3 Years - No Berried Shrimp - Any Suggestions?

[Kval1015]

Hi All !

So I have about 12-16 shrimp in a 1 gallon container with 2 lava rocks.
It's pretty boring in there, and I'm wondering if that is maybe impacting why I haven't seen any berried shrimp.

Shrimp are all very red and seem very happy!
I have had this set-up for about 3 years now.
I am not supplementing with any "food".

Any thoughts?

[JHRequiem]

Your jar seems pretty open and I've heard that Opae like to have spaces to hide, particularly when mating. I think that giving them just that might help!

[Dch48]

I think adding some macroalgae would do the trick. My one gallon started with 16 and I now have at least 60 shrimp with females still getting berried. I do give them very small amounts of spirulina powder every so often. Like every 2 weeks. Only a few of the larger ones ever get fully red. Most stay pale or have red near the tail most of the time.

[Vorteil]

I don't think macroalgae will do anything. To top if off there's really no nutrients in the tank to begin with. Macroalgae may not do too well. I would agree and feeding some freeze dried spirulina.

[Dch48]

i just thought the macroalgae would give them places to hide and more surfaces for biofilm to grow on. Mine love to graze on and in the macro.

[Vorteil]

True. Would definitely need to feed to get the tank to produce the algae & more biofilm. If I were to assume there's not much in there. More rocks would maybe help. Just look at the tanks at Auburn University.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKw8cQMQbhM

[Kval1015]

Thank you both for your recos!
Do you have any recommendation of spirulina or food that I can supplement them with? I actually I have never fed them in this tank.

I did purchase some more rocks off the site this past week, and one of the smaller round moss balls instead of the macroalgae. I was worried the macroalgae might grow too quickly for my small tank.

Appreciate your input and help with this!

[Vorteil]

It does look like there's enough food in there for the shrimp? I can see the waste in the gravel. Maybe check your parameters like salinity?

[robokirk]

I have all the plants that Mustafa sells, and snails in addition to my shrimp. I seem to get a bunch of berried shrimp followed by babies shortly after I feed them a little crab cruising once every 3-4 months.

[Mustafa]

True. Would definitely need to feed to get the tank to produce the algae & more biofilm. If I were to assume there's not much in there. More rocks would maybe help. Just look at the tanks at Auburn University.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKw8cQMQbhM

It's not the rocks, my breeding tanks have mostly no rocks and obviously they still breed like crazy. Not pretty to look at (breeding tanks don't need to look good), but just proof that rocks are not essential.

Having said that, this tank has more than enough food for many, many months as the algae is even bubbling everywhere. I would just continue waiting. I think the tank was set up with too many nutrients (maybe from the rocks, maybe the substrate wasn't washed/rinsed enough), which can affect water parameters enough to keep the shrimp from reproducing.