Beginner Jar-Habitat

[sparrowhawk]

I wanted to post an update with pics. Everybody's doing fine. I rigged an LED strip on a timer that is between the top of the jar and the lid. I need to find a smaller LED light that can go inside the lid but for now, it's working. I noticed that the jar has green splotches and I'm hoping that's algae. I've noticed that the supershrimp algae is growing now that I have the light set up. We love watching all the life in the jar but I sometimes wish I hadn't killed half my shrimp population in the beginning. Will the shrimp reproduce in this kind of setup?

[Varanus]

If there are males and females and the water conditions are right then you should get breeding eventually. Are the shrimp able to get underneath the dragon head decoration? Berried females like to be able to hide and that makes me suppose having such hiding places might increase reproductive success.

[sparrowhawk]

Hi Varanus! They should be able to go in the skull but I haven't seen them go in or out even once. They prefer the lava rocks instead. I placed the rocks in a way that created a small passage. Perhaps that will be good enough. I really hope I get baby shrimp some day

If there are males and females and the water conditions are right then you should get breeding eventually. Are the shrimp able to get underneath the dragon head decoration? Berried females like to be able to hide and that makes me suppose having such hiding places might increase reproductive success.

[Mustafa]

Glad the large water change fixed your problems and you're enjoying your tank!

[sparrowhawk]

I found a "berried" shrimp in my tank! Does this mean.... baby shrimp? or Should i not get my hopes up? Is there anything I can do to help the process along?

[Varanus]

I found a "berried" shrimp in my tank! Does this mean.... baby shrimp? or Should i not get my hopes up? Is there anything I can do to help the process along?

Shrimp mothers, especially first time ones, sometimes drop some or all their eggs. But all you can really do is leave her be and hope for the best. More likely than not I think things will be fine and you'll have larva before too long.

[JennyPenny]

Congratulations!
A berried shrimp carries her eggs for about a month, until they are released as larvae. Then, about 2 weeks later, they stop bobbing head down and become benthic tiny shrimps. In have read that the larvae are more sensitive than shrimp, so top up your tank before the larvae are released.
Otherwise, leave everything alone. This is not the time to change things or start feeding if you haven't been. It's very common for the moms to drop some or all the eggs the first time around. They are learning, too.

[sparrowhawk]

thank you, guys! the tank was due for a top-off. i'd better get to it.

[KenCotigirl]

Great news. Only five months since you started. Even better. If you can add a picture of your berried shrimp.

Ken

[sparrowhawk]

There she is!

btw, now that i'm preparing to top off the water, i also want to figure out a safe way to clean the glass. It's just covered in round blobs of film which make it hard to observe (or get good pictures of) the shrimp

[KenCotigirl]

She looks nice. You are doing a good job. Can't wait for your picture of the little floaters.

Ken

[sparrowhawk]

I know it's hard to tell from the pic but it turns out I have TWO berried females. WHAT??

[Mustafa]

Awesome! There may even be more. When it rains, it pours!

[sparrowhawk]

Awesome! There may even be more. When it rains, it pours!

And so it has! I have at least 10 babies so far, all floating close to the top of the tank. Adorable!

I also have my first molt. And two of my shrimp have gone completely white. I know they lose their color when stressed. I tried to clean the glass two days ago (to be able to watch out for the babies) and i noticed that some of the shrimp got lighter but they had all started gaining their color as of yesterday. Could there be another stressor I don't know about? Do shrimp dads get post-partum depression? Is it the molting?

[sparrowhawk]

There's definitely something wrong with my tank. The two shrimp who've turned white have been swimming around the tank non-stop, at full speed and harassing the berried females and everybody else. I'm trying to think of what might be the reason. I tried to scratch off some of the algae from the surface two days ago using my clean hand and a cleaned credit card. I did a water-top off about a week ago. Should i wait it out and see? Should I try to capture and separate the two crazy shrimp? Water change? I have so many babies in the tank I'm scared to do anything