Why aren't my shrimps multiplying?

[i<3Opae]

It's been a while since I posted about my tank (original post - https://www.petshrimp.com/discussions/v ... 917#p39052), truth is I just kinda left it alone for a few months.

During these past months, we moved the tank to our new home (20 miles). Thanks to some posts on this forum, it went without a hitch. I basically got rid of 2/3 of the water, left everything in there (shrimp, decor etc) and moved the tank. The water sloshed around on the way but the shrimps were tough and they didn't go into shock or anything once I refilled the water. Then I kinda let it sit.

Like Mustafa predicted, all the plants slowly withered away. I left them in the tank due to part laziness. Then something happened - a hair algae (which I never introduced to my tank) started growing like a jungle and got to a point so bad, I had to scoop out most of it. The shrimps seemed to ignore it. Also as water evaporated, I didn't top it off, because I read higher salinity is better for breeding (?). The salinity got to about 1.008 (from 1.005).

I was hoping by leaving the tank alone, my opae will start mating. But noooooo, they just liked to eat and swim around. They've gotten SO big too! Most are at least half an inch long. But still no berried females. This weekend I cleaned the tank but scooping out access hair algae and shrimp poop, filled up the tank, increased the salinity to 1.010. Went and got 20 more shrimps and a pipipi snail. The new arrivals appeared tiny next to the established residents! I hope this will kick start some socializing, and hopefully have some berried females sometime soon.

I've read many success stories on breeding here, so if you notice anything that I'm not doing right, please let me know! Or any suggestions!

[Varanus]

This is just a theory but its possible your tank's environment hasn't been stable enough, what with the dying plants, the move, the cleaning, etc. If you can get it to the point that you don't have to clean it or do anything more than add food or water occasionally then you might have more luck.

[i<3Opae]

Hopefully! I left the tank alone after the move...for maybe 8 months, now that I thought about it...that was when the algae got out of control. I don't feed them because there is plenty algae still.

[shrimpy4]

I'm having this same problem since I moved my shrimp into a 5 gallon tank almost a year ago. They berried and bred a handful of times in their 1 gallon bowl, but never in this much larger tank. O dice. Salinity is around 1.010-1.012, sides of the tank are greenish with algae. All are bright red so they seem happy, just haven't seen them breed since going into the big tank. Snails and hair algae also all seem happy, as well as my hermit crab.

[i<3Opae]

Maybe the size of the tank has to do with it

[Mustafa]

Maybe the size of the tank has to do with it

Absolutely not. In larger tanks there is a higher chance of breeding actually. It's most likely what Varanus said....your tank has been unstable and full of nutrients (dying plants and all)... All you can do is just wait and try to remove as much organic matter as possible (such as hair algae and dead plant matter).

[Mustafa]

Snails and hair algae also all seem happy, as well as my hermit crab.

I'm pretty sure if you remove the hermit crab and stop feeding you'll see a "miracle" involving eggs and larvae appearing out of seemingly nowhere (at some point anyway).

[i<3Opae]

All you can do is just wait and try to remove as much organic matter as possible (such as hair algae and dead plant matter).

Really? Good to know! Funny because I assumed more nutrient will ensure reproduction. Didn't expect the opposite. I'll be more diligent going forward - the tank does get a lot of natural growth of hair algae.

[Varanus]

That's the thing about these shrimp, they are adapted to thrive off of very little. What you think of as extra nutrients they (especially the larva) may only experience as excess nutrients that results in pollution in the tank.

[shrimpy4]

Snails and hair algae also all seem happy, as well as my hermit crab.

I'm pretty sure if you remove the hermit crab and stop feeding you'll see a "miracle" involving eggs and larvae appearing out of seemingly nowhere (at some point anyway).

Ya, I suppose when the hermit finally goes I won't replace him. Not sure what to do about him now though. I've had him for about 4 years so I do want him to at least live out his life. I thought he died a couple of months ago when I saw a husk but it was just a molted shell. How long do small marine hermits even live?

[i<3Opae]

Revisiting my original question, I have slowly cleaned out all the hair algae and there are no more plants in my tank. Still no berried females. Seeing active foraging and molts. Today I was reading on the forum and came across someone saying filter may mess with breeding behavior. I have a filter that's on 24/7, to keep the water clean. Could it be that?

[Varanus]

I don't know if its presence would interfere with breeding or not, but regardless a filter shouldn't be needed to keep a supershrimp tank clean. I've run my tank for years now without a filter and the water is quite pristine-looking.

[i<3Opae]

Thanks Varanus! I always assumed everyone had filter! I'll experienment with mine to see if I can turn it off.

[Varanus]

In addition to having very low oxygen requirements, supershrimp come from water that is usually completely still. These are the reasons its recommended here to not use a filter, just to be clear its not something to attempt with most aquatic creatures.

[i<3Opae]

Still water in the pools? Very interesting!