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Sorry did i write the wrong title for this post? Isn’t it supposed to be Shrimp related, why is this talking about the Michelin Star?
This analogy was shared to me after a discussion with a breeder in Singapore such as what are mass market shrimp food made up of, what goes into that mix and such, how are shrimp bred and sold, i decided to pen down our thoughts on this.
This short post is for light reading.
A person walks into a Michelin star restaurant after trying to book in advance for a year, he was ushered into the restaurant with finest. The dinner started and he was very please he tasted excellent Wagyu (Japanese beef) and then decided to ask the Chef.
“What make this steak so tasty?”, the Chef just smile and commented about the special breed of cow that underwent a specific feeding/caring routine but more importantly they are also a selected line of livestock that have been deem the highest sought after grade.
The person then follow up with a few other question “where did this Wagyu come from, how did you manage to cook this, what are your secret?”
The Chef replied politely that this came from a prefecture in Japan and we use the finest of ingredients to serve you well. The chef continue entertaining the guest as dinner was cooked and serve in front of them. Everyone commented that it was one of the best dinner they ever had.
Why did i relate this story?
Globally we have many breeders just like we have many restaurant but each of these breeders have their own trade secrets that they will only share to a certain extend – just like the Chef. Even if the chef shares everything with you and you open up a restaurant doesn’t mean you will be awarded the Michelin star but you do probably get to learn over many years how to breed good shrimp.
It is however important that as a breeder the most critical part of the processes adds up starting with keeping the water parameters suitable. having good stock shrimp and then the selection process – do you have sufficient tanks to do so; are you keeping a log about it; are you following a strict culling process; every little bit counts.
Consistency.
Behind every successful breeder story appears one commonality and that is consistency. If you want to be successful in your breeding journey, and equipped with the knowledge of shrimp breeding you need to have consistency in your process and source. The journey to breeding good shrimps, such as culling (which i will touch on in another long post) is difficult for many hobbyist but that doesn’t mean the shrimp has to go, it all means it will be kept in another tank. The stricter you cull the better. If you apply consistency across your husbandry, breeding methods and source, you will be on the road to success.
While we chase for the stars, look among hobbyist who have high grade shrimp and then if willing – share the information with you. This shouldn’t be taken for granted, and in all my information sharing – there are already processes that will certainly help you to be a better breeder and when you earn your stars, remember to invite me for dinner some day.
https://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.png00benetayhttps://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.pngbenetay2020-10-30 10:40:392020-10-30 10:40:39Michelin Star
There are a lot of factors influencing the shrimp ability to breed from water parameter to food to shrimp genetics. However, today i would like to touch on a fairly common topic on Shrimp Food. The first question i get asked frequently is how often should i feed my shrimps? If you have a lot of shrimps like 20 or more, you might want to consider a daily staple feed fed twice daily and also a grazing material. Grazing material such as Lubao, Indian Almond leaves, Alder cone, cholla are some good examples.
The reason to feed them twice is so all your shrimps are fed and the female will ‘Think” that the tank have sufficient food to support their next generation. The whole idea is to feed lesser quantity but high frequency. So twice is good and if you can do 3 times it works as well.
If you feed in the morning and the shrimps are unable to finish it within 4 hours, then you’re not required to feed the second time in the evening Thats my general rule of thumb, Remove the food by then or if you have ramshorn snail, they will help with scavenging and foraging on the shrimp food. If the shrimps are not feeding, it could be there are still plenty of biofilm in the tank but do watch out if the shrimps are looking lethargic and not feeding.
A grazing material aids in building up biofilm for shrimps to consume between meals. Think of it like a snack and a good grazing material will be the food source between feeds.
There is a wide range of food in the market and i think we are spoiled for choice and which one is good for my shrimps? Personally i like using a good staple food and that is Hwa V1.
Staple Food
Basically shrimps are not that fussy eater, most of the staple food sold in aquarium shops today are basically ok to feed your shrimp. I personally prefer keeping things simple and to feed only 1 type of staple food but a variety of grazing material is very crucial.
I’m using Hwa Version 1 Shrimp food pad, this food is formulated with carefully selected ingredients to provide shrimp with all their requirements.
if you are using some shrimp food which you think they’re good for your shrimp, good! There is really no need to change.
Occasionally i feed Bacter AE and blanched spinach, they’re fairly good especially blanched spinach. if i’m feeling rich, i’ll order a pack of organic spinach and take out one serving for the shrimp while i consume the rest as a salad. For Bacter AE, i only dose them very minutely once a month to provide additional boost for creating biofilm.
