Serious problem - Shrimp keep losing their eggs!

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Pyramid_Party

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2008
4,916
4
68
Monterey, CA
Hi,


About 2 months ago I noticed a bunch of eggs on some java moss. Apparantly one of the shrimp dropped her eggs. Over the course of 2 months I been seeing more and more clutches off eggs dropped. Just today I noticed yet another bunch of eggs that one of the shrimp dropped and one of the other shrimp was eating it. I dont know why this is happening, but its happened about 6 times now.


I got about 40 shrimp maybe, and theres some small pond snails as well. The 1st time it happened, I thought it might have been stress, or perhaps the shrimp was young and a 1st time mother, and dropped the eggs. Like I say, theres no predators to stress the shrimp out, and these are the only reasons Ive heard why shrimp may drop their eggs.


Water is fine:

Ammonia 0
NitrIte 0
NitrAte 10
Hardness - Hard
PH - 7.8
Temp - 79


The only thing I can think of, is the shrimp must be like humans. When they are saddled and are producing eggs, I figure they must have a time period to mate, and if they dont the eggs are flushed rather than being fertilized and transfered to the tail. Theres plenty of males too, so I dont get it. Im getting really frustrated and disappointed, because like I say, its been about the 6th time this has happened. I been waiting several months for them to breed and I have not gotten one spawn.


Can anyone shed some light on this issue? Could it be a fact that shrimp will flush eggs if they dont mate? Thanks
 
Its a 10 gallon. From what I have heard, its no where yet overcrowded. Ive heard like 100+ are when its getting crowded. Plus The tank still looks kinda empty. It could be an issue with the snails, but I dont see anything, no hassles with eachother. Thanks for throwing an idea out.
 
Maybe they are not sexually mature yet? Are you sure you have males and females?
 
Theyre all big enough, an there is males. I cant really count how many males and females but they look about even. Most shrimp are adults and only a few juvi's.
 
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