A special caste of aquarists are those who became the owner of the red glade of Red crystals. These are not gems, but amazing crustaceans from the shrimp category. These amazing creatures called the Red Crystal, scurrying around in the aquarium, not only fascinate, but also become a source of pride. What are the features of the content of shrimp - this is discussed in this article.
Caridina cantonensis
This is the name of all subtypes of decapods that are kept in aquariums, and are called crystals or bees. The main feature of the representatives of this species is the contrasting stripes that adorn the body of the shrimp. These inhabitants of aquariums live from 2 to 6 years, females can grow up to 3 centimeters, males are slightly smaller in size. The coloration (and they can be white, with black and red stripes) depends not only on the conditions of detention, but even on the mood and environment of the crustaceans. That is why shrimp aquarists become sophisticated in this matter.professionals.
So different
In nature, shrimps of this species live in freshwater reservoirs of Southeast Asia and have exclusively black stripes on the body. But under artificial conditions, subspecies of exceptional beauty have been bred:
- White or gold crystals - shrimp with a red-orange body and decorated with a rich white shell.
- Black crystals differ from their natural counterparts by a brighter color intensity of the stripes.
- Red crystals are the most popular subspecies of aquarium crustaceans. They are bred artificially, so they are not found in the wild. It is about them that we will talk in this article.
Red Crystal Shrimp
One day, in 1996, an experienced aquarist from Japan, Hisayasu Suzuki, saw some shrimp with an amazing mutation in the offspring of his Black Crystals. These individuals had red stripes caused by a mutation in the color gene. It was these accidentally mutated crustaceans that became the progenitors of a new breed of unique inhabitants of aquariums. Red crystals quickly gained popularity and became a source of pride - because their color is unique, and it is not easy to breed an individual with beautiful white stripes or a unique pattern of red stripes.
Hard beauty standards
Today Red Crystals are a showpiece. Exhibitions and competitions are held in the world to determine the most unique shrimp and they are not cheap. For Shrimp Red Crystal Designedthe most stringent standards are Japanese (classes C, B, A, S, S +, SSS) and German (classes K0 -K14). All of them rely on the quality of color uniformity, clarity of borders, the predominance of red or white.
The red crystal of the lowest class (C and K0) has indistinct boundaries of wide red bands. The more white in the color of the shrimp and the thinner the stripes of red, the higher its class. Top-ranked Red Crystals are dominated by a white tint, with red spots present in minimal amounts and having a unique shape. It is these individuals that are especially valued by professionals and often have their own names. For example, "White Fang" or "Crown". But it is worth remembering that the color can change and therefore the conditions for keeping Red Crystal shrimp come to the fore.
Demanding and cleanliness
And in nature, shrimp live mainly in clean water with a stable chemical composition, and there are even legends about the content of Red crystals. Only an experienced aquarist can create optimal conditions for the comfort and reproduction of these decapods.
The slightest change in the environment and these shrimp will turn pale at best and die at worst. At the same time, the higher the class of an individual, the more demanding it is on living conditions.
House for "jewelry"
Aquarium for Red Crystals - Shrimp - can be small (10-20 liters) if 4-6 individuals live in it. There is evidence that the minimum volume for 1 shrimp should be of the order1 liter. However, much depends on the vegetation and scenery. It is preferable to choose a shrimp that is not high, but with a large bottom surface area. If you want the crystals to multiply, then the aquarium must be at least 50 liters.
Another not unimportant fact - a lot of diseases and death of crustaceans can be provoked by overpopulation. Therefore, only by trial and error and by replanting young animals, an optimal biobalance in the aquarium is achieved.
Water is the habitat of crystals
The most significant factor for the normal functioning of crystals is the composition of water and the stability of its parameters.
The higher classes of shrimp will die at a water hardness of 4 mEq / L, although the lower classes will also tolerate an increase in this indicator to 13. The optimal water hardness in a shrimp is from 3 to 5 mEq / L, which can be achieved by mixing tap water with osmotic water.
The temperature regime is also quite hard - from 21 to 23 degrees. At the same time, if the thermometer falls to 16 or rises to 26 degrees, the shrimps will die.
Powerful water filters and aerators are a must. After all, these animals are very sensitive to metabolites, ammonia and nitrates. It is recommended to replace a third of the water in the aquarium at least every 10 days.
Related requirements
The soil in the shrimp should be fine. Suitable sand or small pebbles without sharp edges, optimally - aquasoils, which acidify andsoften water.
When choosing plants, keep in mind that they must be undersized and unedged. When pruning algae, substances are released that can lead to the death of crystals. It is good to plant mosses and ferns, pistii and carpet algae, hornwort and liverwort in a shrimp plant. You can also place floating forms. Anubias and cryptocrine are categorically contraindicated for the life of shrimp.
These mobile crustaceans love hiding places, so you can decorate the aquarium with snags and large stones.
The crystals do not require special lighting, but they look beautiful when available.
Nutrition is the basis for the well-being of crystals
Shrimp are omnivorous and that is why they will not be hungry if there is vegetation in the aquarium. But the nature of nutrition is directly related not so much to vital activity as to the nature of the color, which is very important for Red Crystals. Poor quality and not varied food leads to the loss of bright white color.
There are many ready-made shrimp pellets that already include the minerals and iron so important for color contrast and shell formation (Crustamenu TETRA, NovoPrawn JBL, ShrimpsNatural sera, CrustaGran Dennerle). In addition, crustaceans do not disdain cyclops and daphnia, pieces of fruits and vegetables. They will eat apple and mulberry leaves, spinach and Indian almonds. Willow or alder snag makes excellent food for crystals.
The main thing in feeding is not to overdo it. Main foodshould be eaten by shrimp within an hour. It is also useful to arrange unloading two or three days - in this case, they will eat everything they find in the aquarium.
Breeding
Whether to wait for offspring from crystals? In general, this is not an idle question. And even if the crystals are fine, it is not a fact that they will multiply. There are several nuances here:
- Firstly, the temperature regime. At optimal temperatures in the aquarium, they will not breed and will not think. In nature, shrimp reproduction is associated with the rainy season, and therefore a signal for reproductive behavior for crustaceans will be a decrease in temperature by 1-2 degrees, which will provoke a molt. In this case, the males will attend to the search for a female, quickly fertilize the eggs and lose interest in her. But the female will take care of the eggs that are on the reproductive limbs of the abdomen, shake them up and aerate them. After 20-30 days, small copies of adult shrimp will appear from the eggs, which will immediately begin an independent life.
- Secondly, shrimp are capable of breeding at the age of six months. But if she has not grown to 2 centimeters, then she is not capable of reproduction.
- Thirdly, although shrimps do not eat their offspring, it is still advisable to plant females with eggs in an aquarium with muddy soil and many shelters to breed females with caviar. Small crustaceans are very vulnerable creatures and require very stable environmental conditions. They do not need any additional food.
And the neighborswho?
It's not always desirable to keep only Red Crystals. Their neighbors can be the same peaceful and non-aggressive inhabitants of aquariums: other breeds of shrimp or peaceful catfish and tetras, bots and barbs. But omnivorous guppies, gourami, cechlids are bad neighbors for these crustaceans.
Keeping together different subspecies of crystals (black, red, gold) is not recommended. Indeed, during mating, signs so valued by lovers can be lost.