Grazing material
Now here we get serious, grazing material in my opinion is equally important to daily feed. The amount of surface area for creating biofilm is important as it mimics the natural environment where Shrimps feed on biofilm.
Lubao, Indian Almond leaves and moss are three very popular and recommended grazing material. Alder cone and Cholla are not native to at least this part of the world, so i defer that information to those who have them. For Indian Almond leaves and Lubao we have very easy access to them hence we use them readily. I really like using Lubao because it is technically a microoganism food that produces food for cultivating microorganism for the shrimp to feed on and also biofilm. Indian almond leaves without going too deep into this topic has antibacteria properties, produces biofilm and are well liked by most shrimp. Grazing material is important because shrimp feed constantly and if there are not enough biofilm in the tank and daily feed is not consistent, the shrimps will not breed. They will start cannibalizing during molting. Hence, it is highly critical to have grazing material available.
A living grazing material that works very well is moss. Moss harbour a lot of microorganism which allow adults and shrimplets to graze on. Moss also provide cover for berried shrimp and shrimplets however it is also important not to over crowd the tank with moss because if it get too dense, some of the berried female may get stuck in there and die. Hence, always thin out the moss to a small bunch the size of your hand.
Summary
Taken together, it is vitally important for food to be readily present in the tank but this is also a fine balance between food availability and water parameters. As more food and grazing material is introduced into the tank, the water parameters changes so do choose a good staple food and grazing material into your shrimp breeding setup and it will go a long way. You will be rewarded with more berried shrimps and shrimplets in the months to come. In addition, as lubao is my favourite grazing material as it is easier to manage and control.
It is difficult to ignore the fact that this topic on Shrimp net is often very overlooked and often undermentioned. Reason i say this is because most of the time hobbyist will get any net and use it for ages! I am one of them until i met a craftsman who specialize in shrimp net and have been customizing more than thousands of Shrimp net for hobbyist.
i got very intrigue to learn more about why shrimp net differs so much compare to the normal aquarium net. I was lucky to be introduced to this net craftsman earlier on. He is based in Taiwan where it is the mecca of the shrimp hobby. Learning from him i have understood the importance of how the net should be design the way it is.
customizable length.
No 2 hobbyist have identical setup and it is important to have your net customized to your usage so that you can use the net without having to dip your hands into the tank
get a slightly longer than the height of your tank net. Reason being is the angle when you want to reach the far end of the tank
Net material
Low drag or easy to move the net around in water. The holes of the net has to be kept small but not too small because it will be difficult to maneuver the net in the water.
The small holes prevents shrimp legs/etc from entering into the holes of the net. For example if a rostrum get stuck inside the hole of the net, the barb like structure could be difficult to dislodge.
Net handle to be light – for ease of use
Care of the net
I learn it is important to keep the net dry after use, shaking it dry and hang it to drip dry. For those living in humid conditions like in Singapore at least…your net wouldn’t last very long before the net becomes soft
when net becomes soft, it is advisable to change. This will prevent your precious shrimp to fold accidentally during the netting of shrimp.
It is far easier and less stressful for a shrimp when the net material is still stiff allowing the shrimp to enter and exit easily.
Net too have their expiry date and that is when it becomes soft and limp i will have it change.
That is what i have learnt so far from the craftsman in Taiwan. The YouTube video can be found here: https://bit.ly/3lVWrZZ
Here it is, the net i have been using so far and it really serve it’s purpose. Once the net is replaced by a new net, i will remove the net material and keep the remaining of the net, bend it and make it into a soil leveler. It can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dSLSnLnuJ0
could be coincidence but even Hwa from Taiwan uses this net when i browse through his pictures.
and of cause… the man in action
One hand on the number clicker and the other hand netting the shrimps. with a stiff net, it will make the netting process much easier. These Taiwanese breeders net more than 5000 shrimps in a sale order, and simply put this has certainly change my perspective of a simple net. It has weave through all your precious shrimp from tank to tank. Hope you have learn something through this post!
picture taken from https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002610781257
https://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.png00benetayhttps://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.pngbenetay2020-10-18 01:01:492021-04-24 13:58:36Weaving through the nets.
Had a great support to go ahead with vlogging, not something i thought about doing but certainly a good way to improve myself in many areas. Like one of the comments shared with me “You Only Live Once”.
