Red Ruby

Description

The Red Ruby is a very beautiful form of the Red Bee. These shrimp prefer a pH of approximately 6–7.5, a carbonate hardness of 0–5° and a total hardness of approximately 1–10°. Conductivity should be between 80 and 400 µS. Females of this variety grow to approximately 3–3.5 cm in length, whereas males only reach approximately 2.5–3 cm.

It is still unclear whether the Red Ruby is a mutation or whether breeders developed the shrimp's red coloration through targeted breeding and selection.

How breeding happens

Breeding the Red Ruby is very similar to breeding Red and Black Bees. The shrimp prefer slightly acidic water and often display better coloration under these conditions. Once sexually mature, females develop an ovarian saddle behind the head when water quality is good and the water parameters are suitable. During the next moult, the male attaches a spermatophore to the female, which then attempts to press the eggs previously produced in the saddle into the brood pouch beneath her abdomen. Normally, there should be approximately 20–30 eggs. Inexperienced females often lose some of the eggs, and sometimes even all of them. After approximately 4 weeks, the female releases the juveniles, which immediately hide in the moss. There they graze on everything in search of microorganisms and are constantly looking for food. At this young age, they still moult relatively often. However, the frequency steadily decreases as they grow older. The shrimp reach sexual maturity at approximately 3–3 1/2 months. The use of juvenile food is recommended to achieve better survival rates.