# I have BABIES - First time parent. What to do?



## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

I have only had my first shrimp for 5 days and now my berried female seems to have hatched her babies.

I just saw a tiny shrimp appear on the glass! Yay! But the tank also has CPDs and they appear to be extra alert now. I think they know there are shrimp babies in the tank! They are normally very secretive, but now out and about.

I never really had a plan for the shrimp babies. I have not had time to pantyhose the filter yet either.

Should I let nature take it's course? Though it is kind of exciting having baby shrimp. What to do? Relocate the CPDs?

Do I need to feed these babies? Add something to the water?

I feel like a frantic first time parent.

Thanks.


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## Tn23 (Apr 21, 2010)

Congrats, I think if the CPDs get hungry they'll eat the babies if they can snatch them otherwise they could be fine....

You can feed the babies crushed up food or purchase some specialty foods that are targeted for baby shrimps.

May I ask what kind of shrimps you are referring to?


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

I just have Cherries at the moment 

Crushed up flake should be okay I suppose? Hopefully they will find something to eat.


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## target (Apr 21, 2010)

When my cherries bred I just let them scavenge in the tank. Didn't crush the food any smaller or do anything special and the population exploded. You shouldn't have any problem with cherries finding food.


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## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

CPD will definitely eat the baby shrimp, even with hiding spots the babies are bound to venture out for food....I keep envisioning a fox in a chicken pen with baby chicks running around helplessly.

If you plan to keep the babies alive I would relocate the fish and get a fine mesh or sock over the filter, or alternatively like you said let nature take it's course....

Cherry shrimp will breed again and again so there is no urgency to relocate, I found cherry shrimp in my hob filter before, in my canister there were over 20 when I thought I had got rid of all of them!


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## Petah (Dec 19, 2010)

I use shirakura shrimplet food i got from April. 
Apparently it increase survival rate 90%! But maybe i'm a sucker for retail. 
Seems to be working ok. I do notice more biofilm since i have been using it. 
As for the filter, i bought a piece of sponge and i wedge it into the filter right at the intake... there's a slot there. Seems to be working fine so far. 

As for the fish, i would probably relocate, since they will eat the shrimplets. But then again, once they start breeding... it doesn't stop until it's dead lol. My yellows are pregnant one week after the shrimplets hatched.


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## Homahfan (Apr 22, 2010)

In my experience there is little that you need to do for shrimplets.. especially in a nice planted tanklike yours. I do use some of the shrimplet poweder... (either Shakura from April or Pat, or the Shrimplab stuff (plug!)). but I think they have enough food just grazing the foliage.

Like Petah I also have a fairly fine sponge on the inside of the intake slots for the filter.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

I ended up putting pantyhose over the entire filter just so they have a fitting chance. As for the CPDs I don't really have another tank large enough for all of them. I might just take my chances. Hopefully some of them will survive. It will be a miracle if any do. We shall see. 

How fast do they usually grow?

I think all the shrimp left in my tank are females so I don't know what the chances are I will get another batch of shrimplets.


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## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

I find baby shrimp can grow to breeding size within a few months like 2-3 depending on how much they have to eat.... Another suggestion you could set up a breeder box on the side of your tank and catch all the babies out, grow them out then release them back into your tank. The chances of survival will be alot better then! 

The breeder boxes I am talking about are those sleek acrylic ones that are driven by air. Jiang604 sells them and I picked up another 2 yesterday, it's like having another tank without the fuss of a new light, heater, filter etc.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

tang daddy said:


> I find baby shrimp can grow to breeding size within a few months like 2-3 depending on how much they have to eat.... Another suggestion you could set up a breeder box on the side of your tank and catch all the babies out, grow them out then release them back into your tank. The chances of survival will be alot better then!
> 
> The breeder boxes I am talking about are those sleek acrylic ones that are driven by air. Jiang604 sells them and I picked up another 2 yesterday, it's like having another tank without the fuss of a new light, heater, filter etc.


Hmm...that is an idea. Not sure what you mean by driven by air, but I wonder if those net divider boxes might work. Tracking all of the tiny babies is going to be hard. Could I lure them out some how without attracting the attention of the fish?


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## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

http://www.tankspiration.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/breederboxview.jpg

Check out the link, one of the reasons these are popular is because it doesnt take away from the space inside the tank, they actually function like a hob filter without a motor, the water is drawn in with air. An easy way to catch the baby shrimp is by first catching the fish and placing them in a temporary bucket. Then throw food in, within 10 minutes the shrimp should be out swimming toward the food. Catch them then reintroduce the fish, for future once the female cherry is berried put her into the breeder box and she will release her eggs there once she is done put her back into the tank. Another reason why this breeder box is so effective is because it constantly aerating the tank!


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Originally I thought it was going to hang inside the tank, but this certainly saves space. Do they sell these in LFS or can I only get them from other members? Is there an official name for these besides breeder box?

Thanks for the tips.


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## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

Atom said:


> Originally I thought it was going to hang inside the tank, but this certainly saves space. Do they sell these in LFS or can I only get them from other members? Is there an official name for these besides breeder box?
> 
> Thanks for the tips.


No worries, as I said I use them on all my shrimp tanks and they work awesome. For me I use them to selective breed male and female crs of higher grades and once the female is fertilized I put her back into my tank, but I dont have fish!!!

I havent seen these in an lfs but you can order them on ebay, theyre popular in asia. Although after shipping is tacked on it's alot easier to pick it up from local member.

pm me if you need one and I can set you up with Frank!

Btw I am not trying to be a salesman, just being a helpfull member!


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Does the hatching of all the eggs usually occur within a short period of time or can eggs hatch over say a week or longer?

I see that she still has some eggs on her.


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