Green Eggs?

[jpedersen024]

My largest amano has been carrying around eggs on her underside for at least ... hmm..... 2-3 weeks now. That I've noticed anyways. Possibly longer.

The eggs have always been a greenish tinge. I assumed it was from her... she's got some colouration on her back that seemed similar. Now as time goes on, and she hasn't 'hatched' any, they really seem (the more I look) like a yucky (booger) green cloud attached to her.

Is this normal? Have they died/ gotten fungus? How long do they usually take to develop and hatch? I've got her isolated in my quarantine tank so that I could scoop her out and add salt when the time came (as I've read is necessary), but I'm wondering if it ever will..? What do the shrimplets look like?? Will I be able to spot them easily? (not knowing what they look like and all..??)

A lot of questions, but any info would be appreciated at this point!

 

[Invader Xan]

As far as I know, the fact that she's holding the eggs is a good sign. If they were infertile for any reason, she'd have most likely dropped them by now. If you look carefully, you'll see her waving her swimmerets and possibly preening them with her back legs. That's why you shouldn't need to worry about them getting dirty -- the mother shrimp will keep her eggs very clean.

I've never seen amano eggs first hand, but a gradual change in colour might just be because of the shrimplets developing inside the eggs...?

As for what they look like once hatched, I'm sure I've seen a video somewhere on YouTube.

 

[Bloo]

As for what they look like once hatched, I'm sure I've seen a video somewhere on YouTube.

Afraid that's unlikely to be Amano Shrimp you saw hatching. The zoes (baby "shrimp") are nothing more than little dots (or commas) and look nothing like shrimp. Java, if you're interested in finding out more about how Amano Shrimp breed and reproduce, you can have a look at My attempt in my thread. Long story short - unless you have a marine water set-up for the zoes and a freshwater hatching tank (and lots of time one your hands), just let her be in the main tank

 

[Invader Xan]

TBH, that're more or less exactly what the video was of! I saw it posted on a shrimp forum somewhere.

Ah! Here... Link

Not much, I know -- but with tiny crustaceans, I've found the way they move to be quite a good way of identifying them.

 

[Bloo]

wow great vid but those certainly look a whole lot older than 6 days - they must be on steroids if they're only 6 days old!

 

[Invader Xan]

Hmmm... Bloo, I was just reading some of your thread (don't have enough time to read it all). So amano zoes are also attracted to light? I guess it must be a common trait to a lot of crustacean zoes/nauplii...

Other than the brackish water, I wonder if you'd have much success raising them in the same way as baby triops... (In a cycled tank though, naturally). Sadly, all of my amanos are male, though I do have a pregnant rice prawn at the moment.

 

[jpedersen024]

Thank you both!

Unfortunately I don't have a fast enough connection (crappy dial up!!) to make downloading video worthwhile.

I remember reading through your post a while back Bloo... hence my attempt to segregate mom and eggs. I would never be able to siphon out the zoes from my 55g, so I figured if I could segregate her out for the time being, wait until they hatch (providing they all come out pretty much at once??), I can then put mom back in the main tank, and salt up my quarantine tank to keep them living..? Is this too simplistic in thinking??

If I didn't like the darn things so much, and they weren't so expensive (and hard to find!!) here, I'd be more likely to forget about it... As it is, figured I'd give it a decent go. They've done a FABULOUS job in clearing some of the nastier algae from my tank. Little darlings.

Let me know what you think.

 

[Invader Xan]

If, if you reckon you've got the equipment and patience to give it a shot, then I say go for it! Can't hurt to try, after all...

 

[three-fingers]

Hmmm... Bloo, I was just reading some of your thread (don't have enough time to read it all). So amano zoes are also attracted to light? I guess it must be a common trait to a lot of crustacean zoes/nauplii...

It is, a lot of filter feeding animals share this trait. It's because there is a higher density of phytoplankton in areas where there's more light .
Adult brine shrimp for example are attracted to the light, as are daphnia, triops nauplii and most if not all zooplankton.

 

[frozenbarb]

same way how the seamonkey would work expect when the zoes are turning into shrimp you need to bring them to FW

 

[jpedersen024]

Ok, I've added a wee bit of salt to the tank.... hopefully not enough to bother 'mom'....

but how long are these things supposed to take to hatch??? Sure seems like it's been forever already...... I haven't seen anything that gives specifics...

 

[three-fingers]

Ok, I've added a wee bit of salt to the tank.... hopefully not enough to bother 'mom'....

but how long are these things supposed to take to hatch??? Sure seems like it's been forever already...... I haven't seen anything that gives specifics...

What type of salt did you add? I wouldn't bother about it harming mum, apparently amano shrimp can thrive in brackish water too .

 

[jpedersen024]

Natural aquarium salts - Doc Wellfish.

I think salt is supposed to cause molting problems in adult shrimp.... required for the zoes to grow their exos, but not a good thing for adults. go figure.

Then again, I'm certainly no expert!!

 

[Invader Xan]

I remember reading that the swamps where amano shrimp live in the wild are often brackish. You're doing the right thing adding it slowly though.

 

[three-fingers]

Actually, that salt is useless . It's just sodium chloride, you need marine salt used for reef aquariums to make the water brackish . The babies wont be able to survive if you use the useless 'aquarium tonic salt' as it's often called.
Amano shrimp are found over a wide range of habitats in Japan, some it brackish swamps, some in freshwater rivers. I've heard they will thrive in brackish aquariums, but have found no evidence. It figures they should be able to though