Should I get painted fire red shrimp or blue velvet/dream shrimp?

[wtusa1783]

I’m torn!! I saw both at my lfs and they are beautiful. The one thing tho is that I have black substrate and a black background so it would maybe be hard to see the blue shrimp. The blue ones are also more expensive. Anyone have experience with both? Are they any different other than colors? What are the High grade blue shrimp called?

[jayc]

55 minutes ago, wtusa1783 said:

Are they any different other than colors?

No, they are both still Neocaridina. That means they will interbreed and their offspring will have diluted genetics.

Don't mix them, unless you want to experiment.

 

56 minutes ago, wtusa1783 said:

What are the High grade blue shrimp called?

The best Blue shrimps are either nicknamed Blue Topaz/Diamond and Blue Velvet.

Blue Topaz or Blue Diamond are darker blue.

Blue Velvet are lighter blue. 

Just depends on what you like.

[wtusa1783]

2 minutes ago, jayc said:

No, they are both still Neocaridina. That means they will interbreed and their offspring will have diluted genetics.

Don't mix them, unless you want to experiment.

 

The best Blue shrimps are either nicknamed Blue Topaz/Diamond and Blue Velvet.

Blue Topaz or Blue Diamond are darker blue.

Blue Velvet are lighter blue. 

Just depends on what you like.

Yep that’s what I thought. It’s a tuff decision!!!

[sdlTBfanUK]

I wouldn't concentrate too much on the names as if it isn't a shrimp expert selling them they could be anything so go by whether you like the colour/shade. For instance, dark blue wouldn't be good in a dark tank/substrate, the reds would be better, or a lighter blue if you want blue, and yellow would really be superb due to the contrast?

When I have seen them for sale here for example, blue dream are bright mid blue, blue velvet are dark blue (almost black) etc. Here is a link to a specialist site so that you can see what they should look like, they are as JayC states but it is easier to see than describe;

https://www.rendo-shrimp.de/epages/62701010.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62701010/Categories/Garnelen/Neocaridina_Arten/Blaue_Zuchtformen

Simon

[wtusa1783]

10 minutes ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

I wouldn't concentrate too much on the names as if it isn't a shrimp expert selling them they could be anything so go by whether you like the colour/shade. For instance, dark blue wouldn't be good in a dark tank/substrate, the reds would be better, or a lighter blue if you want blue, and yellow would really be superb due to the contrast?

When I have seen them for sale here for example, blue dream are bright mid blue, blue velvet are dark blue (almost black) etc. Here is a link to a specialist site so that you can see what they should look like, they are as JayC states but it is easier to see than describe;

https://www.rendo-shrimp.de/epages/62701010.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62701010/Categories/Garnelen/Neocaridina_Arten/Blaue_Zuchtformen

Simon

Yea if I get blue they definitely will be lighter as they would be easier to see

[sdlTBfanUK]

I was making a coffee and had a thought. You can aim for both blue and red as you could have the red painted with blue tigers as they won't interbreed? The blue tigers would probably have to come from a shrimp specialist so if you like the idea I would get the reds from LFS with a view to getting blues a bit further down the line. There are different shades of blue tiger, link to tiger shrimp pictures.

https://www.rendo-shrimp.de/epages/62701010.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62701010/Categories/Garnelen/Caridina/Tigergarnelen

Sorry if this makes things worse,, more to decide????

Simon

[wtusa1783]

1 minute ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

I was making a coffee and had a thought. You can aim for both blue and red as you could have the red painted with blue tigers as they won't interbreed? The blue tigers would probably have to come from a shrimp specialist so if you like the idea I would get the reds from LFS with a view to getting blues a bit further down the line. There are different shades of blue tiger, link to tiger shrimp pictures.

https://www.rendo-shrimp.de/epages/62701010.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62701010/Categories/Garnelen/Caridina/Tigergarnelen

Sorry if this makes things worse,, more to decide????

Simon

What parameters do they need? I love those 

[sdlTBfanUK]

Pretty similar to neocaridina, Ph6-7, TDS 120-240, KH 2-6, GH 4-8 approximately, so definitely do-able without much/any extra work!

