A Shrimp Diary.....

[MoreCoffee]

THEY ARE GOING TO POP, oh good luck sounds fun

Good luck mate . I've read how hard it is to raise the larvae. Bet you'll have success, your setup looks great.

Thanks for the encouragement ! The hardest thing at the moment is the waiting and wondering if they are ever going to hatch.

It could still be a couple of weeks (or longer) until the eggs start to hatch. Until then it's a matter of keeping the salt water in the larvae tanks in good condition. I think setting up the larvae tanks early was a good idea as it's given me a chance to get them fairly stable as far as water temp, lighting and phytoplankton goes.

I did wonder if I'd moved the females out of the main tank too early, however I think it was the best thing to do. If they had started hatching in the main tank I'd never have got the larvae out before the rest of the fish moved in for a snack.

With 5 carrying eggs I'm hoping to have at least a little success.

Updates as and when anything happens ..... It could still all end in disaster very quickly


Al

 

[Bloo]

lol I can't wait for more news ! Thanks for keeping us updated - even if nothing is yet happening

 

[MoreCoffee]

Fri 18 Aug:

Another small update.
No eggs hatched yet .... waiting and watching is getting really boooring

However, yet another egg carrying female found in the main tank.
Thats a total of 6 within 2 weeks !

Observations:
As mentioned earlier, my male Gourmi was very interested in the egg carrying females. I've also been speaking to somebody else in the UK on another forum who's Amano's started to carry eggs at the same time (recent hot weather). He also has a Gourami (sparkling) that started trying to get at the eggs, but only egg carrying females.

Mine has never shown any interest in any other shrimp and totally ignores the ones still in there.

This seems to be a good reason to get the females moved quickly if attempting to raise the eggs.
(I'm sure it woudnt be just Gourami's). Even if not trying to raise the eggs, it seems likely that the female could get injured/eaten.

Al

 

[Dusko]

Hi Mr G and Bloo,
I am very happy I found this thread on the net (pure coincidence or faith maybe
Your research will help future breeders alot and it is great you keep the journals updated.
Keep up good work and good luck.
I have seen that you already discovered my unsuccessful breeding attempt. Ah well at least we know one more way how not to do it
http/caridinajaponicabreeding.blogspot.com/

I am starting with a new attempt and already got all I need (sea salt, tanks, air pump with air stones , etc)
http/caridinajaponicabreeding2.blogspot.com/

I have three females carrying eggs since (approx) 13th August, and they still have them. I will give them 10 more days before I transfer them into the 2 liters hatchery.

I read your Amano journal too Bloo, great info. Do not give up.

Will stay in touch.

Kind regards, Dusko.

 

[Gankutsuou]

Ah! So that's why my pregnate shrimp it! It looks just like that!

Should i remove the other shrimp? I have it and my other 2 shrimp isolated. apparently it got pregnate at MY lfs and i bought it. should it be alone?

 

[Bloo]

I read your Amano journal too Bloo, great info. Do not give up.

Will stay in touch.

Kind regards, Dusko.

Thanks Dusko! and to TFF. Glad you found us

I look forward to following your Blogspot too. And together we can all learn more from each other.
All the best for your new project!

I'm sure there is just a "secret recipe" waiting to be discovered !!

Mr G - wow this is taking an awful long time. Perhaps it was pure luck timing wise that mine started hatching within hours of putting her into my hatching tank.

Waiting eagerly on more news !

 

[MoreCoffee]

I read your Amano journal too Bloo, great info. Do not give up.

Will stay in touch.

Kind regards, Dusko.

Thanks Dusko! and to TFF. Glad you found us

I look forward to following your Blogspot too. And together we can all learn more from each other.
All the best for your new project!

I'm sure there is just a "secret recipe" waiting to be discovered !!

Mr G - wow this is taking an awful long time. Perhaps it was pure luck timing wise that mine started hatching within hours of putting her into my hatching tank.

Waiting eagerly on more news !

Hi Bloo,

Yep it's taking far, far longer than I thought.
I think I must have spotted the shrimp as soon as they started to show the eggs, and they carry them for a few weeks I'd better learn some patience ......... Knowing my luck, when they eventually start to drop, they'll probably all come at once !

Still checking them closely and regularly and all 7 are still carrying eggs ......... YES it's upto 7 egg carrying females now

I thought something had happened yesterday as I saw some microscopic white dots (pure white) with a small tail wriggling around in the tank and attached to the side of the tank.
These look nothing like any pics I've seen of any larval shrimp and they died within 2 mins of putting them into salt or brackish water. If I ignore them they survive in normal tank water.
I think they are something that has come in on some of the moss I've recently bought. They seem to be totally harmless. If I can get a pic I'd post one, but they are absolutely microscopic so I doubt I'll get one.


