Have 8-year Old Ecosystem Shrimp - Not sure what to do

[SuperProofer]

I'm thinking about adding more shrimp to the larger jar. I think I determined it was 0.25 gallon. Recently, I can only count about 7 shrimps (and only 1 baby for sure). I've noticed more algae cropping up lately and I think there just aren't enough in there to keep it maintained - even with the snails spawning left and right. But, of course, I don't want to over task the bio load.

How many shrimp would do you think would be acceptable in this size? I mean, at one point, there were 11 and they were having babies, so they must have thought it was OK to add more. Since I have to buy the shrimp in a batch of 10, would 17 be too many?

I still can't explain what is happening to the babies though... Why they don't flourish.

[Dch48]

That's a very small tank. I have read that 50 Opae's per gallon is a good number so going by that, you could have about a dozen.

[SuperProofer]

Unfortunately it looks like my little tank never fully recovered from the construction debacle last year. Whenever females berried, most of the babies never survived. Over time, the population has slowly dwindled down to just 3 shrimps. So, I recently started cycling a new, larger tank and hope to transfer the 3. But, I have a couple questions.

My tank never showed signs of visible algae, just some translucent brown haze once or twice. I've fed in the past, and stopped when the substrate started to look really bad. Recently, over the last month, I've fed the 3 twice - small piece of flake food. They were pretty lackadaisical about it, but did eventually eat it, so I don't think they are starving by any means. But after the second feeding, 2 weeks later, I've seen at least 2 molts, the shrimp are more peppy and there actually appears to be green algae starting to grow for the first time ever (and bubbles I'm assuming are from the algae). But I do notice the snails seem to not want to go in the water now. They've been hanging out on the rim of the jar, fully out of the water for several days.

And I notice that one shrimp seems to be posturing like it may be getting ready to berry?? I am probably 100 percent wrong about that, but I've seen it before berries in the past.

So my question is, if it's possible she may be getting ready to berry (if you can tell such a thing), would transferring now be too stressful for her? And I hate to move them when the tank may be recovering after all, but I'm not sure it's worth the risk leaving them there? Suggestions? Thanks!!

[SuperProofer]

I may have judged the little tank too quickly... The remaining 3 shrimp seem to be thriving. I find at least one molt every 2 weeks or so; they have nearly tripled in size. I've never seen shrimp this large before.

Of course, less shrimp means less eating which leads to more algae buildup, which is good for them of course; but the tank looks kinda gross now. Lol I'm going to give it a couple more months to make sure they continue to do well and if so, I'll look to get them a few more shrimp roommates to help consume the algae and hopefully get back to breeding. I don't think I'm going to see any babies with just these 3...but who knows?

3 years in and still kickin'!

[attygirl]

Woo Hoo - great news!

[SuperProofer]

Woot! I have a berried shrimp! Let's hope the babies survive this time. I'd like to see this tank full of life again. Fingers crossed!!

[SuperProofer]

Update: it looks like 2 of the 3 remaining shrimp are girls because now 2 are berried!

[ms_american_pie]

Woot! Great news!

[SuperProofer]

This tank continues to amaze... The babies were born just about 2 months ago (maybe not even that long) and one of the original females is berried again! I'm still not sure that all the babies are surviving though. I don't see as many "toddlers" swimming around for the amount of eggs the females were carrying and how many floaters I started with after they all hatched. So, I don't know why that continues to be an issue. But it certainly doesn't seem to be slowing the adults down on trying to make more. I suspect the 2nd adult female will be berried again shortly.

And the snail is quite large now and doing a good job cleaning the sludge that had built up in the substrate; but continues to wreak havock on the decor.

[dglidden]

I just finished reading this thread, what a ride, and congratulations to you and Trooper! I'm starting to set up my own tank, I hope I have as much luck and fun as you have! Do you think Trooper is still in there? If so, (s)he's a teenager now, so get ready for sulking and bad behaviour.

[Opaeula_mama]

Hi do you think you might have a copepod or similar hiding in the substrate eating the babies?

[Opaeula_mama]

They are omnivore. In most cases, from what I've read, they tend to live happily as herbivores. But i was thinking in a case of an opae tank with little to no extra food they might be eating them. Just a thought.

[SuperProofer]

Hm, I don't know. I'd have to do some research on what that is. I've never seen anything in there other than the shrimp and snails. Not sure where it would have come from.

But as I suspected, the 2nd female is again berried as well! But now I have a serious question... Is there concern about inbreeding with these shrimp? I mean, there's only 1 dad in the tank to all these babies. All the babies are direct siblings. If the babies start having babies with each other...?

And yes, it has been a wild ride. I can't say for certain that Trooper is one of the 3 remaining adults; but in any case, I like to believe that one of them was one of his/her babies. So the lineage may live on.

[sliphorn]

But as I suspected, the 2nd female is again berried as well! But now I have a serious question... Is there concern about inbreeding with these shrimp? I mean, there's only 1 dad in the tank to all these babies. All the babies are direct siblings. If the babies start having babies with each other...?

..
Shrimp are low order creatures, so no worries about inbreeding.
..

[Opaeula_mama]

Does the tank have any algae? Do you still feed them? Maybe there's bio mass build up that's affecting them transitioning to their next stage? You've have the tank for a while now. Maybe if the next group fail to thrive do a 50% water change?... hold out on feeding until the tank is looking clear of algae?... if there is any. Just theorizing from reads from the site.. I'm really hoping for your little guys to make it.

Edit: I just thought of something, maybe before a water change try adding a MTS or 2?