The white crayfish

I didn't like crayfish as much although I had CPO and marble crayfish... until I got these new guys ;-)

Procambarus clarkii - ghost

For those who love crayfish, and those who REALLY love crayfish.

Halocaridina rubra - Opae Ula, Hawaiian red shrimp

Opae Ula (Halocaridina rubra) has many names, but I still like to call it Opae Ula (sounds special ;-)

They are a bit smaller than the more common shrimps, fully grown size is around 1.2cm - 1.5cm. They have a lavae stage but doesn't require special treatment to raise the young. And if you treat them nicely, they can live up to 20 years. A special shrimp, eh?

ShrimpWiki.com

I'm glad to tell you my friend that I've accepted the offer to be the shrimp room consultant for ShrimpWiki.com (http://shrimpwiki.com). This new store is established by a group of shrimp keepers just like you and me. Give them a visit. They are having a free draw for a free BKK, check the site for details.

Blue Blot Eats

How food is moved around the mouth when a shrimp is eating.

ShrimpWiki.com

Two links you shouldn't miss .............


ShrimpWIki.com Store Link

ShrimpWiki.com Facebook Page

Expecting ...

My pinto project, this could be the final leg. If this works, I will post my formula here.

The CRS from Ricky

Ricky is a very good friend of mine, he blown my view on CRS keeping/breeding the first time I went to see his shrimps.

I got 15 of his shrimps in a section of a divided 20G tank in November last year. In the first three months I didn't use a heater so the temperature was at around 17C (low 60F) and breeding was none existence. Then I turned on the heater to 22 degree (70F), and the breeding started.

I was moving this tank to the shrimp room last weekend and my wife helped me relocating all 380 of them. She got a sore back afterward but she really enjoyed see all the little lives in the tank.

Mid Grade CRS

Really happy to see the quality of these CRS I recently obtained. For the price I paid for them, I think it's a steal.

Wine Red are hard to feed?

I've thought so myself too, and they are harder to be food trained than other shrimps in my experience. However, with the right condition and good choice of food, it is not impossible.

These shrimps were moved to this tank two weeks ago, they didn't pay any attention to introduced food in the first week, but slowly they get to know what it is and how good it tastes.... then this happen.

The food in the video is the MK-Breed Red Diamond, see this blog for more details.

The solution for feeding Barley Straw Pelletes

So, what are these two shrimps?

My new CRS .....

So BEAUTIFUL !!!

Moss, says who?

I'll be setting up a few new tanks with just the "poorman's moss" ;-)

Only problem is, from my experience, shrimps will devour a patch of this size within 3 days, but I'll see how it goes.

Testing MK-Breed White Crystal Shrimp Food

This food contains higher plant protein to promote shrimp growth and ovary maturity. Speeding up shrimp growth and reproduction are the focus of using this food.

http://youtu.be/3rRkwKpfgps

Should I take this for my Project Golden?

Project Golden 白金計畫

當你想買一隻蝦卻買不到  就把它當成一種挑戰
It's a good news when you can't find a particular shrimp you want to buy, it forces you to make it happen yourself.

我之前一直想找些漂亮點的白金蝦來養  可是一直找不到  所以我就決定自己來做了  目標是白腳加上稍微厚點的殼  不知道白金的極限在哪
I was looking for high grade golden/snow white but couldn't find any source. The one I wanted is acceptable whiteness on the body and full white legs. So I decided to try it myself. Since I have a tank set up for another project (SSS Flowerhead + white leg CRS), I use the same tank to do this project golden as a side project. (since both involved golden)

現在做到子二代  還有很長的一段路走  但是這代表現已經開始有點樣子了
Now F2 is out. Let me share some pictures on this unfinished project. The parent goldens were all from my other CBS. So this is actually the 3rd possibly more generation in my tanks. I know I'm not there yet, but I'm moving that direction.


有些腳的白已經出現  但是身上還是看不下去
Some of the F2 have more coverage on the legs, like this one. But body whiteness is not acceptable.

有些身上有些進展  可是腳還是不行
Some of the F2 have better body colour, but leg coverage isn't there yet. Like this one.

這些就是副產品了
And these are the by-products.

再給我一年  看看能玩到甚麼地步
Hope you enjoy this post. I do have some that have both features, so I'm guess I should get something close to my goal before another year is gone.

