# Feed shrimp seaweed?



## oceans0516 (Jul 23, 2006)

I am trying to figure out why my red cherries aren't as red as they should be. Perhaps they don't have enough Spirulina so i thought i will try to feed them more of that and observe for any color changes. From what i read spirulina is blue green algae??a kind of seaweed? I have seen LFS sell seaweeds that look just like the sushi seaweeds people eat. Is that the same?? I have fed them the sushi seaweed twice and they seem to love it! just not sure if they will get redder. 

If this doesn't work i might try changing the gravel color but that will be a pain........


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

Cherries come in different tones of red. Yours might just not be the super red ones.

-Pedro


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## oceans0516 (Jul 23, 2006)

well, the mature females turn extremely red when they are carrying eggs. After the eggs hatch....they turn lighter and won't get super red again until the next batch of eggs....

I've had one baby cherry hitch hike to my community tank w/ livebearer fish....it turned super red and when i put it back into the shrimp tank, it got pale...

So i know they have potential of being red but just duno why the shrimps in the 'shrimp only' tank show light dots of red...maybe the water is richer in the fish tank?


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## frugalfish (Apr 20, 2005)

Their colors can vary with the surroundings. Darker substrates usually help to cause them to try and blend in better, while lighter can cause the reverse. Diet, genetics, mood, etc. play roles as well. I've experienced lately that having fish in with mine caused them to darken and redden up quite intensely.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

frugalfish said:


> Their colors can vary with the surroundings. Darker substrates usually help to cause them to try and blend in better, while lighter can cause the reverse. Diet, genetics, mood, etc. play roles as well. I've experienced lately that having fish in with mine caused them to darken and redden up quite intensely.


Yea, when I first got mine, they weren't red at all...after a while now, they're blood red. It might be my black substrate?


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## southpark (Oct 9, 2006)

what i've noticed nobody has really mentioned a lot except in passing, is the connection between the dark colored shrimp in a fish tank, versus shrimp only,

i'm starting to believe that the deep coloring changes is a defense mechanism. naturally "cherry" shrimp are actually a brownish color from all i've read about the neocardina sp. (i probably mispelled that) shrimp species, and the red is a "bred" trait, as well as "blue" shrimp too

it is possible that when the shrimp feel threatened (by possible fish or otherwise predators) they deepen their color to "match" what they think their shell coloring is with their surroundings.. normally a brown tint, but with our "Cherry" shrimp, this is a red tint..

i'm no scientist, but a lot of people have reported on it, and it seems their coloring is more environment (substrate, presence of fish(predators)) based

than nutrition based..


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## ombcat (Sep 23, 2004)

I feed mine shrimp pelllets and earthworm pellets, and a veggie pellet and I have noticed they get a brighter red.
ombcat


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## oceans0516 (Jul 23, 2006)

interesting take on defense mechanism...but i dun think i will test that out..i love my shrimp too much. Maybe some could move over when they are bigger..hehe...maybe


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