Ghost shrimp

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CHOMPERS

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Apr 28, 2006
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I have a ghost shrimp that is loaded with eggs. How long before they hatch and what do I need to do? They are in a ten gallon tank with a hob filter. Should I replace the hob with a sponge filter or just cover the inlet with fabric? Also, what do baby shrimp eat?
 
I've never raised them, but here's a post from another site.

http://fins.actwin.com/live-foods/month.9709/msg00007.html

My first success in propagating ghost shrimp involved adding a ripe female
to a tank with green water. She wound up dying after her eggs hatched, but
the nauplii survived, filter-feeding on the green water. After a few
months, I had a batch of new ghost shrimp.

I've also successfully raised ghost shrimp in an unpopulated 55g tank
plant. This tank produced high mortality rates because of the filtration
system. Many of the nauplii would go through the filtration system and not
survive.

Ghost shrimp nauplii live as free-swimming little shrimplets in their newly
hatched, 1.5 - 2 mm state. They float in the current head-down, looking
like slivers of glass in your water. During this stage, they are filter
feeders. When they moult, they look like little shrimp and can then both
filter-feed and can feed on food that they collect with their claws.

IMO, the biggest detriment (other than fish in the tank) to raising ghost
shrimp is a filtration system. Possibly an airlift might be appropriate to
move water, but I wouldn't go farther than that.

I hope this helps,
Click to expand...
 
When I bred ghost shrimp, I didn't run a filter at all. I just had them in a 5 gallon bucket, with LOTS of java moss in the bottom. It is important to remove the adults after the eggs have been deposited. Another option is phytoplankton if you have access to it. Iso is better, but nano will work too.
 
I don't have java moss, but I do have a bucket of green suspended algae. It looks like that is good food for them when they hatch. Where would I find phytoplankton?
 
Phyto is great as is green water, but the java moss is very good to have as it helps the young hid from the adults. If you are good about pulling the adults after the eggs are hatched, it isn't necessary, but still good. The moss will also grow a lot of food for the young.
 
You might also consider placing some rocks in a green water culture as mats of algae will also grow there. Young shrimp also will take veg materials like blanched magnolia leaves, stewed spinach, kale etc. Pretty much any algae will be excepted but, I'd make sure it was a fresh water source not s.w. You could also try powdered spirulina like from the health food store etc.
hth
Max
p.s. this is pretty neat keep us posted.
 
green water is the same as phytoplankton. The commercially-available phytoplankton is probably grown the same way, anyway!

yeah, you're gonna need to cover your filter inlet or get rid of the filter, as suggested. The babies are tiny when they hatch, nearly microscopic. I used to cover mine with a filter media bag, with openings about 180 micron and it still didn't save most of them. You might want to just replace a power filter with an air-driven sponge filter. It won't provide mechanical filtration, just biological and aeration :)
 
plah831;566417; said:
green water is the same as phytoplankton. The commercially-available phytoplankton is probably grown the same way, anyway!

yeah, you're gonna need to cover your filter inlet or get rid of the filter, as suggested. The babies are tiny when they hatch, nearly microscopic. I used to cover mine with a filter media bag, with openings about 180 micron and it still didn't save most of them. You might want to just replace a power filter with an air-driven sponge filter. It won't provide mechanical filtration, just biological and aeration :)
Click to expand...

I am glad you mentioned that. I moved the soon to be mom to a fish bowl. From what I can count, she has 12 eggs attached to her. Or maybe that is 12 clusters of eggs depending how big they really are. I have seen shrimp and lobsters that were loaded with hundreds or thousands of eggs. I am surprised that there are only 12. Maybe a first timer?
 
They'll hatch on MOM and then you can pull her. I'd use a sponge filter, if you've got one that's gungy, and in use, don't clean it. Just move it to the tank. This will give you a feeding station. Food will collect there and they'll have access to it all day. Flake food is okay. If you don't already have one in all that stuff you just bought get one of the Tetra ones. The round vertical sponge will give better access to the babies. Just throw in more females that are carrying whenever you notice them and move them after they've dropped the babies. The dirty sponges do a better job of handling the ammonia produced by the shrimp.
 
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