ShrimpFan's All Things Shrimps

[DETAquarium]

What do you use to scrape the glass? Anything specific to help keep your hands out of the water? I used to use just a generic sponge, similar to one you use to wash dishes, but I am being overly cautious now that I keep and breed more expensive shrimp.

 

Could you share a little on what characteristics you keep and cull?

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

@DET,

I’m using the Kent’s brand tank scraper. Initially, I wanted to get the ADA brand but then I found out it costs like $120ish. I decided it was a silly idea to spend so much on miscellaneous things related to shrimp but not directly contributing to my shrimp hobby so I opted for the Kent brand scraper. It’s very sturdy and the grippy handle is a nice touch. It’s firm and the neck is made of metal (upon first glace it may look like just a plastic made neck). You’ll find it on Ken’s fish. Ken’s Fish has amazing deals on filters and other aquarium related goodies. I love that place.

I get my hands wet now and then, but the general rule is to not play around with the tank as much as I can. Never know what you’re touching throughout the day that could be deadly to your shrimps.

[DETAquarium]

Could you share a little on what characteristics you keep and cull?

 

Would you mind answering this as well?

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

@DET,

Oh yes of course! I didn’t skip it, I think I jumped the gun on the scraper question and missed the second question completely – my apologies.

So culling.. Well when it comes to JRB (or PRL for those whose Red Bees originated from HK or other parts of China, and Taiwan) below is a breakdown of what I’m looking for when I’m culling.

Color-

My thought process for this is that these guys are either called Pure RED Line or Japanese RED Bees for a reason. They’re not called Japanese White Bees or Pure White Lines. As such, I do not put emphasis on how their white colored area looks. As such, any shrimps not meeting the red colors is immediately culled. The shade of red I’m seeking is a deep, almost crimson like, red color. I’ve owned a fair share of PRL and one thing I can comment on it how lack lustered the red color on my PRL looks. On some, it’s not even a red color… it’s more closer to an orange-ish color. I want RED, deep RED, nothing else. I want to bring an emphasis back on the red coloring of JRB/PRL. I feel like too many folks only look at the white coloring. A strikingly beautiful red color is what will captivate the observer.

Whites.. when white is also considered but I place less emphasis on how the white looks. I’m currently happy with how the white is. My JRB have a purely white color. Almost like an ivory white. It’s an off-white. It’s creamy and texture-y. Of course, shrimps with any cracks in the white are immediately culled into the floating box.

Continuing further, my females must demonstrate red swimmerets. This is hard to identify and I’m currently struggling to cull for as it requires lots of time observing and analyzing the females, but I do believe I have photo documenting such feature on my JRB. Lastly, the legs and the antennule. My JRB are bred to have a majority of their legs red (the lower 3rd of the leg) with the tips (extending from the body down) showing tints of white. As for the antennule, I cull any that doesn’t have a red or white coloring on the antennule. If you look closely, a few of my photos will show this feature as well.

Size-

Upon my most recently trips to Asia (HK and Japan), I found a striking difference between the Japanese Red Bees of Japan and the Pure Red Lines of HK. I found that Japanese Red Bees are so much bigger than Pure Red Lines. Japanese Red Bee females grow to be nearly double the size than compared to their HK female counterparts. As such, female sizes in an important factor. I know folks might be thinking, well… if you’re immediately culling poor red colored JRB, how can you tell the sexes and how big they’ll grow. Well, of course I have a holding space for my culls. I’m currently keeping the culls inside the floating box. Once I finalize my PC air fans cooling hooked into an auto on/off, then I can add them to their 10G breeding/culling tanks. This project should be done soon and will effectively keep all my tanks temperature controlled. Also, I found that bigger females carries much larger clutches when they’re berried, but that makes sense, right?

Additionally, my females must have that rounded belly showing the “breastplate” feature. I believe the German term is “Tigershaufel”. It’s hard to describe as I’m currently on mobile, but I can show an example when I’m home. This is a very key feature for me as I find it very beautiful and the rounded belly gives my shrimps a more “jolly” look. They look nice and friendly.

Posture-

Posture is very important to me. As such, I close monitor juvis to see if they carry themselves in a particular way. I like to have my shrimps demonstrating a “tail-up” posture when they are walking on the substrate, grazing. Reefers keeping sexy shrimps may get an idea of where I’m going with this… but for my case, my JRB aren’t fully extended up like the sexy shrimps. So, any shrimps that shows a dragging of their tails are culled. Also, good posture makes for great photography.

There’s a famous RedBee breeder that goes by the name of JustBee. He’s well known for having amazing colored RedBees. I’m working towards shrimps looking like his.

[DETAquarium]

Phenomenal! Thank you for that detailed explanation. From your pictures your culling process has hit the mark, well done.

