Amano Shrimp color

[Redeye505]

So got a question about my amano shrimp. I have three in my tank. The smallest one which is very dark compared to the other ones is my most active shrimp. The other 2 which are a bit larger kind of hide out till the lights go off. It's a 50 gallon bow tank with 7 neon's one bristle nose one snail and 3 Amano shrimp. Filtered by an fx4 turned down. Finnex planted light on 8 hours a day probably a little too long because it's lightly planted. I got a little hair algae that's what the shrimps are mostly eating. Is the dark color nornal. One of them just recently molted and I can really tell which on but I believe it to be my larger one. Not the dark colored one. I could be wrong though. I did not see it happen. 

My temp is 79 degrees

Ph 7.2 

No ammonia 

20 ppm nitrates 

0 nitrites. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 5/7/2023 at 12:57 PM, Redeye505 said:

The smallest one which is very dark compared to the other ones is my most active shrimp.

They turn a mahogany color when they are closer to molting.  They can have this dark color for an extended period.... longer than most people think.  Especially if it's a female amano, she will have that color for quite a while until she releases the zoeys.

One thing to check / verify is if you have Australian or Japanese shrimp.  There are a lot of people buying the JP ones that mistakenly end up with the AU versions.

 

[Redeye505]

Thank you for the explanation nabokovfan87

 

[JettsPapa]

Are you real sure that dark one isn't a wild type neocaridina (RCS)?  I have some in my cull tanks that look just like that, and I also wonder since you said it's so much smaller than the others.  I wish that picture was clearer, but it looks like a female, so I would expect it to be the same size as your other amano, assuming you got them at the same time.

Edited May 8, 2023 by JettsPapa

[nabokovfan87]

@JettsPapa here is mine.... Just for clarity.

View /camera angle can make them look pretty dark.

Good view, but a darker amano

One that is more clear

Camera showing a pretty dark one, female that is releasing her babies and about to molt soon.

The wild Neo types definitely can look like amanos, the big difference there is just size.