Shrimp red fire - a crustacean species that is not found in nature. It is obtained as a result of selection. This unusual look is very reminiscent of red cherry shrimp. There are suggestions that it was from her that the red fire shrimp was bred. Therefore, there is much in common in the maintenance and breeding of these individuals. However, there are differences that should be known to those involved in the breeding of these amazing crustaceans.
The history of the origin of the species
Owners of aquariums with cherry shrimp noticed that some of the individuals have a red intense color. They began to be caught and crossed among themselves. As a result, shrimps appeared with a full body color, and their size was larger than that of cherry producers. Thus, shrimp appeared red fire. It is assumed that the selection was not without the participation of other species, but this fact has not been proved.
Behavior features
Aquarium shrimp red fire are distinguished from their counterparts by low mobility. These individuals can graze all day at the bottom of the aquarium or on algae. They are very similar to a leisurely herd of herbivores grazing on earth pasture.
Coloring
When breeding this type of shrimp, the main goal is to achieve uniformity and color intensity throughout the body of the crustacean, without a translucent layer. Therefore, in the description of shrimp red fire, the main characteristic is the color intensity, which can be either bright red or orange. In this case, individuals of orange color have a matte surface, and red - shiny.
Content Features
Since these individuals are very similar to shrimp red cherry, the content of shrimp red fire is similar to the conditions that are required for their counterparts. However, it should be noted that when this species is bred, a sufficiently large number of genes accumulate, which can lead to the appearance of defects and a predisposition to various diseases. Therefore, shrimp red fire is more whimsical in keeping and breeding.
Aquarium Conditions
Particular attention should be paid to the water in which these individuals are contained. It should always be transparent. The water in the shrimp aquarium must be changed periodically, while fresh water should be no more than 25-30 percent of the total.
Heavy metals (especially copper) and their salts, as well as nitrates and ammonia, are harmful to these shrimp. If individuals are kept in the same aquarium with fish that need treatment, they must be transferred to another tank before adding the medicine. Also, for them, the means by which the snails are destroyed are dangerous.
In aquarium water, water should be constantly filtered to maintain a low salt balance. In order to neutralize chlorine and chloramine, it is necessary to use a water conditioner or to defend water for at least 24 hours. Special commercially available products can be used to neutralize various toxic substances. The walls of the aquarium must be constantly cleaned of organic residues. With the joint content of shrimp and fish, the amount of waste products increases, so clean the aquarium and change the water in it more often.
It is recommended to avoid overfeeding, as as a result, excess food residues settle on the bottom and walls of the aquarium, quickly polluting it.
It is desirable that there are various plants in the aquarium that improve the quality of the water.
Shrimp red fire feel quite well in a large temperature range. It is important that the temperature change is slow. However, the most comfortable temperature for them is from 23 to 27 degrees, at which you can achieve the maximum life expectancy of shrimp - up to two years.
Breeding Features
Subject to the conditions of keeping these freshwater shrimp, they will not cause much trouble in breeding. They are considered quite prolific. You need to know some features of their breeding.
When females reach puberty, they develop eggs in their ovaries. If the color is not too thick, in the through light at the shrimp you can see the testis (egg mass) in the area of the tail to the head. Here are underdeveloped eggs. After the female forms a batch of mature eggs, she discards the carapace and secretes pheromones. In this way, she invites males to mate. Males begin to show activity in search of a female. After fertilization, the female lays eggs in the lower part of the tail, where they are for two weeks. If the temperature of the water in the aquarium is not high enough, this period may be longer. Small shrimp are visible in the eggs after a week. The young are very similar to their parents, only they are colorless. After they hatch, small shrimps are at the bottom, eating the same way as adults.
A feature of these freshwater shrimps during intensive growth is molting - dropping the outer skeleton. Empty skeletons should not be removed from the aquarium. Shrimps gradually eat them, replenishing calcium reserves. This is very useful for the growth of a new skeleton.
Gradually transparent babies become scarlet. After a few months, they can no longer be distinguished from adults. Females have a more saturated color, it is on this basis that they differ from males. However, at present, breeders continue to work on improving this variety of freshwater shrimp, trying to achieve color intensity in males.