Ghost Shrimp fry/tank set-up

[Pi]

After buying my first shrimp I couldn't resist more (I'm sure many of you have experienced a similar phenomena...). So I decided to try out some ghosts.

Well, I had a pregnant ghost whom I put in a 1 gal. She did okay there for a few days, and released her eggs (they already were showing eyes when I got her). I took her out at that point. But there only seem to be 3 fry, which I understand to be a very small hatch.

I'm going to get a few more today for another tank of mine, and because the store I'm getting them from has crazy amounts of pregnant shrimp chances are I'll be getting another momma.

I also have a spare 2 gal, which I could set up for her if a 1 gal. is two small. But that's the biggest I can spare for now.

So I have two questions:

1. I've been feeding my fry finely ground up flake food. Is there a way to tell if they have been eating? What do healthy fry do, anyway?

2. What should my tank set-up look like for the new shrimp? I had such a small hatch that I wonder if there is something I should have done.

JoAnna

[GunmetalBlue]

Hi Pi, aha, the shrimp bug has really got you!

Wish I could help more, but at the least, here's a link to an old topic that might be interesting in the meanwhile:

viewtopic.php?t=137

Hey, hope your baby ghosts can survive; keep us updated.

-GunmetalBlue

[Pi]

Thanks GB, though I've been through most of the threads already...freaked out when I found out my first shrimp was pregnant... I've been hovering over the fry like an overprotective mother.

Anyway, I just got back from the pet store and sure enough, I have another pregnant shrimp. This one looks ready to go too. I can clearly see the eyes, and there are quite a few eggs. There is another one who has green eggs, but appears to be dropping them prematurely, at least two are hanging below her, though they have not released. Maybe it was stress from the move? She's much smaller than the other, and has fewer eggs as well.

Pi

[Pi]

Babies About 15 or 20 this time.

I've put them in a bare 2 gal. with an airstone for oxygen.

I'm feeding them liquifry...

any suggestions?

[Mustafa]

Next time, you might want to put a sponge filter in there just to take care of the bioload. All that feeding in a 2 gallon will create some bioload over time since the majority of the food you give lands on the ground at some point and start fouling.

Mustafa

[Aphyosemion]

Keep us updated, Pi.
I had a 3 step program for raising ghost shrimp larvae that included green water, first bites fry food, and mixing algae from the sides of the 1 gallon fully planted nano tank into the water. The algae on the sides of the tank was perfect, since it was a light green coat that when scraped off came away in a fine powder which stayed afloat in the water colum for a long time before settling out. I was sure my plan could not fail. Then, on day 3 I forgot to turn the lights on and the PH crashed, killing the babies and causing the 3 adult females who I hadn't moved back to the main tank yet to flop onto their backs until I adjusted the PH back up. I then decided to work on breeding some more valuable shrimp and so haven't tried again.
-Aphyosemion

[Pi]

Sorry I haven't updated...I got a new 29 gallon, and I've been going crazy setting everything up. I started stocking yesterday- right now its only inhabitants are 6 adult ghost shrimp. They are certainly having fun

I'm happy to say the babies appear to be doing well. They aren't benthic yet, but it hasn't been quite a week. I suppose that means they haven't molted, but I swear they seem quite a bit larger. I suppose I've just gotten used to looking for them...if I run this again though, I will certainly add a sponge filter.

Aphyosemion- well, it sounded like such a good plan...out of curiosity, are you a killi person, or does the name come from somewhere else?

Thanks for the advice,
Pi