# Breeding Amano Shrimps



## manmadecorals (Jan 17, 2012)

I've successfully bred amano shrimps in my freshwater tanks! My female is on her third cycle of babies that are surviving in my tank


----------



## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

That's supposed to be impossible! What are your water parameters? Got a pic of the babies?


----------



## manmadecorals (Jan 17, 2012)

I sure do! 

The first picture is the first amano shrimplet to ever survive one of the berried cycles. The following pictures is the same shrimp after a few weeks of growth. The next 3 picture is after a 2 months. The last picture is the newest amano shrimplets to have been bred.

The only shrimps i have ever kept in that tank are some CRS, PFR, and Amano shrimps.


----------



## Dee2010 (Mar 26, 2013)

That's a shocker. My females always get pregnant but never see babies' ...hopefully eventually the same thing will happen as your tank.


----------



## manmadecorals (Jan 17, 2012)

yea, i've had the 3 amano shrimps in my tank since they were very little and my only female went through several berried stages without ever actually hatching any shrimplets. I was shocked and in disbelief when i saw the first one. I thought the little guy was just a fluke but then after another month i started seeing more and more of shrimplets.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Wow, nice work! What did you feed them in their larval stage?


----------



## manmadecorals (Jan 17, 2012)

nothing special ...i throw in an algae waffer every other day or mix it up with a protein waffer...nothing out of the ordinary... 

Although i did treat my tank for ich with salt a very long time ago and after the treatment process was over, I have restarted the tank from scratch except i didn't change the yellow sand under my substrate...but everything else was changed completely new.


----------



## Ebi-Ken (Jul 9, 2010)

thats wild type cherries.... can come from PFR


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Ebi-Ken said:


> thats wild type cherries.... can come from PFR


Yes, I think you're right. Amano shrimps have spots, not stripes on their bodies.


----------



## manmadecorals (Jan 17, 2012)

i just googled it and it is true... it is a Wild cherry shrimp... but i have tons of these guys and none are red or pink. 

This just made me very sad...


----------



## Mykuhl (Apr 8, 2013)

Aww....that's too bad. I was happy for you there for a second. Was gonna ask if I could buy some off you lol.


----------



## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

manhtu said:


> This just made me very sad...


Why does it make you sad? Because you really thought you'd spawned Amanos in FW successfully? No reason to feel down, man.

Were the shrimps sold to you as Amanos?


----------



## Kimchi24 (Mar 22, 2013)

i thought amanos needed salty kind of water to breed successfully.


----------



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Amano's breed successfully in fresh water, and their eggs will hatch in fresh water. But then their larvae need brackish water to survive more than a few days. You have very likely had numbers of new hatched amano zoeys in the tank but without brackish water to live in, they will have died by the fourth day or so, if not sooner.

Ghost shrimp, otoh, breed, hatch and survive entirely in fresh water.. so long as they are the American Ghosts.. palaemonetes, which is usually what we get 'round here as Ghosts. They're fun to hatch out, and it's good experience if you ever want to try hatching Amanos or any other low order shrimp species. Btw, Amanos need a month in brackish water before they will morph to little shrimplets. Some other species need as much as 90 days in brackish water. Some other Caridina species may need less than one week in brackish water.

One of these days I'm going to get organized and try this out, once I have enough shrimp that are first, old enough to berry, and second, get berried. It's so easy to tell if a female is carrying with Amanos and most of the Neo and Crystal shrimps, but it's very hard to see on some of the others, like Bamboo or Flower shrimp.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

I've kept amano shrimps that get berried constantly, but I've never once seen those eggs actually hatch, even when I keep the shrimp in a "tank" by itself. I'm pretty sure I've seen the shrimp actually eat its own eggs.


----------



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

They might eat their eggs, I could not say for sure that they do not.

But to the best of my understanding, what happens when Amanos release their eggs is that they float to the surface quite quickly, where they hatch, also pretty quickly. They can survive approximately four days in fresh water before they must have brackish, and I would think that time frame has evolved over time as the average it takes to reach the salt water from their home river estuaries.

