Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Neocaridina cf zhangjajiensis (white): Snowball Shrimp

Scientific Name: Neocaridina cf zhangjajiensis (white)

Common Name: Snowball shrimp

Origin: Color morph created by shrimp addict keeper, Ulf Gottschalk, located in Germany

Size: females up to 3.5 cm (1.2 in.)

Water Parameters: 6.5 to 8.4 pH (sometimes higher); Best in hard, alkaline water

Temperature: Best housed 69*F to 82*F

Feeding:algae, frozen bloodworms, blanched (par-boiled) vegetables (such as peas, zucchini, etc.), dead fish and shrimp, decaying plant matter

Larval Development: Suppressed; No larval stage; Eggs hatch to miniature adults

Behavior: Non-aggressive

Difficulty: Easy


Quick History
Snowball shrimp were one of the only completely white shrimp in the hobby until a few years ago. They are a color morph of Neocaridina cf zhangjajiensis (wild) that were created in Germany by Ulf Gottschalk.

Water Parameters
Snowball shrimp are a good choice for the novice shrimp addict keeper. They will thrive best in hard, alkaline water (much like African rift cichlids) in tropical temperatures. Lower temperatures will slow down this shrimp species--slower reproduction rate, slower metabolism, etc. Snowball shrimp must have clean water, or they will not flourish--the colony will slowly deteriorate.

Breeding
Snowball shrimp are slightly less prolific breeders in comparison to RCS. Simply add male and female snowball shrimp, clean water, proper water parameters, and wait for the eggs to hatch. Females will display a white "saddle" (named this because it looks like she has an English saddle on her back when her ovaries are carrying unfertilized eggs. When she molts, she also releases hormones and pheromones into the water. This will send all males in the aquarium into a breeding frenzy, and the males will swim vigorously in their search to find the freshly-molted female. The lucky male will flip her over on her back and mate with her. If copulation is successful, the eggs leave the ovaries (the saddle will disappear), and she will carry the fertilized eggs in her swimmerets (legs under her tail) for about 30 to 45 days (shrimp addicts keepers called this "berried"). Snowball shrimp got their name from the white eggs, which look like snowballs. As the eggs develop and if you look closely enough, you can see the eggs turned slightly different colors and also see small, black dots which are the eyes of the developing shrimp inside the eggs. As the shrimplets develop inside the eggs, the eggs will slowly turn a yellow color. If the female drops any eggs while she is berried, do not fret. She will sometimes drop eggs because the are not fertile, she maybe stressed due to water parameters, another male may have been aggressive towards her, she may be a first-time mother, or something just wasn't right. A healthy female shrimp can be berried and display a saddle at the same time. The female will not molt while she is berried, and she may spend most of her time perched somewhere fanning her eggs. Fanning keeps the eggs moving and aerated to promote healthy shrimplets and their development.

Housing
Snowball shrimp are not too picky about their surroundings. They can be kept in planted tanks (which is my preference), bare bottom tanks, and even clown puke tanks (which I do not recommend). Ten gallon aquariums are highly recommended for the novice shrimp addict keeper because it's easier to keep water parameters under control, and because it's a great size to start with a small shrimp colony and watch it grow. A good substrate is one that is inert (will not affect the water parameters and pH) and one in which makes the shrimp stand-out. I always recommend as dark a substrate as possible. A light for the tank is also recommended but not exactly necessary so the shrimp can be seen and to promote the growth of micro-things and algae for the shrimp to feed on.

Feeding
Snowball shrimp are not picky eaters. They will gladly eat just about anything, but a stable, healthy diet is always preferred. Vegetable such as blanched (parboiled) zucchini, spinach, peas, algae growing in the aquarium, nori wraps (used for making Sushi rolls, and the stuff sold for feeding saltwater fish--same stuff BTW, but the nori sold in the grocery stores is cheaper and you get more for your money), and even cleaned strawberries. They will also eat frozen foods like bloodworms. Dried spirulina flakes and flake fish food can be fed. They will also eat decaying plant matter, decaying fish, and decaying shrimp. Live foods can also be cultured. Snowball shrimp do not have to be fed every day, especially if their tank is "aged". The more aged the tank is, the more micro-things there are in the tank for them to eat.

Sexing and Coloration
Snowball shrimp are easy to sex. One of the first obvious differences is that the female has a white saddle on her back. Males do not have a saddle for obvious reasons. Females are usually slightly larger than the male, and she also has a larger tail than the male so she can carry eggs. Males are smaller and have a thinner and shorter tail than the female. Both males and females are white and can display different color intensities. They will be more white due to genetics and also based on how comfortable they are. Good water parameters make for colorful, happy shrimp. Males will display slightly less white than females. Some female snowball shrimp will also display a faint gold shrimp that runs the length of their bodies.

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