Simon 

[wtusa1783]

1 minute ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

Pretty similar to neocaridina, Ph6-7, TDS 120-240, KH 2-6, GH 4-8 approximately, so definitely do-able without much/any extra work!

Simon 

O nice. I don’t know my GH and kh but I should be getting a test soon but all Ik is my ph is usually 7.8 but I have a buffering substrate and it is like 7-7.6 and I have hard water ?

[sdlTBfanUK]

The tiger shrimp are quite adaptable and sturdy, unlike other Bee shrimp, so I wouldn't think you would have any problem with keeping them in that PH as long as you acclimate them for longer when you get them!

Simon

[wtusa1783]

1 minute ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

The tiger shrimp are quite adaptable and sturdy, unlike other Bee shrimp, so I wouldn't think you would have any problem with keeping them in that PH as long as you acclimate them for longer when you get them!

Simon

Definitely. Thanks for getting me hooked lol. So should I just get the painted fires then? I see on aquabid it’s like $45 for 10 of them plus $15 shipping. I can’t seem to find them on other sites. I don’t want to loose that money. I wish there was a way for me to get like 2 of them and keep them for a few weeks before spending so much on a gamble. So painted fires and oebt can live in the same tank?

[sdlTBfanUK]

I would start with the reds as they will be easier to get hold of, reasonably priced and a good test for the tank. Can't you get some from the LFS per the photo you posted, that would be the best to start off with even if it is just a couple as you say, to get started. Also Aquatic arts have them as per your original post?

To get you started without spending a lot I would get them from the LFS even if they don't look 100% as good as you want them too and give them a few weeks to see everything is working fine with the setup! Don't forget to drip acclimate them over a few hours wherever you get them from.

Simon

[wtusa1783]

1 minute ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

I would start with the reds as they will be easier to get hold of, reasonably priced and a good test for the tank. Can't you get some from the LFS per the photo you posted, that would be the best to start off with even if it is just a couple as you say, to get started. Also Aquatic arts have them as per your original post?

To get you started without spending a lot I would get them from the LFS even if they don't look 100% as good as you want them too and give them a few weeks to see everything is working fine with the setup! Don't forget to drip acclimate them over a few hours wherever you get them from.

Simon

Definitely. I’m not new to shrimp, infact, my first ever tank I set up I saw some cherry shrimp at a very small pet shop. My tank had been set up for 3 days. 3 DAYS. I didn’t drip acclimate. The shrimp lasted for like 3 months until I added a kribensis to the tank and they disappeared. I guess those were some pretty hard shrimp, huh? But yea I’ll go to my lfs first and then maybe online. So the oebt can survive in my parameters? That would be awesome. I could get my blue and red. Have you ever kept them?

[sdlTBfanUK]

Cherry shrimp can be very tough, I have transferred them from mmy od tank into the betta tank (culls) (totally different parameters) as food and there is a colony in the betta tank now. I literally did NO acclimating at all. When buying new though, to give them the best chance it is always best to accimate them. I have red bloody mary in my od main tank, but most shrimp are wild type now as I haven't kept up with culling and the tank was set up 5+ years ago. 

I have never kept tiger shrimp, but that may  happen soon as I do have a tank withh just 1 taiwan bee shrimp in it, plus fish though! Over here they aren't sending fish/shrimp at the moment so I don't even need to think about that currently?

Simon

[wtusa1783]

6 hours ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

Cherry shrimp can be very tough, I have transferred them from mmy od tank into the betta tank (culls) (totally different parameters) as food and there is a colony in the betta tank now. I literally did NO acclimating at all. When buying new though, to give them the best chance it is always best to accimate them. I have red bloody mary in my od main tank, but most shrimp are wild type now as I haven't kept up with culling and the tank was set up 5+ years ago. 

I have never kept tiger shrimp, but that may  happen soon as I do have a tank withh just 1 taiwan bee shrimp in it, plus fish though! Over here they aren't sending fish/shrimp at the moment so I don't even need to think about that currently?

Simon

Yea I would definitely drip acclimate I was just giving an example of how hard those shrimp were. Those oebt are beautiful and hopefully I’ll get a chance to keep them