 

What do you do with the culls? I am sure many would be interested in JRB culls.

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

You’re very welcome! I still feel like I’m still a few years away from it where I want my JRB to be, but it’s an exciting prospect. It’s a labor of love, similar to many of us currently pursuing our own goals. I’m confident the end result will be amazing.

Regarding your question about culls…. If they don’t meet the culling criteria, I end up saving them and turning them in this. See below.

Definitely not main course material, but serves as a good snack. Don’t you think? [emoji38]

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

Clearing stuff up, folks are asking me if shrimps from post 241 are JRB, they are not. These are Ellen Wangs lineage shrimps I got from a friend. Those guys are from his tank which he allowed me to hand pick my choice shrimps.

Post 245 is JRB however. [emoji1]

[DETAquarium]

You’re very welcome! I still feel like I’m still a few years away from it where I want my JRB to be, but it’s an exciting prospect. It’s a labor of love, similar to many of us currently pursuing our own goals. I’m confident the end result will be amazing.

Regarding your question about culls…. If they don’t meet the culling criteria, I end up saving them and turning them in this. See below.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1438632799.916221.jpg

Definitely not main course material, but serves as a good snack. Don’t you think? [emoji38]

 

Hahaha. Your JRB do get big, even when you fry them they are huge:)

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

A happy surprise. Product if a Japanese Male Pinto x Mosura Blue Bolt female.

Discovered chilling inside the breeder box with mom and dad as I was cleaning the tanks last night. Will try for a HD macro later tonight or this weekend. [emoji16]

[Jaykidding]

Gimme that shrimp!!!!!!

[DETAquarium]

Good Looking Shrimp! Look forward to Macro shots, would this be considered a Blue Back, or Skunk?

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

@ Jay

Ha Ha! I probably can share some once I breed them out. I’m actually quite surprised the Pinto x BB actually bred. Now that I know they don’t mind doing the hanky panky, I’ll give more effort to breeding them. The breeder box was super neglected so I can’t believe this guy survive. Give me 3 months. If the adults don’t die (they’re quite old) and I have success breeding, I’ll flood the market with Pintos.

@DET

Thanks! Hmm.. That’s honestly a good question. I don’t even know as I’m not too particularly interested in Pintos to learn about the patterns. I would assume this guy is a skunk, but I could be wrong. I just picked some up when I was in Japan because it was dirt cheap.

Folks more knowledgeable should chime in and help me out. I’m more of a RedBee/BlackBee sort of guy.

[swivel]

Was cleaning my tanks today and snap a photo on my iPhone 5s

 

Japanese Red Bees

 

 

Sell me a couple!

[Jaykidding]

Great Im looking forward to it. Good luck on the breeding 

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

Sent you a pm. [emoji4]

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

...sorry folks... no photos of the Pinto baby. He's a little shy, a bit excited, and too energetic to for me to take any good photos. He is excitedly exploring his bigger home now that he is inside the main tank. Let's just hope mom and dad are busy inside the breeder box. 

 

So.. since I don't have any photos of the Pinto baby, let me share 3 photos taken with my iPhone earlier this week.

 

Thriving JRB Colony

 

Thriving JBB Colony

 

One of my studliest stud male Japanese Red Bee

 

• Strikingly deep crimson-like red, check
• C.L.E.A.N Pearly white shell, check
• Sexy red legs, check
• Red rostrum tips, check
• Signature Hino No-Entry pattern, check

 

Yeppppp.... he's the future daddy of many sexy shrimps! 

[DETAquarium]

Anyone else drooling? Gorgeous shrimp and colonies. Well done my friend.

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

Long time no post. I'm alive, but inactive in the shrimping world as of late. 

 

Here are some photos of my culls inside a trial inert substrate test.

 

 

[DETAquarium]

Happy to hear from you ShrimpFan! Hope everything is great for you.

 

As always beautiful shrimp, even as culls!

[Maurice]

Man, those Japanese red and black bees are stunning!

 

Most definitely some the most solid colours I have ever seen

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

@Det

Picked up a new hobby while I was away so learning about the new hobby has been an interesting journey. It’s been keeping me well distracted. In-between work and down time, I’ve been watching X-Files on Netflix (something I was too scared to watch as a child, very good show btw).

@Maurice-

Thanks! They’re much better if seen in person. The cull tank has a few that are lesser but overall pretty nice. On par with some PRL being sold, I’d say. I want to give it another go at trying to capture a truer photo of the Monsura JRB cull. He reminds me a lot of that really famous MK PRL that so many folks drool a while back. The grade of white on the cull is so high that he is reflecting most of the light from my flash. I’m unable to capture more details of his shell. I’m a bit rusty with my camera.