Based on the research I've done, their eggs are most certainly pelagic. So in the natural environment, the eggs almost immediately become part of the zooplankton layer, as they drift out to sea after release. The new hatched zoeys remain part of the zooplankton until they morph, and are able to freely swim, which takes a few more days after morphing. Then they start to swim back to the source river they came from. 

Based on my experience with hatching and raising Ghosts, I believe about the same thing happens to Amanos, but it takes longer for Amanos. Those that live long enough after morphing begin to swim and act like the adults do and once they can swim freely, they can leave the floating zoo/phyto plankton layer. 

They're still at high risk of predation, but possibly less so than they were when they're stuck in the zooplankton.


----------



## Kimchi24 (Mar 22, 2013)

can the amano shrimp themselves live in brackish water?


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Kimchi24 said:


> can the amano shrimp themselves live in brackish water?


No, I'm pretty sure they're freshwater only once they outgrow their larval stage.


----------



## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

Fishfur said:


> They might eat their eggs, I could not say for sure that they do not.


Amano shrimp will eat their own infertile eggs. I've seen them do it. 
My Amanos always had green eggs in them but once I saw where all the eggs in the shrimp were an orangey yellow color. I assume this means they were fertilized. Still, since it was FW, I never got any shrimplets.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

mistersprinkles said:


> Amano shrimp will eat their own infertile eggs. I've seen them do it.
> My Amanos always had green eggs in them but once I saw where all the eggs in the shrimp were an orangey yellow color. I assume this means they were fertilized. Still, since it was FW, I never got any shrimplets.


As I understand it, there is no such thing as "infertile" eggs. Eggs are only produced once they're fertilized.

I've never been able to figure out why my amanos ate their eggs.


----------



## randy (Jan 29, 2012)

Anyone want to set up / participate a challenge to see who (GTAA member in GTA area only because we might need to verify) can breed Amano shrimp? 

I can get some sponsorship but bragging right would be what I aim for. If you have done it before, great and congratulations, but to be fair this challenge will be for new tries only. Goal is to have at least 5 shrimplets to reach 1cm?


----------



## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

solarz said:


> As I understand it, there is no such thing as "infertile" eggs. Eggs are only produced once they're fertilized.
> 
> I've never been able to figure out why my amanos ate their eggs.


I wonder why the eggs were always green except that one time when they were yellow then. Makes no sense. Does anybody know why they changed color?


----------



## Dee2010 (Mar 26, 2013)

I've seen the same thing with my amano, green and yellow....but dont' know why either...


----------



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I'd be in to try. Want to anyway, might as well give it a shot. But my Amano's aren't quite old enough yet, I don't think. Probably in another month they will be.


----------



## Kimchi24 (Mar 22, 2013)

Are Amanos the hardest shrimp to breed?


----------



## randy (Jan 29, 2012)

Kimchi24 said:


> Are Amanos the hardest shrimp to breed?


No, not the hardest because at least there are successful reports. However, another reason people don't want to try this is the "value" it provides. The work involved doesn't justify the "value". So I said bragging right is the real reward.

I'll talk to the potential sponsor about this potential challenges, and make an update here.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Kimchi24 said:


> Are Amanos the hardest shrimp to breed?


From what I can tell, you need at least 3 tanks in order to breed amano shrimps: one FW tank for adults, one SW or brackish tank for larvae, and one SW tank for green water culture to feed the larvae. You might even need two green water cultures in case one crashes.


----------



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

You don't need a tank for algae culture, though you could do it that way. Bottles work well for me.

Amano are not the hardest shrimp to breed, but it does depend on what you mean by hard. Bamboo shrimp need 90 days to morph to shrimplets in brackish water, where amano needs only 30 days. Some shrimp are just harder to reproduce than others are, and the time it takes is only one factor.