Not the best but getting the first step out is a great deal for me to continue doing it, i enjoy sharing information like in this wordpress and i would now take it to another platform where i integrate information here.
Feel free to share with me how i can improve my vlogging as i’m still very new to this.
3 Tips on getting the tank ready prior to shrimp introduction
https://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.png00benetayhttps://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.pngbenetay2020-10-04 09:33:362020-10-04 09:33:36Trying out vlogging
This feels like the kid that goes into a candy shop or a toy store, the butterflies in the stomach. Due to Covid it has been some time where i can purchase Taiwan shrimp directly and ship it legally into Singapore. With all the help from friends who made this possible thank you!
Now i can’t wait to get my hand on the box to see how the shrimp look like. Should i do a vlog on unboxing? It really is exciting. For those who had chime in to make the Mass Order possible, thanks!
Now this is a big controversy when it comes to PRL with Crown or flowerhead pattern, it is undoubtedly being discussed for many years and at length.
Is flowerhead considered PRL?
Yes and No.What kind of an answer is this?
Maybe if we trace back the direction at which the breeder started and also the notion of what constitute as PRL will help give appreciation to the subject at hand.
From a very technical and strict selective methodology a crown head or flowerhead is considered to be cull out from a very pure line of PRL. These “PRL flowerhead” are then place into another tank to survive on their own and when market demands for these pretty looking “PRL Flowerhead” the notion of PRL Flowerhead become popular.
So from the above statement, can we classify these as PRL or the more acceptable term CRS? In various countries, the naming convention becomes misinterpreted and here is an example:
“I purchase a pair of high grade PRL with Mosura pattern from Japan or Taiwan and in the first 3 generation of breeding it is all very pure grade without crown or flowerhead pattern indication. By the 4th Generation i happen to see 1 PRL with the potential to become a flowerhead and i took it out to its own tank. Subsequent generation yield with more flowerhead potential and eventually i have a batch of flowerhead potential. After several generations of selection i manage to get some nice flowerhead. These are generally classified as “PRL flowerhead” for the general breeder. For very strict breeders, the Flower head pattern will be considered Cull hence the pair of high grade PRL will still need to be refined by myself to ensure purity of the line.”
A very strict line of PRL will not throw out anything other than PRL and the flowerhead pattern will not see the light of the day. The breeder in order to maintain that strict line will have to cull it to ensure the line maintains its purity.
Now with a little background on where the branch stems out when a flowerhead is being developed, than how about CRS flowerhead?
Now it gets hairy because CRS flowerhead due to export demands mass breeding need to happen. In general the CRS flowerhead is mixed with a range of shrimp to increase the likelihood of getting a CRS flowerhead. This could possibly mean, golden bee, wine red, PRL where massive number of females are used to help with the supply glut.
When hobbyist purchase from various sources, mixing them together and than claiming it is PRL flowerhead would probably be why the controversial started. First they purchase from breeder A and than breeder B and C and mix all together and claim it’s from breeder A (if it commands a higher price using breeder A name). Now the genes are very diluted, and when the hobbyist purchase it from the seller and started his own mix, nobody really know what it is.
When will someone know if the “PRL” becomes a CRS? Sometime recessive gene only appears after 10-11 generation that is a good 5-6 years at least… so it is difficult to trace back and hence my recommendation is always choose a good breeder to start with hence you have someone to check back upon. Stick to a good reputable breeder.
Businesses are setup with the intention of making profits. As businesses continue to meet with difficult economic situation, a reputable breeder must continue to share upfront the truth of the line. If you have already selected your breeder to purchase from just enjoy keeping the shrimp! But it is up to us to uphold the virtue of the breeders line.
Hence, to uphold the strict breeder’s line, it is important for me at least not to mix different breeder shrimps as it is a hit and miss and also dilute the years of hardwork the breeder has done. i will also not purchase from a consolidator because of different quality of shrimp and lineage. Personally, it is crystal clear to me in terms of the naming convention and i hope this post will shed some light in this often challenged topic.
p.s. this post wasn’t intended to show the difference of Flowerhead, but that could be our next post. For now enjoy shrimping!
Pure red line (PRL) are really good shrimp to start on your shrimp breeding journey. One of the reason is because they are really hardy and can take quite a wide range of water parameters.
I have friends who kept them up to 800 tds almost liquid rock type of water but they are still alive. Of cause when he found out that he quickly change water and slowly bring it down.
Water parameters I like to keep PRL in.
