My success story

[tooth]

Goodness gracious. 2 more berried females today, for a total of seven since February. One of them, I'm sure, is a descendent of the originals, the first one to berry that was not one of the shrimp I bought from Mustafa (I think I can tell by size--this one is much smaller than my other bearing females). All the other bearing females have been the originals. It took about 2 1/2 years for this one to mature to breeding condition. Is that typical?

[tooth]

I was too quick to post. Number eight just showed up an hour ago. As I look closely, I see that at least 3 of the current berried females are of the second generation of 2 1/2 years ago. The egg clutches do not appear as big as the larger and older females bear.

[tooth]

For the past several days my 'banded female' of last year's fame (lots of breeding) has been swimming erratically, swimming up to the top of the tank, then drifting down, sometimes tilting sideways or even upside down without swimming movements. Then she would sit on the substrate for a while and repeat the whole thing. It was as if her buoyancy/proprioception were not right. Her odd behavior would attract the attention of other shrimp which would harass her a little--swimming around her and bumping into her.
Today I think I figured out the problem--a huge clutch of eggs. Her swimming seems to be back to normal. I've never seen that kind of behavior in a female about to berry.

[tooth]

Berried female number 10 showed up the other day--there are 9 females carrying eggs currently.

[jonesinfershrimp]

you have no idea how jelly i am. lmao. i need to order mine already! i want to be like the rest of you and post about how i have berries and babies!!!

[tooth]

Two more berried females showed the last couple of days, but the second female of the spring reproduction frenzy is starting to release larvae. This is very much a new record for me--11 berried females at once, back to 10 in a couple of days.
The algae on the substrate shows little sign of slowing its growth. Maybe I'll never need to feed the tank? If the waste from the shrimp is enough to feed the algae, I think I'm good to go. A side note--the macroalgae is just sitting there, not growing. It is still green, though.
How many shrimp will a 10 gallon tank support? I should have around 170-180 in there now, and with the current crop of eggs coming along, I'll have close to 300 if they all hatch.
Brad

[Super Jess]

This thread is amazing! I really enjoyed reading your account of keeping the opae. Your success inspires me, and reaffirms my dedication to keeping pets that thrive on benign neglect It's hard to wait until I can order mine, but your story and updates make the waiting easier! Thank you!

[tooth]

Super Jess--they really do thrive on benign neglect. Hope you have as much fun as I've had--with very little effort, I might add.
The second female to berry just released 7 larvae--a small number compared to some.
Another berried female showed up today, so I still have 11.

[Super Jess]

That's great news! Last night I had a dream my little tank was full of little upside-down larvae. Must have been dreaming of your tank, 'cause it certainly isn't mine

[tooth]

One more larva showed up yesterday, so the second female had eight total.
On a sillier note, 2 more berried females showed up today, for a total of 13 females currently carrying.
My estimate for total shrimp in the tank, counting larvae, is about 170, of which 9 are original (I lost one of the ten I bought from Mustafa). The first year they bore about 30 or so offspring. If you figure a mix of 50/50 male to female (guessing), I should have about 15-20 eligible females (counting originals), since the rest are not sexually mature (again guessing based on the size of the berried females compared to the rest of the population). With a total of 15 carrying this spring, that just about includes everybody mature enough to breed.
Brad

[Mustafa]

For the past several days my 'banded female' of last year's fame (lots of breeding) has been swimming erratically, swimming up to the top of the tank, then drifting down, sometimes tilting sideways or even upside down without swimming movements. Then she would sit on the substrate for a while and repeat the whole thing. It was as if her buoyancy/proprioception were not right. Her odd behavior would attract the attention of other shrimp which would harass her a little--swimming around her and bumping into her.
Today I think I figured out the problem--a huge clutch of eggs. Her swimming seems to be back to normal. I've never seen that kind of behavior in a female about to berry.

You're describing mating behavior. The female just molted and is trying to get away from males chasing her. Female shrimp do all kinds of weird maneuvers to get away..partially also because they are still soft after molting and a bit klutzy.

[Mustafa]

My estimate for total shrimp in the tank, counting larvae, is about 170,

There are probably way more than that there. My experience is that there are always a lot more shrimp than you can count and hence you think you have. Anyway..wow...congrats, congrats, congrats! Your tank is a poster for my method. At some point I'll have to pay you royalties or something... Good to have you around, because for some reason people just don't want to believe me when I say "don't do anything and just follow these simple instructions." Like it's in my best interest to trick them or something...LOL

[tooth]

Thanks, Mustafa. Your method has proven itself.
A few pics.
The first shows yours truly as the unprofessional photog, but also several of the 12 currently berried females, some larvae, and some of our yard.
The second shows 3 berried females, one of which is way out of focus to the back.
The third shows a few of the 26 larvae hanging their shy and contrite heads.
The fourth shows the algae buffet in full swing, including some of the collapsed algae from the back glass still present, being enjoyed by a mother-to-be.

[JennyPenny]

Nice tank! It's so neat that they are thriving. I love seeing the different life cycles in your tank.

[Mustafa]

Nice! Your tank has definitely come a long way from the algae infested tank you started out with years ago.