Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping => Invertebrates - Shrimps and Snails => Topic started by: Fiona on March 16, 2016, 01:24:51 PM
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I ask because I don't want the paler males breeding with my red females and looking at the way they are flying round the tank at the moment there must be a female in there ready to mate.
I just hooked out a completely clear mature adult male but I was wondering about the little ones and the age they can start reproducing
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That thought has occurred to me too. I also have some very red females, and some very pale males, with the majority of both sexes being somewhere between the two.
When rescuing baby shrimps from the water change bucket, some of the very tiny ones are white (and very hard to see) while others are already showing a pinkish colour. Presumable those latter ones turn into the very red shrimps.
As for how old they are when they become able to breed, I haven't a clue. But I've been back through my old shrimp threads and can give you an idea.
27 July 2013 - babies born in QT, and mother found dead.
20 September 2013 - two of those babies had saddles
5 October 2013 - one of the saddled shrimps now had eggs
22 October 2013 - found baby shrimps in the water change bucket. Could have been a few days old.
So in this case, 3 months between the female shrimps being born and giving having their own babies.
It is very likely that the temp of the water and the amount & type of food will influence the speed of development of baby shrimps.
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Oh blimey.
I had to transfer the red cherry shrimp to the quarantine tank with the un-named clear shrimp when the shrimpery went septic.
I've been transferring clear adult shrimp into the 200l tank, there's a thriving colony in there now which is quite nice. I don't want the red colour contaminated too much which is why I ask. I didnt realise they could breed so soon, ah well.
The males have stopped doing laps so I'm assuming the female/s have been fertilised.
Ta Sue, I might start keeping a notebook.
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I have been toying with the idea of setting up the QT and moving the very red females into there with the reddest males I can find, but I don't think that would go down well :(
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I see shrimps of all sizes in the 200l so they're breeding in there. Could you not transfer the less bright shrimps into your main tank? If you have enough plants, they'll be fine
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I think they'd probably end up as fish food going by the way the cherry barbs scour the bottom of the tank and the loaches weave themselves into the plants after particles of food :(
Though the amanos did survive with the loaches and quite big male cockatoo apistos so it could be worth a try with big colourless males.
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At least it would stop them fertilising the females. My clear shrimps hide in the plants but my planting is very dense.
If amanos survive the males should be ok. Fingers crossed
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I'll give it a go once the eSHa Exit has been removed from the big tank :)
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I'd love to see some up to date pics of your tanks Sue, any chance?
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I'll have to take some.
Provided you all promise not to laugh at my attempts at plants - all java ferns and anubias ;D
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all java ferns and anubias ;D
reliable choice :) nought to laugh at
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Nothing wrong with anubias, though in the beginning I was surprised to see it flowering under water - pretty white flowers.
As for my Java fern it proved very economical, it started off as one plant and I now have 4 dotted around the tank tied or pushed into decor.
Both seem very hardy.
Anne
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My anubias have never flowered ???
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I have 2 in the tank and they have both flowered at least twice, my tank was set up in January 15. I am not doing anything special, it just happens despite my lack of input or maybe because of it.
In fact there is a thread on here somewhere with a picture of the first time it flowered and an alarmed enquiry to see if it was meant to.
Still doesn't seem right to have flowers under water - bees and butterflies can't get to it!
Anne
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Now I've seen your tank Sue, as lovely as it is, I can see why you'd be worried putting shrimp in it. You might be right about the bigger shrimps though.
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What plants are good for a shrimpery, and do they need added ferts
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Mine seem to like the hornwort in my shrimp tank. It's a plant with spikey leaves growing from a stem, and it doesn't need to be planted. I grow mine twisted round a piece of wood and it also makes a good floating plant. Because the stems just grow and grow, in my tank it's made a nice tangle and there are always shrimps climbing through it. I feed mine a liquid micro-nutrient fertiliser when I remember.
There's also java fern and bolbitis, both attached to wood.
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Java moss is one of the easiest 'plants' to grow and shrimps will love sifting through it. No special care required.
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Silly question time.
Those who have java moss - how do you keep it where you want it? Mine just will not stay tied to its piece of wood.
I have some in the tank with the shrimps and I now spend more time at each water change pulling bits of java moss out of the old water than I do shrimps. Yesterday it was 4 shrimps and a cheesecake tub half full of java moss. I paid for the stuff, I'm not throwing it away!
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I just used black cotton, I literally wrapped the cotton thread round "in a spiral" going up the length of wood I wanted it to stick too. I have since removed lots of the cotton again as eventually the moss sticks by itself.
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That's what I've done. I have bits of moss still caught under the cotton but most if it is sitting on the bottom of the tank. I've tried tying it back on with a second length of thread over the first but the bits still won't stay put :(
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Not sure what to suggest Sue, sorry... only thing I can think is are you 'spiraling' tight enough (as in strength you pull the cotton) or failing that perhaps send a photo through and ill compare with my efforts. Sorry I can't be of more help!
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Next time I do a water change on the 50 litre, I'll keep all the lose bits of moss to one side and see if I can tie them on any better. Maybe have the spiral turns closer together and see if that helps. If not, I'll be back with photos.
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Is it possible for you to allow the wood to be remove and stand until it is touch dry then use superglue, sue? Obviously the moss would need to be allowed to dry off briefly as well... :-\
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The problem with that is the moss is lots of 2 inch long strands so it would need rather a lot of glue :-\
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The problem with that is the moss is lots of 2 inch long strands so it would need rather a lot of glue :-\
I'll send you a 20g bottle if you'd like to try it? That should give you plenty at least to trial it and see how it works, if at all? It didn't cost me anything so I wouldn't dare charge you anything...
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The main problem with superglue is that I'm notoriously clumsy. Last time I used it I managed to get some on the worktop despite putting down paper to catch and absorb it. My husband was not at all happy about that. And how I've managed not to glue bits of me to things is something I've never understood ;D
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Well it is Permabond 910 I have which works in seconds... The name is pretty indicative of the strength of the adhesive :o
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The main problem with superglue is that I'm notoriously clumsy...
Haha you too?
I've lost count of the number of times I've glued myself to things or other parts of myself.
Mind you, the fact that it's so effective at gluing skin to skin has proven very useful in the past, when as it was used to close battlefield wounds during the Vietnam conflict. :isay:
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I've placed loads of strands together in a clump with a weight on the end, so it resembles a mop. Then i stick the weighted end in the substrate.