Cherry shrimp colours

[Christor]

Just a quick qustion on cherries and their colours, I have seen advertised cherry shrimp under different names and varying prices, now there are basic ones, but I have also seen whats generally called sakura and fire reds, with them being labelled as completely red, or red legs etc

Now from simple observation you can see some difference in cherries, some are pale, others jet red

I bought 5 from a local LFS, picking only the deepest reds in the tank, though I notice at night especially, that some stay competely red all the time, while others wash out a bit during the day

Im aware paramters and health are an issue, but they are all healthy and have been for months, all levels zero etc and ph neutral, so, is there much truth in all this colour jargin or is it just a gimmick?

 

[basil]

Hi christor

There is definitely a recognised range of cherry grades, in order of lowest to highest:-

Red cherry
Sakura
Fire Red
Painted Fire Red

Problem is that of course grading is rather subjective and I would try to buy from a reputable source or ideally view the shrimp yourself to decide how good or bad the grade is. I have a link to a cherry grading guide somewhere that shows really well what to expect and will add later.

Of course water parameters, gravel colour all have a bearing of how coloured the shrimp will appear and females are always stronger coloured than the males.