rymeyer wrote:The articles doesn't answer directly whether or not they can be kept with cherry shrimplets. I assume that if they don't bother their own babies when they have sufficient food, they would also leave the shrimp alone, but does anyone know if that's true?
I keep mine with many cherry shrimp and they are doing just fine.
You can keep the males & females seperate until you want to breed. THey will usually breed almost right away. Of large water changes sometimes does it. I always use colder water.
I usually do. It seems they are like married couples that can get into a rut & stop mating as often. They must get bored LOL.
There are many hormones at work in the water that prevent molting when in form 1 or induce molting when in form 2. ALso if you keep many males together they may grow more slowly do to growth inhibiting hormones the males put out to slow their competitors. I keep all my crays seperate. Then when I want to breed them I put the males into the same systems as the females so if they are not in breeding form they will be triggered into molting to breeding form 1 by the female hormones. Then I will put them with the females & they will usually mate right away. Then I take the male out. Everytime they mate it starts the whole process over again which can slow egg laying.
I feed mine shrimp pellets, frozen veggies, fresh veggies. Also old leaves.
There are too many variables to give a definate timeline. The females can hold on to the sperm for months before using it. The time from eggs to hatch is usually 3-4 weeks depending on temperature.
I woke up this morning to one of my females holding a clutch of eggs. I am new to these crays and will do some more reading before asking to many questions, but was so excited I just had to share ! I will try to get some pics soon.
As Newjohn has just said, welcome and congratulations. It is always exciting to see one of your animals carrying eggs. Please keep us updated on these great looking little crays.
Was I reading it right that the orange females only have offspring 3 times? I read it somewhere and I'm hoping its a myth!
I'm also wondering why people do not have the wild type strain- only the orange strain around and is it even harder to find the more common colored individuals in ones tank or is it just me thats being blind.
