[Suzie Q]

I found and bought 2 more berried ghost shrimp and two "red banded" hopefully male ghost shrimp last night from our local Walmart. After acclimating them, I released them into the 10g tank...total of 3 females and 2 males (again...hopefully). After I released them, I saw 2 alive "infant" shrimp, and one dead (floating through water). My "older" female no longer has the eggs, but is still "fat" like she is carrying something...could these be her babies? I can't find the little ones this morning, so I hope either she picked them up our they are hiding in the now clean java moss. I can see the other 2 female have eggs. I don't know if I accidently caught these infants at Walmart (I catch my own fish...they even offered me a job :hihi: ) as to not stress them out during capture...

Any comments? because I can not see the eggs on the older female...could they have hatched and she is carrying the babies? This is my VERY first time even having shrimp, so any and all suggestions are welcome. Also, is there any special food to feed? The only fish in the tank are two 3w? old guppy fry...they will be moved as soon as they are big enough not to get eaten by the adult guppy.

 

[A Hill]

You probably won't see the babies until they get to 3-5mm in length and are miniature adults. I never saw the larva just always saw the babies...

So I would calm down a bit and wait a bit:hihi: ...

-Andrew

 

[Suzie Q]

Andrew...I have an eye for detail...these were tiny (bad with measurments, so they could be 3mm) babies...looked like minature shrimp...white in color...bare bottom fry tank (not meaning to come off as rude...sorry if I did...I just see things that most people would just look over...at least I don't see dead people LOL)...just seems like she had eggs Friday, and then I see baby shrimp in the tank. I drive my husband nuts because I can see the pixels in computer printed pictures that even the sales person can not. I am trying to stay calm *breathing in brown paper bag*, I was just wondering if shrimp carry the babies for a short period of time?, or are these an accidental capture? They were so small, I don't see how they would have stayed in the net...seems like the holes in the net were bigger then they...about the size of new hatched betta fry.

 

[Cardinal Tetra]

Ghost shrimp do not carry their babies...I think that most if not all shrimp don't do this. What kind of filtration do you have? They might have been sucked up b/c ghost shrimp go through a short larval stage where they drift around in the water column. Also the guppies may have attacked the larvae.

 

[A Hill]

Andrew...I have an eye for detail...these were tiny (bad with measurments, so they could be 3mm) babies...looked like minature shrimp...white in color...bare bottom fry tank (not meaning to come off as rude...sorry if I did...I just see things that most people would just look over...at least I don't see dead people LOL)...just seems like she had eggs Friday, and then I see baby shrimp in the tank. I drive my husband nuts because I can see the pixels in computer printed pictures that even the sales person can not. I am trying to stay calm *breathing in brown paper bag*, I was just wondering if shrimp carry the babies for a short period of time?, or are these an accidental capture? They were so small, I don't see how they would have stayed in the net...seems like the holes in the net were bigger then they...about the size of new hatched betta fry.

I don't see the comment as rude.

What I was trying to say is that I'd never seen the larva, so I'm not sure. But if they where baby shrimp then their probably from your shrimp.. There seems to be two varieties of ghosts that reproduce in FW and ones the South American one that only has a larva stage of a few hrs I've read (no personal experience with these guys..) so if you think you're seeing baby shrimp you probably are:hihi:

As for seeing pixels... I have the same problem, It drives me CRAZY!

-Andrew

 

[Suzie Q]

Ghost shrimp do not carry their babies...I think that most if not all shrimp don't do this. What kind of filtration do you have? They might have been sucked up b/c ghost shrimp go through a short larval stage where they drift around in the water column. Also the guppies may have attacked the larvae.

I have a corner filter w/o media, and a sponge filter...that is it...I kinda thought the same thing...I may turn off the corner filter...it is not really strong, but it does suck stuff into it...I am also afraid that the baby guppies may have eaten them...or the snails I have in the tank...I don't know if I want to keep the snails or not...any opinions on keeping snails in with the shrimp...are shrimp better than snails? the snails were freebees, so disposing of them is not a problem.

I don't see the comment as rude.

What I was trying to say is that I'd never seen the larva, so I'm not sure. But if they where baby shrimp then their probably from your shrimp.. There seems to be two varieties of ghosts that reproduce in FW and ones the South American one that only has a larva stage of a few hrs I've read (no personal experience with these guys..) so if you think you're seeing baby shrimp you probably are:hihi:

As for seeing pixels... I have the same problem, It drives me CRAZY!

-Andrew

I am sooo glad I am not the only one who sees dead people...I mean pixels...(lately my posts have come off rude sounding to even me...not sure how to express myself I guess LOL)

The original berried female no longer has eggs, but her "feathers" under her tail are still "full" like they are holding something, but she is hiding under the corner filter, so I don't know...she also turns and looks at me when I get close to the tank to look. One of the other females eggs has eyes...they actually look kinda funny...like long sorta...this may be the larva stage?!...the last female has round greenish/brown eggs...I wish I could have gotten a picture of the two shrimplets I saw.

Thanks guys...I'll post if I see anymore babies...hopes are high!

 

[toddnbecka]

Unfortunately, ghost shrimp will hunt and eat new babies. A few may survive with sufficient cover, but it's best to isolate the female until the eggs hatch, then remove her asap if you really want to raise the young.

 

[Suzie Q]

I have 4 very alive baby ghost shrimp!!!! I have caught 2, and the other two I found while trying to catch the guppy fry...I do think the fry are eating them!!! They are going to have to take their chances with the adult guppy now!

Mom has now molted..good sign I hope...other female with the "funny" looking eggs now only has about 3 or 4 eggs...so I will be on the lookout for those...I turned off the corner filter...hopefully the babies will take refuge in there...not sure of how smart these guys are though...I will update later.