Thank for translating, very handful experience sharing article! Look forward for your other articles
Believing that a lot of CRS hobbyists and keepers feel really disappointed, helpless and giving up for the fading of their CRS.
Wondering why faded??
Actually, the reasons may be categorized into two main sources for determination.
A) The original individual gene of the CRS
B) The water parameter condition of one's tank
Here is the self- talk of my amateur 5 –year self-experienced.
(Correct me if I am wrong of anyway)
Please refer to the following information for detail:
A)The Importance of Individual Gene
CRS with very top gene are not usually been found in stores where you can get, neither sellers will let go. Those that you got from market are likely the CRS which are breed by those so called the second class lines or the inferiors.
With no doubt, after you breed the next generation, you’ll find the faded ones.
Suggestion to it:
For the starting, try to select from the first batch of one thick white body male and three to five thick females to cross, and for the remaining thin color ones, try to get rid or separating them into another tank.
This will be your main force. A good start will always win a better result.
The main force needs a four to five generations of same ways of selection to breed an average great majority number of white thickness ones.
B)The water parameter condition of one's tank for CRS
TDS-150 to 220,
PH-6.0 to 6.5
KH-2 or lower
GH-4 to 6
Temperature 24 to 26 degrees centigrade (Best for breeding)
Lighting Kind:
HQI ,T5 ,FL ,PL
TDS is considered the secondary importance﹐I personally think that what is more important is The Total Hardness( GH)﹐the frequency of peeling shells of CRS depending much on the GH in water.
As for PH, to keepers, using ADA soil or other acidic black soil doesn’t seem to be a problem, water will stabilized and maintained at a lower PH. data.
KH and CO2 have very closed relationship. Maintaining at a level of KH 2 or lower, CO2 will be quite easier to dissolve, hence benefits the aquatic plants to grow. therefore in additional to absorbing NO3. (Provided only to those tanks with massive plants, and also applying to quick growing plants only.)
The water temperature stands an important role to CRS, too. A quick or tremendous change in water temperature might weaken the immunity system of CRS, causing fading or even death in worse cases.
I've tried using different kinds of lighting tube like, HQI, T5, FL, PL, these four kinds of tubes﹐where people commonly used in Taiwan.
In my opinion, the most ideal is FL lamp tube. The perfect number of lumen should better be closed to 8000K . (Skywhite tube from Osram or ADA tubes are the example) In the case of using, shrimps look more nature white, and the plants will show its natural colors. Lastly, the color of water will also look more gently in view.
Small talk on lighting for CRS.
Most of the HQI tubes are 10000K with high lumen.. The power consumption is high. If there is a sudden change from the ordinary lamp into the HQI, shrimps will tend to hide, because they are not used to such a bright lighting. One of the advantages of using HQI is that for the faded CRS, the white portion will gradually show improvement under such strong and penetrating power lamp, however if the same shrimp is placed under a non-HQI lighting again﹐within three days the body color will sure to fade. In such case, keepers do not have to suspect about his or her water condition nor either need further adjustment in water parameter. It has nothing to do with water parameter.
PL tubes are ideal for penetrating, too, but the life span of PL tubes are shorter, also casing too much heat. Sometimes you might get a slight burn on your hand or arm when you are not really careful.
T5 tubes are with strong penetrating power, aquatic water tanks are preferable to use, but the tubes are of higher prices﹐the selectivity is also fewer, causing much heat, too.
NO3 will affect the whiteness of CRS in a longer time. Initially, you won’t be able to tell. Shrimps will fade in water with a higher range of NO3. As for those with good and strong gene, cracks will appear in the body but not fade.
Oestrus
In the period of oestrus, the whiteness of male shrimps will probably turn thinner, (some do not), it is said to be a kind of protective color for themselves. After this period, if the color regains, that proves that your water parameter is the ideal standard for them. The whiteness of male shrimps is not generally easy to regain, somehow the whiteness still can be seen, but just become thinner and uglier.
Feeding
The experience of my personal attainment. By using a diversified food for feeding is the best way for CRS. Currently, I am using ten different kind of food and some natural vegetables (like spinach) for their two meals. The advantages of feeding them with different brands of food everyday can train them not to be picky on food. Secondly, the nutrient will also be balanced for them as well. Once the health of the shrimps is in good shape, in this way it will also strengthen the immunity system of theirs. In the case of water changing, they will not be so weak to occur sickness problems .The adding of vitamin liquid is occasionally applied to them. The leftover or unfinished food should always be dredged away the next day in order to avoid the water from getting contaminated.
Soil(substrate)
The Amazonia black soil has a major function of maintaining the water PH at a lower data. Also to provide part of the mineral substance and other ingredients which are needed by baby or infant shrimps. It can also release some corrosion acid which is necessary for the breeding of
the female shrimps.
There are two main way of substrate keeping:
A)using underground filter
B)without underground filter
With the two ways above, I prefer using way B. It’s better to grow aquatic plants in way B.I rather feel dull without many plants or green space in my tank. Before putting the soil, I use some bacterium in power form and Tourmaline BC from ADA to improve the substrate environment by sprinkling at initial setup. With the used of these, CRS tank can last for a year or a year-half is possible.
A PICTURE TO SHOW THE DIFFERENCE OF FADING AND THICKNESS
Thank for translating, very handful experience sharing article! Look forward for your other articles
Woa. Very interesting write up. Thanks for sharing zip.
A very useful article.
Thanks for sharing
Nice article and thanks for sharing. Didn't know high NO3 would cause fading/cracking.
You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung
zip, thanks for this translate article. Very useful,bro.
Quite agree with part on gH affecting whiteness and general health of the CRS.
Hello,
This is great information, thank you. I realize quite a bit of time (a year) has passed since you posted but I was hoping you were around to answer a question.
You state "With the used of these, CRS tank can last for a year or a year-half is possible.". What do you recommend one do after this time or longer is up? Would you break down the tank and start a new with fresh substrate etc. moving the CRS into a secondary tank until the newly built tank had time to cycle?
I'm hitting the 2 year mark with my tank and while my CRS are still breeding, I have noticed a slowing in the breeding speed.
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