by **Suzie Q** » Tue May 08, 2007 6:38 pm

badflash wrote:You probaby got wild cauught imported shrimp. You get nothing but females in this case. In the future, watch for people selling tank bred shrimp of mixed sexes. You'll see these all the time on ebay and aquabid. Be sure to read their feedback, and don't buy from someone without a long and good rep.

I got a batch of juvies that were supposed to be "super reds". Tuurned out they were mixed wild browns with lousy cherries. I didn't know until they colored up and mated with my good females. It took me months to clean up that tank and get pure reds again.

I got these from a friend of mine (they were given to me). He breeds them. They are bred shrimp, not wild caught. I also got them as small Juvies. They have grown quite a bit...even the newest ones he sent me. They were just a bit bigger. I know my odds (with the first 4) were great in getting the same sex. I am new to shrimp, so I have not learned to sex them yet. I have one of the small ones that may be a male, but only time will tell.
Thanks Guys!

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Tue May 08, 2007 6:47 pm

It could be that they are just too young to breed yet. If there is a paler one in there, it could be a male. You'll know when the female molts and the males are zooming around the tank, or not. If your friend breeds them, ask him for some males, or a berried female.

Suzie Q · Post by **Suzie Q** » Tue May 08, 2007 6:55 pm

He is thinking about downsizing and asked me if I wanted his "herd". Of cource I said I would be happy to give them a good home. I love the cherries I have now. I'll let ya know if I do get berries.

Thanks.

Post by **Mustafa** » Tue May 08, 2007 10:02 pm

apistomaster wrote: You will know soon enough to still get males if somehow you only recieved females but there again the odds favor that some were fertilized prior to ending up in your tank.

It would be difficult to send out 14 unfertilized females from any normal breeding set up.

Female shrimp can only mate and carry eggs right after molting. They can't store sperm either. If you receive shrimp that don't already carry eggs (and keep them), then they are not "fertilized." Just a clarification.

Post by **Mustafa** » Tue May 08, 2007 10:03 pm

badflash wrote:You probaby got wild cauught imported shrimp. .

Red cherries don't live int he wild so they can't be wild-caught. They are bred in farms and exported out of Taiwan, China, etc. etc. Just another clarification.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Wed May 09, 2007 2:45 am

You are right of course. I should have been more accurate and said "farm raised". My point being that animals raised outside in ponds, mass shipped to the US and kept in poor conditions until shipped, do quite poorly when you get them.

Suzie Q · Post by **Suzie Q** » Wed May 09, 2007 5:46 am

Ok, now I have a really dumb question. Because mine have a saddles, will they lay eggs?...or do they have to mate to lay eggs? I am just worried about them. I don't want them to get egg bound or anything.

Hopefully I have a male in the 2nd shipment of 10...I got all of the as 1/4in or smaller, so they were really young. I got them in late March (27th)...have not had them 2 months yet, and the second shipment came around the end of April. I guess I am in a hurry. I will be patient.

Thanks for the info guys. I really appreciate it.
Lori