Progress updates

[Mech]

if they dont take it right away dont worry, i wouldnt leave it in for more then 2 - 3 hours if its a small tank... these shrimps really are awesome!b

[Varanus]

Well they definitely wanted them. In fact I had to put in more pellets because they were fighting over them (as much as shrimp fight, more like chasing each other and trying to take the pellets from each other) and all was consumed in an hour or two. Keep in mind these are very tiny pellets.

Still it has now left me worried that there isn't enough algae/biofilm in the tank. Certainly the only visible algae is still just some green stains on the holy rock and green film on the water's surface. I thought there must be enough since the snails have lived just fine for weeks in the tank, but might I need to feed weekly instead of bi-weekly?

[Mech]

I would stick to feeding every 2 weeks, they will be fine. I use these pellets in my fresh shrimp tank and they also go crazy for them lol.

[KenCotigirl]

Very important to remember using the PSM (pet shrimp method) do not over feed. Over feeding causes most problems.

Ken

[Varanus]

Will do, just would feel better if there was more visible algae. I guess it is hard for shrimp to starve though.

[jonesinfershrimp]

I guess it is hard for shrimp to starve though.

i have a problem with overfeeding my ghosties i think. or possibly even fighting for territory. not really sure, im trying something new. check out viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5770 for details. BUT yes, its hard for a shrimp to starve i would suppose. biofilm is quite abundant.

[Varanus]

I've noticed what seems to be, for lack of a better term, a personality in one of the supershrimp (or perhaps just a display of memory). That is one individual (told apart by being notably paler than most all the others) is pretty much the only one that seems to take advantage of the layer of green film on the water's surface, spending considerable time up there with the snails. At first I thought it was just chance that it ended up there, but when it rode down a falling snail (they fall off the surface film periodically) it immediately swam back to the surface rather than just scrubbing a nearby object, indicating memory.

[mcdaney]

I've noticed what seems to be, for lack of a better term, a personality in one of the supershrimp (or perhaps just a display of memory). That is one individual (told apart by being notably paler than most all the others) is pretty much the only one that seems to take advantage of the layer of green film on the water's surface, spending considerable time up there with the snails. At first I thought it was just chance that it ended up there, but when it rode down a falling snail (they fall off the surface film periodically) it immediately swam back to the surface rather than just scrubbing a nearby object, indicating memory.

You should see them do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8pyo5tfuxY

Indeed it's interesting that they have this kind of behaviour. I do have times when my shrimps repeatedly do something as if there's some form of memory.

[Varanus]

Interesting, they really do seem intent on experiencing the bubbles for one reason or another, looking for all the world like kids lining up for a water slide. Mine seem to be the opposite and get stressed out if there is anything more than a minor disturbance in the water. I had to move some of the macroalgae around yesterday and they were swimming about semi-frantic for hours afterward.

[Mustafa]

Will do, just would feel better if there was more visible algae. I guess it is hard for shrimp to starve though.

Biofilm carpets pretty much all surfaces in the aquarium rather quickly (within days of establishing the tank). Algae are just one component of biofilm. Not all organisms that make up biofilm are that visible, like bacteria, fungi etc.. I wouldn't be worried at all. There is more than enough to eat. Plus, these shrimp don't starve for years. Hence "Supershrimp!"

[Varanus]

Berries! Three berried females showed up this morning!

Goes to show how great supershrimp are, I still haven't gotten any eggs out of my freshwater shrimp.

[Varanus]

Well the girls still all have their eggs. Its interesting, a lot of the time I can't find them no matter how hard I look, but when one berried female comes out of hiding the others tend to appear about the same time. They seem to be on some kind of schedule only they know.

So assuming my first sighting twelve days ago was shortly after they laid the eggs, around how much more time should it be before I can expect them to hatch?

[mcdaney]

It takes about a month (30 to 35 days) for the eggs to develop

[Varanus]

It takes about a month (30 to 35 days) for the eggs to develop

Ah, I might have babies around Christmas or New Years then (the former only if they laid the eggs a number of days before I noticed them).

[Varanus]

No hatching yet, but the females all still have most of their eggs, which I hear is pretty good for a first breeding in a tank (I think one female may have dropped a quarter of her eggs, or she is just carrying fewer than the others). I'm also pretty sure I now have four berried females. Assuming most of the eggs survive my tank will be undergoing quite the population increase soon.