# Cherry Shrimp not breeding true



## cgjedi (Nov 11, 2013)

Several months ago I bought Cherry Red Shrimp. Don't know what "variety" since the local aquarium shop did not know. But they looked extremely good quality (and the price was extremely high as well). The females were entirely deep red and the male had lots of red coloring. However after most of the females have had a clutch and the shrimpies are half adult size, not a single one has bred true - none of them are entirely red like the mothers. Have I been scammed somehow?


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Are they more brown than red? The PFR's I got from a member here all bred true so I haven't experienced this. If they're going brown, they've got a dominant trait of wild in them.

Sounds like you over paid either way.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

The redness is dependent on diet, water quality (including GH/KH) and a lot of other factors. Natural cherries are not all that red to begin with so if they sold them as cherries and were super red then they had dietary enhancements likely. Unless you bought them as PFR, they didn't do any false advertising. But if you said they were pricey then yeah, you likely overpaid. There are plenty of Cherry Shrimp breeders on BCA.


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## cgjedi (Nov 11, 2013)

The ones I paid for didn't change color from when I bought them - only their offspring aren't like the parents. So water quality, diet, etc. isn't changing the parents. The local shop said he got them from a local breeder. There's a missing piece in what's going on somewhere...


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Juvies don't colour up until fully adult, in my experience. I have plenty of clear to brown juvies which turn out to be fully red when adult. Perhaps they are not old enough yet.


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## cgjedi (Nov 11, 2013)

that's very helpful info. How many months is it until fully adult?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I am uncertain as my tank is fully scaped so I rarely see youngsters except caught in the filters. Based on how often I am seeing youngsters I would say at least a couple of months.


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