Ghost Shrimp Eggs Question

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Rouxster

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I've been keeping fish for the better part of 40 years. Though, oddly enough, I've never had shrimp before.

I recently bought 5 ghost/grass shrimp and one came full of eggs. She dropped them during the night, but I can't see where. Are the eggs already fertilized or do I need to have a male in the tank?
 
I don’t have ghost shrimp but do have red cherry shrimp. If they produce in the same way, the eggs would have been fertilized by the male while inside the female. They actually mate. The female then carries the eggs until birth. If she dropped the eggs, they more than likely won’t hatch. Sometimes they drop prematurely due to stress or because the female is young and not experienced yet. Are you sure she dropped them and didn’t give birth? The shrimplets are super tiny and hard to see the first week. Look on plant leaves and decor. They may be hanging out there. If she did give birth, the shrimplets will take care of themselves. Just watch closely the next week and see if you find any. Good luck!
 
the eggs would have hatched during the night and the baby shrimp will either get eaten by the fish or sucked up the filter.
 
I appreciate your input Deanasue & Colin_T!

When I bought her (the mother shrimp) she was clear full of eggs and tended to them contantly by funneling oxygen to them. She looked to be fully grown, surely over an inch. So, I assume she's mature.

The tank I have her in are with my guppy fry. One set is just a month old and the second set is just a few days old. There's no mature fish. There's also a nice clump of healthy java moss along with a large portion of water sprite that covers 75% of the top. So, hopefully the babies are in there somewhere and I'll see them in the next week or so.

Oh and the filter is has very small holes in the sponge and is powered simply by a quiet air pump. I don't fear that they've been sucked into that.

filter.jpg
 
Be careful at the next water change as you'll suck up baby shrimps, if there are any. I always check the bucket of old water before emptying it. My red cherry shrimp colony used to be in a 50 litre tank (13 gallons) and my record was 32 baby shrimps at one water change.
 
I hear what you're saying essjay. It's a small tank, so I do about 25% water changes every couple weeks. I use a clear Pyrex measuring cup to scoop out the water so that I can look into it and make sure there's no fish or shrimp.

Then, I mix in API stress coat and Quick Start into a jug that's the exact same temp as the aquarium (I use a meat thermometer that works great) and then slowly pour the new water in.
 
Ditto on the water changes. I use a turkey baster to suck up the poop in gravel and then pour into clear glass. I look carefully for shrimplets and dump any I catch back in the tank. Most of them get out of the way. Shrimplets are smart. I am amazed at how well they can hide. Hope you get some survivors! My guppies never messed with my adult rcs but I’m sure shrimplets are another story. Good luck!
 
Deanasue, I love the turkey baster comment. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that uses that commonly overlooked kitchen utensil, lol!

I still haven't seen any of the shrimplets, but hopefully I will soon. When/if they come out of the java moss and/or coral, I'll be sure to post pictures of the youngins :)
 

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