MK-Breed Product Line

Disclaimers: 

1. I'm not a business, I bought extras since I am using these products on a daily basis and I'm impressed. That's why I decided to help promote these great products made by MK who is a close personal friend of mine.
2. If you are interested in any of these products, send me an email or leave a message on this board and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
3. I don't mind shipping these as long as you're willing to pay the actual shipping cost. US and Canada only. If you're in Europe, you can visit this page to purchase, if you are in Asia, send me a message I can get you hooked up.
4. The product descriptions are from the manufacturer, shoot me a message if you need further information. If I don't have the answer, I'll ask MK himself.

MK-Breed Red Diamond

Price: $22

Randy's Comment: The only commercial food I feed my CRS now.

Product Description:

Regarding to the standard of nutritional components in Japan, the natural materials have included rich nutrients and necessary nutrients needed for the shrimps. These nutrients are effective to help the shrimps for changing the color, promoting the body growth, and ovarian development.
 For these natural materials, they have contains more than 10 types of vitamins, amino acids and etc. Vitamins and amino acids have rich and high capacity of astaxanthin, natural alga, organic spinach, soybeans fine protein, and other minerals. Also, add chitin and calcium into the natural materials. With these materials to feed the shrimps, they will help to increase the thickness and will help the color of the shell to be creamy color.
 Have the high quality of probiotics and natural brewer's yeast; they will support the digestive system to grow useful probiotics. Also, they will increase the immune system to be stronger and survival rate. The specific ingredients of this product are suitable for adult shrimp or baby shrimp and can be effectively absorb by the shrimps. As well, without artificial attractants adding into this product, it has excellent palatability and not pollutes the water.

  

MK-Breed Black Diamond

Price: $22

Randy's Comment: The only commercial food I feed my BKK, Shadow Panda, Blue Bolt, and Dream Blue now.

Product Description:

Fortified with special ingredients for color enhancing and special growth needs of Black King Kong (and its variants with black and/or blue), MK Black Diamond is rich in natural and benefiting nutrients required by shrimps. MK Black Diamond also contains specific minerals, trace elements, and vitamins to further enhance the color development of these shrimps.

With these specially chosen ingredients, MK Black Diamond will improve the overall color and thickness of the carapace and shell. The result is the creamy shade of shell color.

With high grade probiotics and natural brewer’s yeast, MK Black Diamond will support and maintain the ability of probiotic generation of shrimps’ digestive system. MK Black Diamond also contains natural ingredients to enhance the immunity system and boost survival rate in critical stages in a shrimp’s life. This specially designed shrimp food is easily absorbed by adult and baby shrimps. There is no artificial attractants added into this product. The high palatability, balanced nutrients, all natural contents, and non-polluting nature make this the best shrimp food in the market today.

MK-Breed  White Crystal

Price: $18

Randy's Comment: Best supplemental food for juvi-size shrimps (5mm-15mm) for fast growth. Use with Red or Black Diamond for colour enhancement. ( Black/Red Diamond twice a week, White Crystal once a week, natural food for the rest of the week. )

Product Description:

The special feed is especially created for crystal shrimps with natural materials.

It has contained with variety of nutrients, such as natural Japanese Spirulina, natural seaweed with high unit of natural protein, high unit of vitamin probiotics, minerals, natural brewer's yeast.

It particularly adds the special probiotic group for crystal shrimps. It will support the strength of the digestive system to be stronger, and help for absorb. The shrimps can grow up rapidly.

This product has decomposed into very tiny elements. It is very suitable for the adult shrimps and young shrimps to have effective absorption and do not add any artificial flavors.
The product itself will not pollute the water and can provide excellent palatability.

MK-Breed Golden Powder (Microbial Enzyme)

Price: $22

Randy's Comment: I use this product on most of my tank, 1/3 spoon per 10G once a week.
Product Features

1.      This is Microorganism Fermentation item, and it has enzyme effect. This item will help Red Bee Shrimp to digest and absorb the nutrient.

2.      Contain with high unit of vitamins, minerals, amino acid, and chitin to maintain the entire digestive system.

3.      Increase the larva and adult shrimp to cast the shell.

4.      Improve the immunity and cell activation to prevent any disease and raise the resistance.

5.      Increase probiotics, alga stabilization, steady the water quality, decompose the organic materials in water tank, and decrease the ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, nitrous acid and additional harmful gas. Reduce the mud and extend the using time of black soil. 

6.      Effectively help the larva to grow up rapidly. Provide sustenance to the larva needed.

Instruction Manual

Quickly to improve the water quality

(one time in a week with 1 standard spoon ) 

Daily use (one time in two weeks with 1standard spoon)

Composition:

lactic acid bacteria, yeast, Bacillus subtilis, grass bacillus, chitin, vitamins, minerals, and amino acid

NOTES:

Do not over feeding and avoid unnecessary waste

After using, please close the zip properly and to avoid the moisture.

