Eggs not Hatching

blinster · Post by **blinster** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 2:11 pm

Hey guys,

My cherry shrimp has been with eggs for a little over 4 weeks and the eggs still havn't hatched yet. I don't think they're dead because the female is still holding them. My water temp has been 74F for the past four weeks and I read somewhere on the forum that 76-78 is the optimal temp, is that possibly why? If I turn my heater on now to 76 would that help with the hatching process?

YuccaPatrol · Post by **YuccaPatrol** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 2:16 pm

I can almost guarantee that they will hatch in the next couple of days. The time required for the eggs to hatch is related to the temperature. They will take more time in your cooler water than in warmer water.

I wouldn't bother changing the temperature because of this. It will do no harm, but if you do, be careful to raise the temperature gradually.

If the eggs were unfertilized, she would have dropped them over 3 weeks ago.

Good luck on your new shrimplet babies! You'll be posting about them very soon!

WetPets · Post by **WetPets** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:07 pm

Don't change the water temperature, if you do, I would wait 'til the babies hatch first. I wouldn't know how a water teperature change during this time would affect the unborn babies. Do you?

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 6:12 pm

It wouldn't hurt, but it wouldn't help. Just hang in there. Your water temperature is fine. The shrimp live longer at lower temperatures.

zapisto · Post by **zapisto** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 6:57 pm

patience is the word i like in this hobby

:)

blinster · Post by **blinster** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:13 pm

Thanks guy. Unfortunately I turned up my heater last nite to 76....now I can't find the mothers!!! I did find two eventually and it seemed like one of them dropped a lot of her eggs...

Hopefully I will still get some to hatch. Need to go find the 3rd mother.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 1:04 am

Do you have lots of plants in the tank? If so the females might be hinding while the eggs are hatching! Mine go off into the moss and come out without the eggs, I then start to see the babies after that. Please keep us updated and best wishes

YuccaPatrol · Post by **YuccaPatrol** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:59 am

Unless you can see the dropped eggs, I'd bet that the eggs hatched. It can be incredibly hard to see newly hatched shrimplets. When I see the first one, I know that there are at least 20 more that I can't see.

As an example, my magnolia leaf tank just produced its first offspring. I've counted two shrimplets at one time. But I know that there have to be 20-50 that I cannot see but will start appearing as they get a little bigger and start showing some color. . .

WetPets · Post by **WetPets** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:07 am

Yeah, as I said, I wouldn't have messed with the temperature...but let us know what happens.. good luck.

Shrimp&Snails · Post by **Shrimp&Snails** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:18 pm

Also check your filter if there's any chance the shrimp could have got into it.

Best of luck.

blinster · Post by **blinster** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:42 pm

So I think I found all three of them...they're just never visible all at the same time.

However, I noticed that the eggs are more "tucked in" now to their tummy. It is in fact somewhat difficult now to see the eggs. I wonder if that is an effect of the higher temperature. Like human testicles and heat.

One of the mother now has light-colored eggs...I think I saw black dots! Hopefully that suggests they're going to hatch soon. But the eggs on the other two are turning somewhat greenish. I read somewhere on this forum that it could be possible wild type eggs, which would be...unexpected.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 1:06 pm

The black dots may be the eyes of the baby shrimp which means they will hatch soon. I am still not sure about the green eggs because some of my females have carried green but most have had yellow eggs. We just have to observe the offspring and see what differences develope. Hope your shrimp eggs hatch soon, again please keep us updated.

WetPets · Post by **WetPets** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:12 pm

I've heard the yellow eggs are from what they eat...I myself had both, I never seen any differences in any of my babies.