TDS 85-90
pH 5.8
KH 0
GH 4
Temp 24
Breeding PRL is fairly straight forward once you provide them with the above water parameters, some hiding space, a higher female to male ratio, chances are you will get them to breed about 1-2 months after you first introduce them into your tank.
When the number of PRL increases, so does food requirement. Like in all my shrimp feed, I feed them Hwa version 1 pad. It is necessary to feed them daily to have healthy growth and prevent cannibalization. When the females are fed well with abundance of food source, they will start to saddle and berry.
One important part of the food cycle is preferably some grazing material like the lubao will be good for long term breeding projects. It allow female shrimp to have a consistent source of food available.
hope this post will benefit those who are venturing into PRL breeding. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
This is my own guidance for selecting , so the below will be the ones that i will not consider as my stock shrimp for that particular line.
for example if i am going to keep 2 or 3 distinct line of PRL these are my criteria:
The red head should cover all the way to the start of the body, my preference to provide a stronger Red : White Ratio. The main reason for PRL is that the red has to be of certain % if not the white will cover most part which is moving towards the flowerhead pattern.
There are only a few areas that can be red such as the head, legs, body markings, tail marking, feelers, etc. Swimmerets are a bonus to give that additional red to the overall shrimp.
I also like the flowerhead pattern and will talk about this in the next post.
Another shot of another PRL in the main breeding tank where the red ends at the start of the body.
That is my first criteria for that tank of PRL, if it doesn’t meet the criteria, it will be transferred to another tank.
2nd Criteria onward:
Head to body ratio, is it appropriate at 30:70?
No deform growth, head carapace to be flush with body
no skirting
Legs coloured: red is the best at least for me, followed by red and white then white and red. (personal preference)
The bottom pic shows that the maru spot is missing or is converging with the white, I will transfer this out to other tanks.
There are quite a lot to transfer around and usually for this particular line i’ll start to notice the very good ones start off with already good colouration around 0.8cm. I got this line from Hwa Taiwan and he has named it M Series PRL. Those in the know knows that Hwa PRL are world class and the M series PRL is in a class of it’s own.
Continuation of selection process will begin at F1 where the F1 females will be then cross back to the F0 male. This will result in BC1 (backcross 1) and then continue to do the selection process. After a couple of generation, i’ll then back cross again to maintain the genetics of the F0 male as long as possible. BC1 is the nearest in terms of genetic as F0.
Information about these elusive shrimp called the black fancy tiger does appear to be lacking and after speaking to various breeders in Taiwan and Germany, i have learnt quite a few new things.
Breeders normally breed something that would sell or fetch a high price in the market, hence the Red Fancy Tiger was the focus point when this Fancy tiger was first bred out. After a few years, the Red Fancy Tiger continue to be bred by many breeders to strengthen the gene pool. High quality red fancy still fetches a high price in Taiwan even today (2018 July)
Coming back to black fancy, what is interesting is that if black fancy tiger has pinto/nanashi gene in it. It will look darker and shrimplet coloration are more stable vs black fancy tiger without pinto/nanashi gene. However, if one is not concern about the outcome, yes i think it still have some beauty in it. on the other hand if one is more concern about the lineage then a pure bred black fancy tiger is difficult to come by and highly sought after.
Below are some female stock for breeding purposes, hopefully in a few generations, we will get what we want.
It wasn’t Long before I got the order to keep black fancy tiger.
Apparently being new to the shrimp hobby I wasn’t aware that black fancy tiger is relatively new in the shrimp keeping hobby. The high price tag on the black fancy tiger ranges from $200-$1.5k SGD. What contributes to the high price of the black fancy tiger? Let us take a look at how it was bred. Firstly, a Pure Black Line is cross with either a Red Tiger or Blue Tiger. It was mentioned by hobbyist and breeders that the Red Tiger Cross with PBL has a higher percentage of getting a black fancy tiger. Additionally, good genetic are selectively taken out from the group to be cross back with PBL or strengthening the gene crossing with another fancy tiger. The irony is the good looking/strong gene females of the black fancy fetches a high price but it is possible to get black fancy male at a relatively reasonable price of around $500. With a good male, you can even cross it with a red fancy female to obtain black fancy shrimplets. Red fancy on the other hand is relatively more in abundance compared to black fancy.
