Breeding Cherry Red Shrimp (Neocaridina Davidi Var. Red) In The Aquarium

Location

This is a variant of Neocaridina heteropoda which was bred in artificial conditions.

Body description

Colour of the species in nature is brown-green with delicate red spots. Colour of the variant is red. Colour intensity depends on colour of a substrate, diet, water temperature and pH, stress etc. This species has carapace and it molts in order to grow. We shouldn't remove old carapace from aquarium because it is good source of calcium for shrimps. Male is smaller, less colourful than female. He has also thinner his abdomen. Female has light her under-side and intense red carapace with irregular, small dots.

Characteristics and temperament

This species is active and it prefers to live in group. It mostly spends time among plants, especially during the molt. Then the shrimp bends its body in the shape of "u" letter - it tries to touch its telson. This species successfully cleans the aquarium from all organic remains. It is scavenger crustaceans. We should keep this species with neon tetras, danios, gupies, small tetras. We should avoid its natural predators.

Aquarium decoration

This is easy species in keeping. It is sensitive to wrong water temperature or chemical composition of the water (accumulation nitrates, ammonia, chlorine, chloramine and drugs with copper). This species feels well and it often and easy reproduces in stable aquarium, without rapid changes of water parameters. The aquarium should include a dark substrate, hiding-places among roots and pots, plants (e.g. java moss, hornwort, water hyacinth, canadian waterweed). This species doesn't destroy the plants. It feeds algae from the plants and decomposing organic matter. A partial water changes should be systematic done (30% per week). We need an effective spongy filtration system with gentle flow, oxygen-rich water and lighting to 10 hours.

Breeding

Reproduce this species is easy task. Matured sexually shrimps form pairs in group. Male intensively circles around fertile female. Then he nears to her and he connects with female a brief moment (cross position). In this time male deposits his sperm and his role in reproduction ended but sometimes first approach is not effective and male tries again. Next female lays eggs one by one and she puts fertilized eggs under her abdomen in her pleopods until their hatching. Female fans the eggs her uropods and she shifts their in her pleopods all the time. Stressed, afraid or inexperienced female can leave the eggs. The eggs have pair of black dots (eyes) just before hatching. The eggs hatch after about 30-45 days and the young are independent. They immediately start feeding and they look like adults but they are very small - about 2 mm. Their internal organs aren't fully developed - especially reproductive organs. These organs will gradually develop during next metamorphosis (the incomplete matamorphosis). The aquarium for young shrimps should include lot of plants, a filter with protected outlet. The female is immediately ready for next reproduce after hatching. She can have eggs in her pleopods and she has visible "saddle" behind her head at the same time. We shouldn't keep different species shrimps from the same type in one breeding aquarium because they can hybridize together.