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Royal Blue Tiger How-To


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Just did a quick write up on how I keep my rbt for a fellow member thought I would share. It's kind of basic so any questions please feel free to ask, I'm not about secrets. I have the high grade bb, shadow mosuras, and these guys are still hands down my favorite, so I want to share. Little background, have been keeping them for a little under 2 years, with a move across the country last year where I sold a bunch off and it took a while to recover. But since spring they have been at it and I have probably 600 now with at least 25 of those being berried females now.

Here's what I did the past 2 times i set up a tank for them. I use a 12 long with sponge filter and canister(2213 first time and rena xp1 this time). I used 10lbs of seiryu with maybe a half bag of amazonia? I believe in using a ton of plants. Been using hc for the past 2 years, the amount of babies that hide down in it is just insane, can't even trim anymore with out 10 babies swimming out every cut. Here's a old pic of the tank, glosso didn't work, now use dhg belem, and the needle leaf java got huge.
Just checked params the other day, ph7.4 kh3-4 gh6 tds220 temp 68-70.
I try to do a 20% water change every week, but I have a 18 month old so that doesn't happen as often any more lol. For wc I make my rodi and immediately throw the powerhead in and remin with salty gh+ to tds100-110 gh like 4-5, dont ever check just use tds. Then I just use mosura tds up to raise tds to what ever i need, if tds is high in tank I will use less tds up. Then i just drip in new water over like a hours time. Been doing it this way for 2 years and it just works for them.
For food I use 99% veggies. I kale and spinach like once a year, blanch and feed. Feed this when ever I remember, maybe 2-3 times a week. I feed frozen bloods worms every couple weeks, remember more when breeding is slow. I dont feed very much commercial food, maybe a couple times a month, have a ton of samples so usually grab whatever bag I find. They do seem to like shirakura special and golden eye food most.
Supplements I use mosura bt-9 a couple times a week. Been using it for years, shrimp go nuts for it, pretty sure it is just like bacter ae. I also use mosura old sea mud once a week with wc.
All I can think of for now. Most pics are pretty old but i'll try to get some new ones this weekend. Look forward to answering any questions.

 

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I always thought Royal Blue Tigers were a lighter shade of blue, at least from the ones I saw when they first started appearing in the hobby a couple years ago.  

 

Maybe it is just the way they are (back)lit in photos and videos but it just seem that the European ones are a lighter shade of blue.  My black tigers (with Royal Blue gene) look quiet similar to most of the ones I seen labelled as Royal Blue Tigers these days:

 

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Before I saw this post i was going to start a new thread asking what makes a Royal Blue Tiger vs. a Black Tiger.  I think over the years my Black Tiger have developed more towards Royal Blue tigers than black tigers as they are all more dark blue than black these days.

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Great post! You have about the same habits that I do, I really dont do anything special. Half the time I guesstimate how much SS to use and just wing it. I do drip the water in also because they just seem to do alot better than to pour it in. I do around 20% also but just a guess lol, I have more fun enjoying them then I do worrying about the parameters, they all breed well for me and im happy with them so I just let them be. Good WC will cure most things and I just use natural foods and snowflake every once in awhile. I have been using blanched foods alot more lately, they seem to like it alot more.

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Jumpsmasher I believe lighting is a huge part pf those pics. My led was only at 25% for these pics, but if I turn up to 100 the blue is very visible. I also have found the blue gets darker as they age and when a fem os berried. I'll try to get a pic with a lot of light and you can judge for yoirself.

 

Taylor I keep things as simple as possible. Do not believe in checking anything besides tds. I just watch the shrimp, look for splits, breeding, activity, baby survival etc. I can spot a issue by eye much faster than with a test kit. I see so many new products and people just dumping stuff in their tank with no real knowledge. I have found products that work great for me and stick with it.

 

Thanks Han and Bryce, been meaning to do this for some time but just been to lazy. I think sharing info is the only way for this hobby to grow and this forum is great for that.

 

Elo500 i guess I use the tds up so i can change more water with out dropping tds to crazy. All the seiryu raises gh i so i remineralize fairly low. Alsowas suggested to me when I first start and it worked so that's what I keep doing haha.