Water parameters:
pH 6
Total dissolved solids : 80-90
kH : 0
GH: 4
nitrite, Ammonia 0
Nitrate <10ppm
Temp 24-26 degrees celcius
Wasn’t easy to actually obtain the good shrimp as hobbyist are reluctant to let go of their prized possession. It is through built friendship that one will allow the other to purchase their shrimp.
Once they are happy with the water condition they will thrive and breed.
One of the easier to breed shrimp that has the deep wine red is really captivating. It is important that water quality is key for continuous breeding.
Water parameters:
pH:6.0
Kh:3
GH:2
TDS:110
Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate :0
Mosura wine red is one of the many wine red types but is highly sought after. Even within mosura wine red, there are different looks that people like. For example this mosura wine red male has no spots on the body.
Compared with this has red spots at the tail area.
Both have one similarity which I think adds to the overall look of the shrimp is the often overlooked legs. The legs are either white with red or white or red by itself. It accentuate the overall appearance of the shrimp by that finer touch of elegance.
When selecting shrimp it is important that you select something that you enjoy looking at. Reason being is that you are going to look at it for the longest time. Not your friends.
Many a time a simple shrimp like the mosura wine red is often overlooked as chasing the next new line bred species is the in thing.
Given good water conditions my mosura wine red breeds readily in the given parameters above. Should you require further information about mosura wine read, please do not hesitate to contact me.
https://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.png00benetayhttps://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.pngbenetay2018-06-26 09:02:532018-06-26 09:02:53Mosura Wine Red
PowerHouse. That is what I would like to share in this post. Being one of the most sought after filter media, there is currently no distributor in Singapore. The reason is that due to the high prices for the media, not many customers are willing to fork out $200 for a 5L of filter media.
While it is ok to settle for lesser quality filter media which does still work but why would you place your prize possession in less than ideal condition. Fundamentally I think it is important that water conditions becomes the most basic requirement for shrimp keeping. This applies to fishes as well.
https://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.png00benetayhttps://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.pngbenetay2018-06-26 09:00:422018-06-26 09:00:42Filter media
Sorry did i write the wrong title for this post? Isn’t it supposed to be Shrimp related, why is this talking about the Michelin Star?
This analogy was shared to me after a discussion with a breeder in Singapore such as what are mass market shrimp food made up of, what goes into that mix and such, how are shrimp bred and sold, i decided to pen down our thoughts on this.
This short post is for light reading.
A person walks into a Michelin star restaurant after trying to book in advance for a year, he was ushered into the restaurant with finest. The dinner started and he was very please he tasted excellent Wagyu (Japanese beef) and then decided to ask the Chef.
“What make this steak so tasty?”, the Chef just smile and commented about the special breed of cow that underwent a specific feeding/caring routine but more importantly they are also a selected line of livestock that have been deem the highest sought after grade.
The person then follow up with a few other question “where did this Wagyu come from, how did you manage to cook this, what are your secret?”
The Chef replied politely that this came from a prefecture in Japan and we use the finest of ingredients to serve you well. The chef continue entertaining the guest as dinner was cooked and serve in front of them. Everyone commented that it was one of the best dinner they ever had.
Why did i relate this story?
Globally we have many breeders just like we have many restaurant but each of these breeders have their own trade secrets that they will only share to a certain extend – just like the Chef. Even if the chef shares everything with you and you open up a restaurant doesn’t mean you will be awarded the Michelin star but you do probably get to learn over many years how to breed good shrimp.
It is however important that as a breeder the most critical part of the processes adds up starting with keeping the water parameters suitable. having good stock shrimp and then the selection process – do you have sufficient tanks to do so; are you keeping a log about it; are you following a strict culling process; every little bit counts.
Consistency.
Behind every successful breeder story appears one commonality and that is consistency. If you want to be successful in your breeding journey, and equipped with the knowledge of shrimp breeding you need to have consistency in your process and source. The journey to breeding good shrimps, such as culling (which i will touch on in another long post) is difficult for many hobbyist but that doesn’t mean the shrimp has to go, it all means it will be kept in another tank. The stricter you cull the better. If you apply consistency across your husbandry, breeding methods and source, you will be on the road to success.
