Cherry Shrimp Breeding

[Orion]

I've had several requests from people on this board and by others I know to sell some cherry shrimp once any juvies I have became old enough to sell. Since I've had them I've not really don't anything special or gave extra attention to them to encouage breeding.

So I'm pondering the idea of setting up a few tanks to breed them in. I'll start with one 10 gallon and add a male and a few females and let it go from there. Going to keep things simple with it, some hand fulls of java moss, a heater and a sponge filter. Keep the temp around 80F, change water twice a week and it shouldn't take long to really get the numbers up.

I don't know exactly how many batches of larvae the females in my 5 gallon have had but it's been a lot. However I haven't had a very high rate of them getting to adult hood. My guess is that I don't feed enough to be able to sustain a larger population than what I have right now in the tank. I only feed once a week, and at that it's not much.

So the more simple I can keep the actual breeding tanks the easier it will be to clean them. This way I can just load the suckers down with as much food as they can eat. I'm plauged with soft water, so keeping a 20 gallon tub of buffered water is really handy to do water changes. I only have to add buffer to the tub when it's time to refill, and for WC's just take from the tub and add to the tank. Plus I have a heater in the tub so the water is always at the right temp.

So now that we are just about moved into the new place I'm ready to take on some more projects and get back into the swing of things and take this seriously agian.

 

[Lotus]

I've done most of my breeding in one planted 10g tank. I feed every day (well, almost every day) and do a water change every two weeks. I think it took me about six months to go from 10 shrimp to 100. I keep my tank around 72F (when I can, it gets hotter in summer).

 

[Orion]

Wow I didn't imagine that they would breed so well at a lower temp like that.

I feed every day

lol, you make it look like I'm abusing mine! I'll start buffn' them up some with more frequent feedings before I move them.

 

[Orion]

Just a shameless plug for MFT:

I googled 'breeding cherry shrimp', and Lotus' Cherry Shrimp article was #3 on google.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=breeding+cherry+shrimp&btnG=Google+Search

 

[Orion]

The more I think of this, the more I think I'm just going to move fish out of my 29 gallon and put some shrimp in there. It's already planted, cycled and ready to go. Now just have to figure out what to do with the fish.

 

[Lotus]

A lot of people only feed their shrimp once or twice a week. I feed mine every day because I want them to breed and I know with that many shrimp in a 10g tank, there isn't a lot of opportunity for foraging stuff.

A slightly lower temp seems to be good for them.

I do have them breeding in community tanks, but not at the same rate.

 

[Orion]

I'll keep those in mind Lotus thanks.

 

[MOsborne05]

I've read that cherry shrimp like lower temps, around 70 degrees, so that's what I have my tank set at. I just set up a 5.5 gallon tank with a few live plants, a heater and a sponge filter. I got 12 cherry shrimp, although I can't seem to find them all. Two of them died within the first day that I had them. I can only ever seen the red ones, which I am assuming are female. Every once in a while I will see a clear one (male?) but not very often.

The lady I bought mine from sent some pellets along with them so I have been feeding them one every day because I want them to breed. At first I fed them two but that was way too much so I put a couple of small ramshorn snails in there to help with the excess food. So far they are doing good, but it's only been a week

 

[Orion]

Yeah I have mine in a 5.5 gallon as well. I can't belive how well a bright red shrimp can hide among the greenery. Don't fret to bad.

I don't know where I kept getting a higher temp was good for them. Thinking to much of general fish breeding I suppose.

I moved my tank onto my desk next to the computer and it's been the best thing I've done with this tank. Now I can actualy get to watch them agian. The move hasn't seemed to hurt any of them. I counted 6 juvies, under 1/4in, alone on just one rock last night. I love these guys.

 

[MOsborne05]

Aww, I can't wait to get some babies! I've got all of mine in the tank downstairs in the basement, so I don't see them very often. I wanted to put a few in my betta tank that is on the computer desk but the ones that I have are so tiny that I thought the betta would eat them. Once they get a little bigger I am definitely going to put a few in though, that way I can watch them

 

[Orion]

Babies should be along as soon as they mature enough. It wasn't a full two weeks after I got mine that females were already carring eggs around. And another four weeks to finaly spot a baby. (they are so small it's difficult to see them untill your used to what to look for. They look like small dots. )