 

Been working on a oebt project īn this tank also. I only keep female oebt in with my royals. This way all my oebt have royal fathers. Basically hoping to make a true breeding oebt. Hasn't worked yet but the number of blondes has greatly reduced. Also allows me to keep oebt with out fear of them messing up my royals. I either stick the males in my pinto project tank or give them away.

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Yes, I suspect lighting is key to showing off the blue and I do notice mine gets darker as they get older. I guess I am just not sure what to call my black tigers anymore.. As I don't have non-rb black tigers and royal blue tigers to compare..I guess mine just fall somewhere in between :)

Thank-you for sharing. Black / Royal Blue tigers are some of my favourite shrimps in my collection.

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The shrimp in the first pics are Goldeneye Black Tigers?? All black tigers are really blue, it just takes strong lighting to show it. Royal blue tigers are clearly blue, they are just normal OEBT without the black stripes.

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I believe they are royal blues, look the same as every other royal blues i have seen that were not shot by a pro. These pics were taken with no additional light using my tablet. Got them from Nick and I believe he has pretty credible sources. But hey maybe they aren't lol.

 

British have you ever seen royals like the video in person? I watched the video a second ago and you can tell there is a whole lot of light on them, mine look just like that if I turn up my lights. I have seen quite a few shrimp that do not look near as well as pictured.

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My only concern is the 600 RBTs in only a 12 gal long...not really a breeder size tank there

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have yet to see any issues, just about every female is berried and baby survivol is excellent. A good majority of that is sub adult and below. Finally got my breedimg colony to a good size this spring and they have just been pumping out babies. The tank is also very heavily planted, i never would have guessed I had that many until i tried to catch them all for a move a couple weeks ago.

I admit I have been hoarding a little but I will be thinning the herd soon. Steve(sbarbee) gave me some great advice last year. Keep your breeding colony large. Once I did that my population exploded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I also keep Royals, but haven't gotten the population explosion I would like. Water params are right on, but I was thinking I was missing something in their diet or supplements. Could you clarify your feeding regime? Thanks!

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  • 1 month later...

Hi jesseter sorry I missed your question. I do not think food or supplements is really to blame. I think the most important thing for royals and all shrimp for that matter is correct parameters and a healthy mature tank. Even with the population I have I only feed a few times a week, mostly kale or spinache, prepared foods when I am lazy and frozen blood worms every couple weeks for protein. I would look at your params first.

 

I got a new Nikon D5200, no macro yet so just basic kit 18-55mm lens. Pics have only been cropped. These are for the people who were wondering if they were really blue, it really was just my crumby tablet camera that made them look so dark. Also for all the people wanting to see a large breeding population of royals, here you go. I did not feed only, just doing a water change. There is a countless number of small shrimp to small to be photographed and a bunch more berried. I feel truely blessed to have gad such great luck with these.

royalmass

royalmass2

royalmass3

Had one of my mischlings, the one who just gave me 2 shadow pandas, berry this morning. Had her in a breeder box with my 2 "shadow" mosuras so one of them is the father. So even though I got ripped off hopefully I can get some more mosuras out of them and recoup some money, hopefully add even a small amount of blue down the line. Unfortunately she has one of the smallest clutches I have ever seen. She is now my second mischling to be knocked up by the mosuras.

mischlingberries

 

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Those are some amazing blues! They are lighter in color then the line I have. I wonder if the Royal gene is more complex.  Since I started trying to get closer to your param's the breeding increased and I see more babies. Thanks for putting this info up. I agree with soothing that this is what this forum is about!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you for this amazing info! My Royal Blues will be delivered in January, and this is very helpful. I'm going to purchase the Mosura TDS Up and use that to get my TDS to where I want it. When I use the SS GH+, it gets the GH to 8-9 with a TDS of 170. Also, how do you have such a high pH? I use RO water with a bag of crushed corals, and the max it's raised the pH to has been 7.2. It normally ranges between 6.8-7.0. Thanks again!

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Great article!! Can't believe I missed this one. I am in the market for RBTs so this was perfect.

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Thanks guys. I actually just sold a bunch. Will be moving them to my pinto tank and redoing this tank. I used some AS that is over 2 years old now and is pretty muddy.

 

I would love to be one of the lucky people you sell these Royal Blue's to.

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