Hello Shrimpers,
As it's 2 months since the last post, I thought I ought to let you know what's happening. I am now down to 2 of the original 8 RCS, but the 25 or so babies are absolutely thriving. Of the remaining two "adults", one is probably a female, as she has a rounded "undercarriage". The other is much smaller, and has a flatter
"undercarriage", so is possibly a male. Neither of these two has had an obvious saddle for the last two months, and I have not seen any recent youngsters.
Just as Sue predicted, the largest baby, about 12 mm. long, now has a very clear yellow saddle, and is receiving some attention from some of the smaller ones. So I will watch her with interest. (I have yet to see a female carrying eggs in the "undercarriage", even though I have had at least two births).
Also, whilst about half the babies are "all red", the rest seem to be a mixture of red and white or clear. I have assumed that these are probably males? One of these is definitely striped at the moment, with a red head, middle, and tail. As a Stoke City fan, I find this very loyal!
Due to a minor algae outbreak on the glass, I added a Zebra Nerite snail yesterday - what a stunning animal - and he immediately went to work on the front glass! Bless him! He has already explored the limits of his new home, and is currently working his way along the top of the back glass, half in and half out of the water. There are some whitish deposits just above the waterline there, due, I think, to evaporation. I suppose it could be that he is enjoying some calcium - or, perhaps he is already planning his escape?
Keep on shrimping,
Skittler