My new setup (newbie to brackish tanks)

[Dylan]

Hi! I'm a long time fresh water fish keeper and have a planted tank which I've kept for years. After doing lots of reading on the internet - I planned a red shrimp tank.

I set up the tank a while ago, cycled it, and grew algae on the limestone rocks and yesterday received my Hawaiian red shrimp order! They are doing well and leaving little trails on the side of the tank in the algae glowing on the sides.

A question - some of the algae have produced bubbles and some of these are caught on the sea fan I have in the tank - if these bubbles come loose - can they hurt the shrimp?

[Arquisto]

Nope, I've had bubbles because of my lava rock and ohko/dragon stones and they've not phased any of the shrimp. Shouldn't be worried at all.

[Dylan]

Thank you for your input re the bubbles.
---
So almost 2-months-in now of happy shrimp and snails!

I had a very, very small java fern which I hoped would acclimate to the tank (from my planted tank - slowly brought it up to the shrimps' salinity and had it in the tank from the beginning of cycling the tank), which I recently removed due to it: 1) not growing at all, 2) Algae growing on it.

I have not fed them at all and don't need to - there is more than enough algae / bio-film in the tank and this weekend I'm going to scrape down the front of the tank so as to give a better view of the little critters.

By the way - I'm located in Brooklyn, NY.

Cheers,
Dylan

[Dylan]

Mid-September update:

The shrimp & snails now seem completely comfortable in their new home and the shrimp seem to not hide in the rocks anymore. All of the algae / bio-film from when I scraped down the front of the tank was completely consumed and the shrimp have now re-exposed the sand and limestone rock in the foreground as well.

I have not fed them anything at all and have added nothing further to the tank than more distilled water to top off. When adding the water some of the algae got stirred up and the shrimp seems to be swimming about much more than usual.

Some of the shrimp are noticeably larger and have dark 'saddles' on their backs.

I'm on the look out for molts and gravid females but still haven't seen either. Hoping they expand the brood soon!

By the way - anyone know If there is any way to tell males from females?

[Dylan]

I was looking in my tank last night and 1 female is carrying eggs!

[JasonG3333]

Congrats on your first berried shrimp! Any photos of your entire tank?

[Mustafa]

Some of the shrimp are noticeably larger and have dark 'saddles' on their backs.

I'm on the look out for molts and gravid females but still haven't seen either. Hoping they expand the brood soon!

By the way - anyone know If there is any way to tell males from females?

That's basically how. I don't know of any reliable way to tell the sexes apart until the ovaries ("dark saddle") become visible in females. At the latest when they start carrying eggs you'll know they are females.

Thanks for the updates by the way! And congrats on your first berried shrimp! Feel free to post pictures of your entire tank so we can see your setup.

[Dylan]

My entire tank (10 Gallon, led light suitable to live plants)

[Mustafa]

Thanks! Looks good! Also looks like you don't have to feed for a *very* long time.

[Dylan]

Thank you!

Ha - agreed I don't have to feed for ages.

I now have (at least) 3 females carrying eggs too! How long does it take them to hatch?

[Mustafa]

Congrats! Look here under "Reproduction":

https://www.petshrimp.com/supershrimp-s ... formation/

[Dylan]

Update: I saw the 1st infant shrimps this AM! Think they are still in the larval stage as they are free swimming. Boy are they tiny! I'll take a picture soon.

[Super Jess]

Congratulations!

[Dylan]

They are very hard to get into focus - attached is a pretty good picture of the baby shrimps.

[Mustafa]

Congratulations! They should be nice little shrimp running around by now. Feel free to show us!