Shrimp Eggs?

[PrairieSunflower]

Ok... I've had my cherry shrimp in a tank of their own (with a few newborn guppy fry) for MONTHS with no babies... well... the fry is a new addition hasn't been there the entire time.


NOW... tell me these are finally eggs I saw them coming out of the female. I am going to separate my guppy fry shortly.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I can't seem to find reliable information about hatching cherry red shrimp eggs. I've found a lot of conflicting information... hope some isn't true... like that the female will keep fanning them... as my female has abandoned them so I made a DIY tiny mesh container to keep them safe.

 

[Questions?]

i think that is eggs. but i thought cherry shrimp don't lay eggs since they are advanced breeding, and the baby shrimp come out like mini versions of the adults
also
CONGRATULATIONS

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I just managed to find a page about hatching baby shrimps even without a mother... seemed simple... apparently that person did it by simply protecting the eggs and using an eye dropper to wash them and stimulate them from time to time. So, I am hoping to do the same with mine. I've not managed to breed ANY shrimp in the 3-4 months I've had them in a tank without adult fish.

 

[hannakournikova]

Im far from experienced about cherry shrimp BUT i have a cherry shrimp tank and i genuinely just leave them to their own devices.
Regular as clockwork every 8 weeks there is a new batch of small'ins

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I've not had ANY babies though..... ever! And I've had cherry shrimp for at least a year. Only moved them to their own tank for about 3-4 months though. I'm too worried my eggs will get sucked up in a water change... though for some time I've been trying to avoid vaccuming the one side in hopes of not sucking up something I can't see.

 

[hannakournikova]

Well to combat this i but an extra few layers of filter wool in mine to slow suction down - BUT i have also been told to use a bit of tight material to keep the wee beasties out

 

[Baccus]

If the eggs are fertile then your best bet would be to put the eggs in a container floating in the tank and have an airstone bubbling away to keep the water moving around the eggs, basically an egg tumbler. Do you have male cherry shrimp? If not she may have abandoned the eggs due to them being infertile, but most times they only throw the eggs if stressed.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

They have a very quiet tank out of the way of traffic, so I assume she wasn't stressed, at least not by us disturbing her.

I have 12 females and 2 males... well... I have 11 females, 2 males and 1 I think is a female but might be a male... sort of looks in between.

How would I know if they are infertile or fertile?

This is what I rigged up to keep the eggs safe. I moved it after taking the photo. Its near the corner of my tank... the mesh contraption is sitting on a feeding ring to keep it from floating away... and its in front of my little fluval mini filter with the water flow pointed at the bottom. I had tried an air stone but it was far too powerful and blowing the eggs up out of the water.

 

[Baccus]

It looks like a good set up for the eggs, I know other people have "tumbled" crystal shrimp eggs when berried females have died suddenly and it has worked for them. With males present the eggs should be fertile. unless because of having so many females and so few males the males have not been able to locate the females when they are ready to breed. Keep an eye on the eggs, I dare say they will go fungusie if not fertile or getting enough water movement. I am not sure at what stage/ age but if the eggs are fertile and viable then you will eventually be able to see little eyes inside the eggs.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I will also give the eggs an occasional jiggle in hopes that no fungus grows. I soooo want more shrimp! I thought I'd have breed enough to spread into my other tanks by now.

 

[Baccus]

I can understand the impatience, it took a good six months of constant head counting before I was sure I had a growing population of cherry shrimp. And now I have them every where.
Best of luck with the eggs, and keep us posted on any developments

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I suspect the eggs aren't doing well despite my efforts. A portion of them have started to go fuzzy so I removed them. Hope the rest won't go fuzzy as well, the water circulation is still good and they are constantly jiggling.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I forgot to say, I think they may like eating the Tetra Mini Baby food. I've never ever had eggs until I had a few guppy fry in there and was feeding them the baby food. I think I will keep up feeding it to the shrimp now that the fry have moved.

 

[Baccus]

Cherry shrimp will eat basically anything you chose to throw at them. But it is a good idea to feed them something rather than just have them scrounge around for food, at least until your population is begining to flourish.
My shrimp not only get tropical fish flakes but also sinking catfish wafers, shrimp pellets and a defrosted bloodworms. They really love bloodworms.