i got some ghost shrimp tonight and as i was putting them in the tank i noticed one of them that is carrying eggs. one of the reasons i have wanted these is to breed them so is there anything special i should know? do they need iodine cause that might be a problem. im in the processes of planting my tank so if the be babies need places to hide my tank should be accommodating. here's a link to my planted journal so yall can see pictures of the tank (to give yall a better idea of what im dealing with here) http://www.fishforums.net/content/Invertebrates-Amphibians-Aquatic-Reptiles-Forum/245044/http-www-fishforums-net-index-php-showtopic-245044/ . the pH swings slowly from time to time, slowly over a period of a few weeks. it comes out of the tap at an extremely high level, idk what it is because the high range test on my API test kit doesnt even go that high. i have atleast 2 theories one why it gets lower once in my tank. 1, i have a piece of bogwood in there, and 2 i have a banjo catfish in there. banjo's are related the the chaca chaca, which is known for lowering the pH in aquariums. i wouldnt be surprised if banjos are capable of the same thing to an extent. if yall need further info on the tank just ask.

First of all, you need to get an exact species ID on them. Many shrimp are sold under the common name 'Ghost', and some need brackish or even seawater to breed.

Almost all of them have a larval stage, so you need to get the female in a small tank until they hatch, then remove her and adjust the SG if needed. They'll need very small foods until they metamorphose into shrimplets, then you can bring them back to freshwater.

To be honest, it's not worth it, but you can try. Hopefully you have P. paludosus, as that is the only one I know of that is freshwater. They have orange colored joints on their front legs. Lots of pictures of them.

yes, it is P. paludosus. she does have those orange marks like you describe and as they are shown on that site. what should i do? the tank is cycled and established but it hasnt been established for very long and im afraid that other than that bogwood the larve might not find that many microorganisms to feed off of. i could go to a lake or something where i can go fishing and just bring back a few rocks or or part of a log thats been under water and will have microorganisms on it so they'll have food. i have a LOT of java moss in betta tanks which i can relocate to this one for breeding purposes should they need it.

Okay, I google around a bit, and found this site. Based on it and a few others, I think you should seperate the female when it looks like the eggs are ready to hatch into a bucket filled with tank-water. Put a sponge filter with a little bit of the media from the shrimp tank's filter in there, and a heater.

Basically feed really small foods, such as baby brine shrimp, crushed flake, etc., until the shrimp metamorphose into benthic shrimp. According to pet shrimp, that will take only a few days.

I would not take anything from a pond, you don't know what you could bring in on them. The moss is a good idea, however.

I've never heard of anyone specifically breeding ghosts, so this is likely going to be trial and error the first few times. I wish you the best. Hopefully once your tank is mature they can breed without going through all this hassle.

This post has been edited by TylerFerretLord: Jun 5 2008, 06:13 PM

thanks so much. thats a great web page. i dont think im going to do that whole bucket thing right now though, thats a bit much. im still just trying to get my aquarium properly planted. i might go get some duckweed though just to help out. it shouldnt be too expensive, its not like most ppl actually want it in their aquariums thanks for all your help. ill let you know if things work out