Hi Dusko - Good to hear you are having another go at raising the baby shrimp. I'll keep watching your blog to see how your latest attempt goes and see if I can pick up any tips. Good luck !


Hi Gankutsuou - I got my egg carrying shrimp into isolation as soon as I noticed them. However it's been a couple of weeks now and still no eggs hatched. The only reason I moved the last two was becuase my male Gourami was trying to eat the eggs whilst the shrimp was still carrying them !

Hard to say if you should isolate yours now. They could hatch within hours/days (like Bloo's did) or you could sit there waiting for weeks (like me).


Cheers
AL

 

[Bloo]

These look nothing like any pics I've seen of any larval shrimp and they died within 2 mins of putting them into salt or brackish water. If I ignore them they survive in normal tank water.

Shouldn't they stay in freshwater for the first number of days ? That's what I did - and transferred them over on day 5 & 6 (I think).
It certainly sounds like it could have been some small shrimp. They really only are little white dots.

 

[MoreCoffee]

These look nothing like any pics I've seen of any larval shrimp and they died within 2 mins of putting them into salt or brackish water. If I ignore them they survive in normal tank water.

Shouldn't they stay in freshwater for the first number of days ? That's what I did - and transferred them over on day 5 & 6 (I think).
It certainly sounds like it could have been some small shrimp. They really only are little white dots.

Thanks Bloo,

I'll give them another look and try get a pic (somehow) or at least a better description, but I'm not convinced they're shrimp. If they are then at least I can move on to the next stage !!

 

[MoreCoffee]

These look nothing like any pics I've seen of any larval shrimp and they died within 2 mins of putting them into salt or brackish water. If I ignore them they survive in normal tank water.

Shouldn't they stay in freshwater for the first number of days ? That's what I did - and transferred them over on day 5 & 6 (I think).
It certainly sounds like it could have been some small shrimp. They really only are little white dots.

Bloo,

Here is a pic of the 'white things' that are in my hatching tank ....

This is the largest one I could find and is about 1mm in length from head to tail. You can get an idea of their size in relation to the surface bubbles.

I'm assuming 'head' and 'tail' ends based on how they swim. There are also quite a few smaller ones (less than 0.5mm) that dont seem to have the two lumps towards the tail end.

I'd be interested in knowing what they are ...... I dont think these are shrimp larvae !

Can anybody identify these ?

I've also posted in the plant section to see if anybody can ID these things.


AL

P.S. - The pic was taken by putting a jewellers eye-glass up to the lens of my camera (I was quite impressed it worked !

 

[MoreCoffee]

21 Aug:

I know those white things are NOT shrimp larvae ... because one of the females has laid her eggs and I've got my first few recognisable shrimp larvae in the hatching tank. The filter in the hatching tank has now been turned off.

Only a few so far from one female, but at least the waiting is over

I've read accounts of them spending the first couple of days in fresh water before moving over to salt and also accounts that tell of far greater survival rates if moved straight away.
I'm going to split them, some I'll move over tonight/tomorrow into one of the larvae tanks and some I'll leave for a few days until they get bigger and then move them to the other tank and see how we go.

Still a long way to go !

 

[Bloo]

Wow that's a really great photo of the "unidentified object" - but I have no idea what it is
But you're right - a zoe it's not.

I'd be interested to hear what success rate you have on your straight transfer to brackish water and the delayed transfer.

Also your current water stats.

 

[MoreCoffee]

'White thing' identified as a cyclops thanks to 'Moody' in the planted tanks section.

Totally harmless and 'fish food'

 

[Gankutsuou]

what do you plan to feed such shrimp larva? I'm gonna isolate mine, get some marine salt, and let it do its thing in my betta tank, and hope for the best, while tossing the betta in a 1 g pitcher of main tank tank water.....

So feed? how much salt in one gallon? Conditions?

 

[MoreCoffee]

what do you plan to feed such shrimp larva? I'm gonna isolate mine, get some marine salt, and let it do its thing in my betta tank, and hope for the best, while tossing the betta in a 1 g pitcher of main tank tank water.....

So feed? how much salt in one gallon? Conditions?

Hi,

The most common food for them in the early stages seems to be marine 'green water', basically a mix of marine phytoplankton.

At this stage I'm using Kent Phytoplex to feed them. I have no idea how good it will be, I've never seen anybody else use it. However, I have seen people using marine phytoplankton cultures of Nannochloropsis and Tetraselmis, Kent phytoplex contains both of those and the description of the product seem ideally suited. Only time will tell if I made the right choice !

I cant tell you how much salt to add for 1 Gal. I dont mix my own marine water. To do that I'd need to buy the marine salt mix and also the equipment for checking the salinity.
I buy water from my LFS. They have a marine section and will use RO water to mix water to whatever specific gravity I ask for. I'm currently using SG 1.023 (32ppt)