MK-Breed Z Silver Powder

Price: $22

Randy's Comment: I set up a few new tanks with this, I have a blog talking about the difference. I'm convinced. Will do a long term report on this product.

Product Description:

1.    Clean the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and other harmful materials in the water.

Decompose baits, and excrement from creatures. Suitable to use for new water tank.

2.    By using this product, in 36 hours will start to build up the Biological filtration and narrow the time to have Nitrification. To improve the water to be in a stable condition.

3.    Promote the growth of beneficial plankton. Stability and cultivate algae entry of microorganisms in water to maintain steady growth of beneficial bacteria

4.    Decrease B.O.D immediately and increase dissolved oxygen

5.    To prevent the algae overgrowing and supply superior bacterium

6.    To avoid oxidation at the base, and decrease the mud to pile up.

7.    Both potable water and sea water are suitable to use

Instruction Manual:

1.    Blend the power into the water and pull into the water tank. Or put the power into the water tank

2.    Can use with 300 liters water

3.    Ensure the bacterial strain to grow effectively, please increase the dissolve oxygen above 2ppm.


 

Happy Shrimp

See this blog for purchase or other comments about MK-Breed's product line.

MK sent me a batch of his products for me to try, also to introduce these great products to the local shrimping community. I've been using his products and impressed with them.

If you are in Europe, his products are available in one of the largest online stores in Germany. Here is the link to the Germany store page of this products where you can also find English and German version of the product description.

If you're on FB, go check his Facebook page and see his shrimp pictures and product bio.

Or, here is his web page in beta version (probably will be unavailable once the official version is ready), check out his gallery and the quality of his shrimps, and his products are all developed with intensive experiments, see the results there.

If you manage to find this blog and happens to be in Toronto, send me an email and I can give you some sample bags for you to try. I'm sure you'll like them.
If you want to try this product, I have some Red Diamond sample back left. Leave a message on this blog and send me an email (randy_lei at yahoo dot ca) with your mailing address, I'll send you the sample for free while quantity last. I've already given out some to local hobbyists and they are going fast.
Reason for asking the reply here is so when I run out, I mail out in the order of the posts made here.　Just to be fair.

Dream Blue Update

The F1s are getting berried now !!

Sorry for the bad pics, they are in a breeding box that is growing some algae.

Update;
2013/07/30: There are a lot of F2 now in the breeding box !!

Some berried Taiwan Bees

Mischling and her babies

Early stage egg colour change on a berried golden mischling.

And some of her babies,

My blue bolts

Is she berried? I find it really hard to tell due to their thick blue shell (a good thing I guess ;-)

Randy's Line

Need to give this line a name. It's not pure red line but I really like the quality. I have two non-PRL lines going for this, this is the higher grade ones. I'll name it Randy's Line - Mosura X





 


And this is the second line, I'll name it Randy's Line - Mosura A
   


The main difference is that the  first one I don't introduce golden, they will be line bred to get even better colouration.


The Mosura A line is from lower grade and crossed with golden. The quality is still not bad, you should see them in person to compare.


Also, I have two other pure line going on CRS as well, and you can see why I need to build a 20 tank shrimp room on top of the 15 I already have ;-) (I will transfer some existing tanks to the new shrimp room but not all).

MK-Breed Z for tank setup

 

MK is a close friend of mine, he has inspired me a lot on my shrimp keeping hobby. He gave me some pre-production sample for his line of products to try out. This one in particular is for tank set up. I'm using it on a few of the new tanks I'm setting up to gain some experience.

I've been using his line of shrimp food for a few months now, I'll write more about it but I have to say I'm very impressed so far.



The following in the main show tank in the shrimp room (location-wise, not so much to show yet, as I won't do much 

    

1. Spread some on the bottom
2. add some substrate (ADA Amazonia)
3. spread some more,
4.  add some more substrate
5 . Done


 Tank is cycling, I'll update this blog with more update, and compare the tanks with this products and without.

 

So it has been a while, what am I up to?

So it's been a while since I updated this blog. My shrimps are doing well, just always been busy (pronounced: lazy).

A small update is I've been working on the new shrimp room in my house. Thanks to my wife who has been so supportive to this hobby of mine. She propose to clean up a 8'x12' room in the basement so I can have most of the tanks in one spot.

I'm using 2x4 racks in this room mainly, and here are the rack build in progress.



 


And the room with 2 x 15amp dedicated breakers plus the existing wiring. I have almost 3 x 15 amp to place with (that's like 4500w ;-).

 


It doesn't take long to have the racks built,