Omg Baby Cherries

[simplysim]

Hi

I cant believe that last night I saw one of my cherrie shrimps lay eggs and watch the eggs hatch (if that how it works)

Heres what happened:

I did think she was acting very odd the last couple of days, she was trying to find a way under the glass my filter, and yesterday her colour went from a deep red to a very pale red and i acually thought she was dead as there was no movement, then when i checked last night she managed to get herself under the glass and was acting really oddly, then all of a sudden i keep seeing something moving from her backend and being pushed away then i saw 3 little shrimps almost transparant and really could only see 2 little eyes as they were tiny, they swam away and i have not seen them since, my cherry shrimp has moved from under the glass and has probably hidden away under the rocks again.

Is there any chance of the babies surving? Will my fish eat them as they are so small? Does 3 babies sound like the right amount or do they normally have more?

The funny thing is i have been keeping an eye on my shirmp and looking out for the saddle and looking to see if they have been carring any eggs but i have not seen any of this, this is why i am suprised, but very excited at the same time, fingers crossed they survive.

 

[Craster]

Most fish will eat the babies if they get the chance. I depends whether you've got plenty of good hiding places in the tank, really.

 

[simplysim]

I have loads of rocks at the back of my tank which the red cherries seem to live in my fish cant get in there, but its weather the babies make it there before the fish eat them then

Do you know roughly how many babies they would normally have? does 3 sound about right?

Thanks

 

[shroob]

3 is a small number of shrimplets, I'd say the average number is probably 25-30ish. Is it possible you missed some, as 3 is a very unlikely number for a female shrimp to be carrying. The size of the clutch will increase with age, with older larger females carrying more eggs.

The survival of shrimplets depends on the tankmates and hiding places. 99% of fish will take any opertunity they can to snack on baby shrimp, yet baby shrimp are good hiders so its likely atleast a few will make it. The best form of hiding places seems to be aquatic mosses (eg. java moss, christmas moss etc).

What fish do you have in with the shrimp? I had guppies in with mine at one stage and quite a few shrimp made it to adulthood due to their ability to hide and provision of hiding places.

 

[simplysim]

I probably did miss it, could she of laid some of her eggs else where? as i can see the shells of the eggs and there does not look like there is more then a few.

I also think she is a very young shrimp as we have only had her about 6 weeks and she was tiny when we got her..

In out tank we have a mixture, Guppys, Platy, Danio, Neon Tretras, Koi sword tail.

We have alot of rock which both of my shrimp seem to spend alot of time hinding, so hopfully they would have found their way in there.

I love my shrimp and was going to go and buy some more but hopfully some of these babies will survive.. do you know how long it will be before i will start to notice them if they have survived?

Thanks

 

[shroob]

Baby shrimp spend alot of the time hiding (can't blame them really), having said that the first time I notice them is when I see them on the glass, but thats probably because mine are in a shrimp only tank, if yours did this they would most likely be eaten.

Not sure how long it will be until they start to come out, the presence of other fish will keep them in hiding longer.