While we chase for the stars, look among hobbyist who have high grade shrimp and then if willing – share the information with you. This shouldn’t be taken for granted, and in all my information sharing – there are already processes that will certainly help you to be a better breeder and when you earn your stars, remember to invite me for dinner some day.
https://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.png00benetayhttps://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.pngbenetay2020-10-30 10:40:392020-10-30 10:40:39Michelin Star
There are a lot of factors influencing the shrimp ability to breed from water parameter to food to shrimp genetics. However, today i would like to touch on a fairly common topic on Shrimp Food. The first question i get asked frequently is how often should i feed my shrimps? If you have a lot of shrimps like 20 or more, you might want to consider a daily staple feed fed twice daily and also a grazing material. Grazing material such as Lubao, Indian Almond leaves, Alder cone, cholla are some good examples.
The reason to feed them twice is so all your shrimps are fed and the female will ‘Think” that the tank have sufficient food to support their next generation. The whole idea is to feed lesser quantity but high frequency. So twice is good and if you can do 3 times it works as well.
If you feed in the morning and the shrimps are unable to finish it within 4 hours, then you’re not required to feed the second time in the evening Thats my general rule of thumb, Remove the food by then or if you have ramshorn snail, they will help with scavenging and foraging on the shrimp food. If the shrimps are not feeding, it could be there are still plenty of biofilm in the tank but do watch out if the shrimps are looking lethargic and not feeding.
A grazing material aids in building up biofilm for shrimps to consume between meals. Think of it like a snack and a good grazing material will be the food source between feeds.
There is a wide range of food in the market and i think we are spoiled for choice and which one is good for my shrimps? Personally i like using a good staple food and that is Hwa V1.
Staple Food
Basically shrimps are not that fussy eater, most of the staple food sold in aquarium shops today are basically ok to feed your shrimp. I personally prefer keeping things simple and to feed only 1 type of staple food but a variety of grazing material is very crucial.
I’m using Hwa Version 1 Shrimp food pad, this food is formulated with carefully selected ingredients to provide shrimp with all their requirements.
if you are using some shrimp food which you think they’re good for your shrimp, good! There is really no need to change.
Occasionally i feed Bacter AE and blanched spinach, they’re fairly good especially blanched spinach. if i’m feeling rich, i’ll order a pack of organic spinach and take out one serving for the shrimp while i consume the rest as a salad. For Bacter AE, i only dose them very minutely once a month to provide additional boost for creating biofilm.
Grazing material
Now here we get serious, grazing material in my opinion is equally important to daily feed. The amount of surface area for creating biofilm is important as it mimics the natural environment where Shrimps feed on biofilm.
Lubao, Indian Almond leaves and moss are three very popular and recommended grazing material. Alder cone and Cholla are not native to at least this part of the world, so i defer that information to those who have them. For Indian Almond leaves and Lubao we have very easy access to them hence we use them readily. I really like using Lubao because it is technically a microoganism food that produces food for cultivating microorganism for the shrimp to feed on and also biofilm. Indian almond leaves without going too deep into this topic has antibacteria properties, produces biofilm and are well liked by most shrimp. Grazing material is important because shrimp feed constantly and if there are not enough biofilm in the tank and daily feed is not consistent, the shrimps will not breed. They will start cannibalizing during molting. Hence, it is highly critical to have grazing material available.
A living grazing material that works very well is moss. Moss harbour a lot of microorganism which allow adults and shrimplets to graze on. Moss also provide cover for berried shrimp and shrimplets however it is also important not to over crowd the tank with moss because if it get too dense, some of the berried female may get stuck in there and die. Hence, always thin out the moss to a small bunch the size of your hand.
Summary
Taken together, it is vitally important for food to be readily present in the tank but this is also a fine balance between food availability and water parameters. As more food and grazing material is introduced into the tank, the water parameters changes so do choose a good staple food and grazing material into your shrimp breeding setup and it will go a long way. You will be rewarded with more berried shrimps and shrimplets in the months to come. In addition, as lubao is my favourite grazing material as it is easier to manage and control.
It is difficult to ignore the fact that this topic on Shrimp net is often very overlooked and often undermentioned. Reason i say this is because most of the time hobbyist will get any net and use it for ages! I am one of them until i met a craftsman who specialize in shrimp net and have been customizing more than thousands of Shrimp net for hobbyist.
i got very intrigue to learn more about why shrimp net differs so much compare to the normal aquarium net. I was lucky to be introduced to this net craftsman earlier on. He is based in Taiwan where it is the mecca of the shrimp hobby. Learning from him i have understood the importance of how the net should be design the way it is.
customizable length.
No 2 hobbyist have identical setup and it is important to have your net customized to your usage so that you can use the net without having to dip your hands into the tank
get a slightly longer than the height of your tank net. Reason being is the angle when you want to reach the far end of the tank
Net material
Low drag or easy to move the net around in water. The holes of the net has to be kept small but not too small because it will be difficult to maneuver the net in the water.
