# Cherry shrimp markings



## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

Has anyone ever seem a cherry shrimp look like this? I have 6 adults and8 babys in a 2.5 gallon. Another of the adults is a little off color but the rest are the normal bright red. I got them as adults but did not notice the strange coloration then, of course the were very pale from transport.

I do not really feed my shrimp. They get to keep the plants/moss clean in the tank and about every other week I throw in half an algae wafer. Last night i threw in a couple leafes of boiled spinich which they are loving right now. Incidently, they completely cleaned a BBA covered anubias petite plant in about an hour


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## John P. (Nov 24, 2004)

None of mine look like that, Dennis. I wonder if that's a hybrid with the wild form of Neocaridina denticulata sinensis, which can be blue/black?


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

It could possibly be a hybrid -- but I suspect that the coloration in shrimp can vary quite widely and that's one of the problems with identifying shrimp by color. One of the reasons I'm so hesitant to make shrimp I.Ds.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

I have a tiger just like that, it maybe stressed, it looks dead on sight but it is moving and eating healthy.


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## richy (Nov 8, 2004)

hybrid tiger/cherry red possibly? do you have a pic of the shrimp from the side? i've not seen anything like that before.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

it's not a hybrid


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## richy (Nov 8, 2004)

turtlehead said:


> it's not a hybrid


can you elaborate on what type of shrimp it is? i don't believe it's a tiger shrimp. they don't get to a reddish color like that, or at least that i've seen. they turn an orange color.


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

It is a cherry shrimp to both mine and my suppliers best knowledge. I got all my cherrys from the same friend who has bred hundreds of them. He claimed he has not seen anything like that either. None of his shrimp species mix, either. We both assumed it is some natural indominant gene poping out or something.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

I'd say it's from eating the BBA


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## TeutonJon78 (Nov 10, 2004)

I also have only cherry red shrimp (I bought 20). Of the 6-7 that I normally see around, I have 2 VERY red ones, a couple of clear ones with redish highlights and spots, and one that has turned kinda black almost. Very strange. It could be from BBA like someone suggested. I guess it depends on what each one is eating.

The color variations could also be a throwback to the natural coloring of the shrimp which is a blue-brown I believe. The cherry reds were breed to be red. There is also a very blue coloration that I've seen around on the net.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Maybe it's partly because of your particular water supply?

I've seen it happen with fish, anyway. I got a group of Rummynoses from a friend and they were really yellow tinted next to mine, but as time went on as they adjusted to my tank they all became the same color.

My other thought is that it's because you seldom feed them. If they aren't getting the same variety of nutrients as other shrimp, they may not be the same color.

Those are all guesses, but I thought I'd toss them out.


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