Malayan Shrimp turned black!

[shanexu]

Hi everyone!
I have this malayan shrimp for about 2 months. i saw it a few days ago and it was still on the light brown/yellow color range.
today after water change i dropped in alage wafer as usual but when i saw the malayan its now BLACK in color!

is it normal?
is it getting sick??

panicking!
please advice

[Crystal Red Shrimp]

got picture? never see black malayan before

[shanexu]

it just went back to hiding under the bogwood a few moments ago. if i see it i'll snap a photo of it

[feide]

Hi shanexu
I think this is normal. Malayan shrimps are known to change colour to blend into the surroundings. Mine was intially transparent, it turned brown then black...

[zyblack]

I always had a nagging suspicion that pH plays a factor in the colour change of shrimps. Thread starter perhaps you can check if your pH is alkaline i.e. above 7.5?

Cool looking shrimp feide!

[shanexu]

feide my shrimps look exactly like yours!
but its weird that it only changed now, after 2 months and i didnt even change any scaping
zyblack, i'm not too sure of the pH. nv checked it haha

[feide]

Thanks zyblack, I did not check my ph, but I think my water parameters is quite ok as the plants and livestock are doing fine.

hmm.. mine changed colour after a few days.. I guess it is a sign to show that they are comfortable with the surroundings.

Quoted from http://www.shrimpfanatics.com/search/label/Malayan%20Shrimp

The Malaysian or Rainbow Shrimp gains its name for 2 reasons; it originates from Malaysia, and secondly its ability to darken and change colors to match its surroundings. It usually becomes transparent like the Ghost Shrimp when drifting among plants but changes to brown or deep red when resting on driftwood. When in darker colors, a tan stripe down its back is evident. This species has also been spotted in bright blue, green and yellow coloration.

Good deal for a very affordable and hardy shrimp that changes colours as well! haha