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PURE RED LINE shrimp  also know as PRL is stunning in color and pattern. They are the red mutation of the wild bee shrimp. Most hobbyists refer to crystal red shrimp as PRL. The PRL is an entry level freshwater shrimp for the Caridina genus. When a hobbyist is making the transition from Neocaridina to Caridina, the crystal red shrimp is a great option to start with. While crystal red require a lower PH, they can still live in condition that are slightly alkaline (PH above 7). 

The grading scale for PRL is somewhat difficult to comprehend at first. Here are the grades in order of highest to lowest: SSS, SS, S, A, B and C. The higher the grade (SSS), the less red coloration the shrimp will have. So, a C grade shrimp will be almost all red while an SSS grade shrimp will be almost completely white. The other way to grade the shrimp is by color and how solid the color is versus being transparent in color. Shrimp with poor color are usually culled (separated) from the colony. 

 

Like many other Caridina Freshware shrimps, Pure Red Line are sensitive and shares the same similar behavior when it come to caring, feeding and breeding:


Caring
Pure Red Line are sensitive animals that need the perfect aquarium to stay healthy. They don’t respond well to sudden changes in their environment.Their sensitivity likely comes from the intensive inbreeding process that occurs in shrimp farms.You need to keep the tank as clean , your subtrate clean and perform regular water changes and wipe away any excess algae.
A water testing kit is an important tool to have. Using this each week will help you to spot problems quickly before they can have adverse effects on your shrimps.


Feeding
Pure Red Line will accept a wide variety of foods, and in planted tanks may be able to survive off of scavenged biofilm and algae. A colony of these shrimp works as a very effective cleaning crew for your aquarium, cleaning up algae and waste.  They are very popular for planted tanks and community tanks, and many people use them in large aquariums for waste management and algae control. Only if there are too many shrimps in your tank for the available algae and biofilm, or not enough plants to produce it, you can supplement their diet with algae tablets, blanched vegetables, or any other shrimp food.
Also, keep in mind, it is very important not to overfeed your shrimp, as this can be harmful to their health and even result in death. Increased waste from overfeeding your shrimp can impact your nitrogen cycle and increase tank maintenance, as well as harm your tank’s inhabitants.
Feeding shrimp once per day is usually enough, especially if biofilm and algae are available. If shrimp are not responding to food, or leave food uneaten for more than a day, remove the food and decrease feeding. Especially in mature planted tanks, your shrimp may not need supplemental feeding very often.

Breeding
Pure Red Line are eager breeders given comfortable water parameters and a sufficient food source. Once the shrimp reach maturity, and if there are males and females present, they should breed naturally and frequently. It is recommended to purchase 8-10 shrimps to ensure that there are enough male-female pairs for successful breeding. Generally speaking, once the shrimps are fully- grown, male shrimps are generally smaller, lighter in color than females, and exhibit lower color grades. Female shrimp have slightly larger tails and display a “saddle” formation on the upper body, behind the head, where eggs are stored before fertilization. When female shrimp are “berried”, or have eggs ready for fertilization, the saddle shape will appear more prominent. Once ready for mating, female shrimps will molt and release pheromones that the male shrimp respond to with frenzy. After the eggs are fertilized, they will be moving down to the female’s belly where the berried female will fan the eggs for about 4 weeks of gestational period.  After about 4 weeks, eggs will hatch into little shrimplets. The shrimp fry will feed from the same food sources as their parents, and will molt frequently during their early life stages. Leave molted shells in the tank, as the shrimp fry will consume them for extra minerals like calcium that will help their growth. Keep in mind that if you are keeping shrimp with other species of fish, or possibly aggressive shrimp species, this may affect reproduction. If the shrimp feel threatened or don’t have places in your tank to hide they may not breed.

 

 

10 Pure Red Line Shrimp aka PRL

$40.99Price

TANK PARAMETERS

  • Temperature: 65° - 72°F
  • PH: 6.2-6.8
  • GH: 4-6
  • KH: 0
  • TDS: 100-125
  • Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate: 0


TANK EQUIPMENT

  • Tank Size: 10 gallons
  • Filter: Sponge Bio Filter
  • Substrate: ADA Amazonia, active subtrate, planted subtrate
  • Water: RO/DI Water remineralized with Salty Shrimp Kh
  • Décor: Malaysian Driftwood, Java Moss and Indian Almond Leaves


CHARACTERIST

  • Common Name: Red Bee, Taiwanese bee
  • Scientific Name: Caridina cantonensis
  • Intermidiate- Difficult
  • Habitat: Freshwater, Fully Aquatic
  • Life span: 1.5 to 2.5 years
  • Average purchase size: 1/2 - 3/4 inch (1.3 - 1.9 cm)
  • Average Adult size: 1-1.5 inch (2.5 - 3.8cm)
  • Diet: Scavenger both Herbivore and Omnivore.
  • Social behavior: Peaceful

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THIS SHRIMPS

  • Striking unique red  and white striped coloration
  • Completely peaceful with all non-aggressive tankmates
  • Safe with all plants
  • Excellent scavenger


 

 

 

 

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