Ram from Bangalore (India)
Friday, December 18th, 2009
Ram from Bangalore (India)
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
My name is Ram (Short for Seetharam Rai), I’m 30 Years Old and based out of Bangalore City in India, I’m not new to the fish keeping hobby, have been keeping fish since I was 12 years old. Gave up the hobby when I went to college and when I later started work. My primary interest is Aquascaping; In 2006 when I wanted to get back into the hobby, I started reading up on the internet and I came across some tanks by Takashi Amano and was just amazed, after that I started reading up on Nature Aquariums and started my first tank in late 2006, entered the IAPLC 2009 contest and was ranked 532. My family owns a tropical fish farm which is run by my elder brother, I look at the marketing aspects and supply chain for South India. I am also a consultant for Nature Aquariums.
When did you start breeding shrimps?
I was first introduced to shrimps by a fellow hobbyist in 2008; the shrimp that I got fascinated with was the Crystal Red Shrimps. To get to know the basics I started with Cherry Red Shrimps in Sep’08, was quite successful in keeping and breeding them. Got my first consignment of CRS in Sep’09 and so far have been quite successful in keeping and breeding them.
How many tanks do you currently have?
Currently have 8 Tanks, 3 of which are planted tanks and the rest are used for stocking fish, shrimps and plants.
How much time do you spend weekly (or daily) with the hobby?
I spend anywhere between 1-2 hrs a day observing my tanks, doing maintenance etc. Most of my time now is spent with the Crystal Red Shrimps, Checking on the adults and babies for any signs of things being good or bad, water parameters, maintenance and feeding.
Which breeding projects are you working on?
The only breeding project I am focusing on right now is the Crystal Red Shrimps.
What do you do with shrimp that don’t meet your breeding target?
So far I haven’t faced this situation, but if I do, these shrimps would be given to fellow hobbyists or would go into my community tanks.
What’s your favorite shrimp and why?
I guess its no surprise but its the Crystal Red Shrimps, These little critters really catch the eye with their bright red and white markings and watching a group of them is just amazing. Another aspect that is interesting to me is the number of variations that have been derived from these shrimps in terms of markings, patterns and color.
What are your basic tips for beginners?
Before you decide to keep any fish or invert, get as much information as possible on them about the kind of environment they need, feeding habits etc and ensure that you buy them only once you have all the necessary things in place to keep them happy. If you are dealing with sensitive and expensive species like Crystal Red Shrimp then there in not much room for making mistakes.
What are your plans for 2010?
As of now I am in the process of getting some Golden Crystal Red Shrimps and plan to introduce them into my existing batch, hopefully if things go well then I aim to develop some High grade Mosura variants in 2010. Apart from this Sulawesi Shrimps are something that has caught my attention, especially Harlequin and Cardinal, so hope on keeping them and breeding them as well in 2010.
Three WebPages you find useful:
The next aquaristic trend is/are:
Currently in India Nature Aquariums is catching on fast. Indian Native Fish keeping is also on a rise.
Your personal motto is?
‘You don’t live forever, create something that will.’
