This Is The Busiest Day Of My Fishkeeping Career

AstonN24vantage · Jan 3, 2011

today, i saw a few tiny babies trying to hide from my guppies, who had them. so far i have counted 2, but it only happened 15 mins ago.

for whatever reason, my ghost shrimp also have eggs on their backs,will they be okay like that or should i remove them? what about when they're born?

and on top of all this i have some homework and study!

fishnovice · Jan 3, 2011

AstonN24vantage said:
today, i saw a few tiny babies trying to hide from my guppies, who had them. so far i have counted 2, but it only happened 15 mins ago.

for whatever reason, my ghost shrimp also have eggs on their backs,will they be okay like that or should i remove them? what about when they're born?

and on top of all this i have some homework and study!

Best to remove guppy fry immediately if you can. Try sucking them up with a pipette or turkey baster if you have one. If not try catching fry in small yogurt pot or polystyrene cup.If you don' t have a breeder net, just keep fry in normal net hanging inside the tank with handle sticking out over the side.Don't know much about shrimp but I believe the parents normaly carry eggs till they hatch so leave them alone for now
Good luck!

AstonN24vantage · Jan 3, 2011

ok. i know about guppies, they are with their 16 day old friends, in the breeder trap, who are orphaned 'cause the mother died and the other mother, who just had these babies is in the process of, well, pooping out more!

AstonN24vantage · Jan 4, 2011

anyone know about the shrimp?

fishnovice · Jan 4, 2011

AstonN24vantage said:
anyone know about the shrimp?

MODERATOR _ Can you move this post to the invertebrates and amphibians -shrimp/frogs/newts/turtles section?

Gilli · Jan 4, 2011

If the shrimp have small green dots underneath their abdomens these are eggs that will eventually hatch into the baby shrimp. A female whose eggs have already hatched will have tiny pink dots under her abdomen. These are the tiny babies that are clinging to their mother. When they drop off to find food they will be eaten by any fish.

If you want to try to keep some you can gently remove the eggs or babies into another tank. The fry is however hard to feed since it is very hard to offer them food that are small enough. A good source can be found on moss balls if you have any in your main tank transfer them with the babies.Larger snails such as mystery snails and apple snails also produce infusoria. Ghost shrimp larvae eat infusoria. Any freshwater breeder tank that has fish or shrimp going through a larval stage would benefit from the addition of an infusorian producing snail into the tank. Or you can feed them on powdered fry food you can purchase from your local fish shop.

AstonN24vantage · Jan 4, 2011

can the baby ghost shrimp stay with the baby guppies? if the tank is well planted, can i just leave the ghost shrimp be?

how long does the hatching process take?

Gilli · Jan 5, 2011

Eggs hatch roughly 21 days after being produced - assuming that is that you have male shrimp also because the female will produce eggs but of course they need to be fertilized! They will need to be in a tank on their own. If you dont have another tank you could maybe use a tank divider , or put your guppy fry in a breeding net. If not then just leave them be and see if any survive - if you have plenty of plants and cover a few may.

Also be careful with your filter as they are so tiny they will easily be sucked in - best to put a piece of a pair of tights (or stockings) over the intake to prevent this.