The small holes prevents shrimp legs/etc from entering into the holes of the net. For example if a rostrum get stuck inside the hole of the net, the barb like structure could be difficult to dislodge.
Net handle to be light – for ease of use
Care of the net
I learn it is important to keep the net dry after use, shaking it dry and hang it to drip dry. For those living in humid conditions like in Singapore at least…your net wouldn’t last very long before the net becomes soft
when net becomes soft, it is advisable to change. This will prevent your precious shrimp to fold accidentally during the netting of shrimp.
It is far easier and less stressful for a shrimp when the net material is still stiff allowing the shrimp to enter and exit easily.
Net too have their expiry date and that is when it becomes soft and limp i will have it change.
That is what i have learnt so far from the craftsman in Taiwan. The YouTube video can be found here: https://bit.ly/3lVWrZZ
Here it is, the net i have been using so far and it really serve it’s purpose. Once the net is replaced by a new net, i will remove the net material and keep the remaining of the net, bend it and make it into a soil leveler. It can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dSLSnLnuJ0
Guess what…
could be coincidence but even Hwa from Taiwan uses this net when i browse through his pictures.
and of cause… the man in action
One hand on the number clicker and the other hand netting the shrimps. with a stiff net, it will make the netting process much easier. These Taiwanese breeders net more than 5000 shrimps in a sale order, and simply put this has certainly change my perspective of a simple net. It has weave through all your precious shrimp from tank to tank. Hope you have learn something through this post!
picture taken from https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002610781257
https://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.png00benetayhttps://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.pngbenetay2020-10-18 01:01:492021-04-24 13:58:36Weaving through the nets.
Had a great support to go ahead with vlogging, not something i thought about doing but certainly a good way to improve myself in many areas. Like one of the comments shared with me “You Only Live Once”.
Not the best but getting the first step out is a great deal for me to continue doing it, i enjoy sharing information like in this wordpress and i would now take it to another platform where i integrate information here.
Feel free to share with me how i can improve my vlogging as i’m still very new to this.
Here it is!
3 Tips on getting the tank ready prior to shrimp introduction
https://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.png00benetayhttps://shrimpsanctuary.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/shrimp2-1-300x300.pngbenetay2020-10-04 09:33:362020-10-04 09:33:36Trying out vlogging
This feels like the kid that goes into a candy shop or a toy store, the butterflies in the stomach. Due to Covid it has been some time where i can purchase Taiwan shrimp directly and ship it legally into Singapore. With all the help from friends who made this possible thank you!
Now i can’t wait to get my hand on the box to see how the shrimp look like. Should i do a vlog on unboxing? It really is exciting. For those who had chime in to make the Mass Order possible, thanks!
Now this is a big controversy when it comes to PRL with Crown or flowerhead pattern, it is undoubtedly being discussed for many years and at length.
Is flowerhead considered PRL?
Yes and No.What kind of an answer is this?
Maybe if we trace back the direction at which the breeder started and also the notion of what constitute as PRL will help give appreciation to the subject at hand.
From a very technical and strict selective methodology a crown head or flowerhead is considered to be cull out from a very pure line of PRL. These “PRL flowerhead” are then place into another tank to survive on their own and when market demands for these pretty looking “PRL Flowerhead” the notion of PRL Flowerhead become popular.
So from the above statement, can we classify these as PRL or the more acceptable term CRS? In various countries, the naming convention becomes misinterpreted and here is an example:
“I purchase a pair of high grade PRL with Mosura pattern from Japan or Taiwan and in the first 3 generation of breeding it is all very pure grade without crown or flowerhead pattern indication. By the 4th Generation i happen to see 1 PRL with the potential to become a flowerhead and i took it out to its own tank. Subsequent generation yield with more flowerhead potential and eventually i have a batch of flowerhead potential. After several generations of selection i manage to get some nice flowerhead. These are generally classified as “PRL flowerhead” for the general breeder. For very strict breeders, the Flower head pattern will be considered Cull hence the pair of high grade PRL will still need to be refined by myself to ensure purity of the line.”
A very strict line of PRL will not throw out anything other than PRL and the flowerhead pattern will not see the light of the day. The breeder in order to maintain that strict line will have to cull it to ensure the line maintains its purity.
