# agressive cherry shrimp behavior



## jeff63851 (Feb 23, 2005)

After my water change yesterday, I noticed some different behavior in my shrimps. During feeding time, the male cherries (transparent ones) would "attack" the female cherries (extremely dark red) by grabbing on to their backs (just like a piggy back ride). It's pretty weird since I never seen this behavior during the one year of keeping my cherries. I think this behavior is due to the water quality, since I use 8.5pH RO water instead of regular tap water.

Just wondering, but do you ever see this type of behavior in your tank?


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## fish newb (May 10, 2006)

From what I know it is a VERY RARE behavior in cherry red shrimps... 




They call it finding a mate:heh: 



Today in one of my tanks I watched 5 males pile on one female trying to mate, and she already had a saddle.... wierd!

Hope you took the sarcasm ok 

-Andrew


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

...I believe they're doin' the nasty.


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## Left Coast DJ (Nov 16, 2006)

You should stop playing Barry White in the fish room.


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## Cassie (May 27, 2006)

Left Coast DJ said:


> You should stop playing Barry White in the fish room.


Either that our you should play him more often to increase your population! lol


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## jeff63851 (Feb 23, 2005)

lol...I should stop playing Barry White then.

It's interesting because I never seen so many of my shrimps mate all at once. I guess it's the water change then.


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## toddnbecka (Sep 20, 2006)

Cherry shrimp females are ready to mate right after they molt. The water change may have had something to do with the activity, but wasn't the direct cause.


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## Burks (May 25, 2006)

The one topic from a while back says it perfectly, "They're playing Horsie!"

"Giggity giggity giggity, giggity goo"


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## Squawkbert (Jan 3, 2007)

PS - by definition, RO water has no appreciable pH as there are (should be) no ions in it. Any reading from any sort of a pH meter used on a sample from a quality RO/DI unit will strictly be a function of whatever contaminents were on the probe, in the sample container, fell into in the water after collection etc. and will be highly volatile as a result of having no buffering capacity (unless the sample cup etc. was really dirty).


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## Jane in Upton (Aug 10, 2005)

Yep, I think Toddnbecka has it right - the water change may have triggered a molt, making the females ripe for mating. Males will insert their sperm package. The female's eggs will move down from the saddle, pass by the sperm (held short term after mating), become fertilized and then be expelled, where she'll hold them under her tail as they develop, maneuvering them around with her swimmerettes, much like a bird will turn its eggs.

Congratulations! Soon you'll be breaking out the virtual cigars, LOL!
-Jane


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