Now with a little background on where the branch stems out when a flowerhead is being developed, than how about CRS flowerhead?
Now it gets hairy because CRS flowerhead due to export demands mass breeding need to happen. In general the CRS flowerhead is mixed with a range of shrimp to increase the likelihood of getting a CRS flowerhead. This could possibly mean, golden bee, wine red, PRL where massive number of females are used to help with the supply glut.
When hobbyist purchase from various sources, mixing them together and than claiming it is PRL flowerhead would probably be why the controversial started. First they purchase from breeder A and than breeder B and C and mix all together and claim it’s from breeder A (if it commands a higher price using breeder A name). Now the genes are very diluted, and when the hobbyist purchase it from the seller and started his own mix, nobody really know what it is.
When will someone know if the “PRL” becomes a CRS? Sometime recessive gene only appears after 10-11 generation that is a good 5-6 years at least… so it is difficult to trace back and hence my recommendation is always choose a good breeder to start with hence you have someone to check back upon. Stick to a good reputable breeder.
Businesses are setup with the intention of making profits. As businesses continue to meet with difficult economic situation, a reputable breeder must continue to share upfront the truth of the line. If you have already selected your breeder to purchase from just enjoy keeping the shrimp! But it is up to us to uphold the virtue of the breeders line.
Hence, to uphold the strict breeder’s line, it is important for me at least not to mix different breeder shrimps as it is a hit and miss and also dilute the years of hardwork the breeder has done. i will also not purchase from a consolidator because of different quality of shrimp and lineage. Personally, it is crystal clear to me in terms of the naming convention and i hope this post will shed some light in this often challenged topic.
p.s. this post wasn’t intended to show the difference of Flowerhead, but that could be our next post. For now enjoy shrimping!
Pure red line (PRL) are really good shrimp to start on your shrimp breeding journey. One of the reason is because they are really hardy and can take quite a wide range of water parameters.
I have friends who kept them up to 800 tds almost liquid rock type of water but they are still alive. Of cause when he found out that he quickly change water and slowly bring it down.
Water parameters I like to keep PRL in.
TDS 85-90
pH 5.8
KH 0
GH 4
Temp 24
Breeding PRL is fairly straight forward once you provide them with the above water parameters, some hiding space, a higher female to male ratio, chances are you will get them to breed about 1-2 months after you first introduce them into your tank.
When the number of PRL increases, so does food requirement. Like in all my shrimp feed, I feed them Hwa version 1 pad. It is necessary to feed them daily to have healthy growth and prevent cannibalization. When the females are fed well with abundance of food source, they will start to saddle and berry.
One important part of the food cycle is preferably some grazing material like the lubao will be good for long term breeding projects. It allow female shrimp to have a consistent source of food available.
hope this post will benefit those who are venturing into PRL breeding. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
This is my own guidance for selecting , so the below will be the ones that i will not consider as my stock shrimp for that particular line.
for example if i am going to keep 2 or 3 distinct line of PRL these are my criteria:
The red head should cover all the way to the start of the body, my preference to provide a stronger Red : White Ratio. The main reason for PRL is that the red has to be of certain % if not the white will cover most part which is moving towards the flowerhead pattern.
There are only a few areas that can be red such as the head, legs, body markings, tail marking, feelers, etc. Swimmerets are a bonus to give that additional red to the overall shrimp.
I also like the flowerhead pattern and will talk about this in the next post.
Another shot of another PRL in the main breeding tank where the red ends at the start of the body.
That is my first criteria for that tank of PRL, if it doesn’t meet the criteria, it will be transferred to another tank.
2nd Criteria onward:
Head to body ratio, is it appropriate at 30:70?
No deform growth, head carapace to be flush with body
no skirting
Legs coloured: red is the best at least for me, followed by red and white then white and red. (personal preference)
The bottom pic shows that the maru spot is missing or is converging with the white, I will transfer this out to other tanks.
There are quite a lot to transfer around and usually for this particular line i’ll start to notice the very good ones start off with already good colouration around 0.8cm. I got this line from Hwa Taiwan and he has named it M Series PRL. Those in the know knows that Hwa PRL are world class and the M series PRL is in a class of it’s own.
Continuation of selection process will begin at F1 where the F1 females will be then cross back to the F0 male. This will result in BC1 (backcross 1) and then continue to do the selection process. After a couple of generation, i’ll then back cross again to maintain the genetics of the F0 male as long as possible. BC1 is the nearest in terms of genetic as F0.