Feeding the zoeys is also hard and you should have at least two species of algae to provide better nourishment and get better survival. More species is better, two is minimum. Nannochloropsus is a good one, and can grow either fresh or salt, tetraselmis is salt only, but another good one. There are many more, harder to get though.

Depending how well they sell, bamboo shrimp would be higher value, since they usually sell for at least six bucks each unless you find a real deal.


----------



## Shrimp Daddy (Mar 30, 2013)

manhtu said:


> i just googled it and it is true... it is a Wild cherry shrimp... but i have tons of these guys and none are red or pink.
> 
> This just made me very sad...


I feel your pain. I wouldn't have made that mistake though.


----------



## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

this sounds awesome!!! I also picked up 30 amanos from tommy at the shtrimp fever, Ill post some pics soon Great guy, awesome shrimps, and awesome price..


149 each!!!!


----------



## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

I want to be in too. I don't frequent this forum as much as I used to. But this sounds like fun. We should setup some guideline as a starting base point.
Like start with 10 shrimps? It might take 1 month just to get them to hold eggs. So how do we get a fair starting point? It's not like we can get all the females to hold eggs at the same time.
Or we can start with an empty tank, give everyone 2 weeks to cycle their tanks. Then go to the shop and grab a female that's holding eggs and bring it home and start from there ... 
imagine:
Excuse me sir, I am looking for a pregnant algea eating shrimp.
_A WHAT?_
A PREGNANT ALGEA EATING SHRIMP SIR!
_Oh that, sorry, we don't have it anymore, 5 people came in earlier today and bought them all!_


*Never pay again for live sex! | Hot girls doing naughty stuff for free! | Chat for free!*


----------



## randy (Jan 29, 2012)

Zebrapl3co said:


> I want to be in too. I don't frequent this forum as much as I used to. But this sounds like fun. We should setup some guideline as a starting base point.
> Like start with 10 shrimps? It might take 1 month just to get them to hold eggs. So how do we get a fair starting point? It's not like we can get all the females to hold eggs at the same time.
> Or we can start with an empty tank, give everyone 2 weeks to cycle their tanks. Then go to the shop and grab a female that's holding eggs and bring it home and start from there ...
> imagine:
> ...


Let's see how many are interested first. Who else would be interested?

And you can start now, at least start getting these shrimps if you don't yet have any ;-)


----------



## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

Ill throw in a Initial injury / golf/ running analysis at From & Function : Health, Performance, Wellness Centre. www.formfunctionclinic.com Check us out for details..

I will also participate, and if I win, we can put it in as a draw! Any other donations?


----------



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Guess I better go get some Amano shrimps eh ?


----------



## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

ya buddy! lol This might just might be a losing battle for everyone =P


----------



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I would be willing to offer a culture.. maybe vinegar eels, micro, banana or other worms if I have available or possibly some flies, if people have interest in such a thing. 

Non flying fruit flies are loved by most fish, the larvae are eagerly taken by most bottom feeders. I have wingless Melanogaster, very tiny larvae compared to full size winged flies, also Turkish glider Melanogaster, which are larger, but also have small larvae. 

I have seen some of my cherry shrimp eat microworms that hit the tank bottom. They live for days, so worm death is not a problem.

And I picked up a dozen Amano shrimps from Tommy this morning and just as soon as I sex them, I'll know if I have to go back and get a few more.


----------



## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

Sweet, tommy is king . and Ill take those larvas anyday, and wingless fruit flies.. amazing. Any tips to make my house fruit flies wingless.. well more like how to kill them.. lol I have a ton, and I cant get rid of them.


----------



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Well, mixing non flying with flying fruit flies just makes more flying fruit flies. The flightless traits are recessive, so care has to be taken to keep flightless cultures free of wild flies. Paper towel makes a good cover, lets air in, keeps feral flies out.

But it's not hard to make an effective trap for wild flies. A decent size jar, or a 32 oz deli container, or a tall glass. 

Put a piece of fruit in the bottom of the jar. Or some fruit juice will work too.

Cover the top tightly with something. Paper, plastic bag, plastic wrap, etc. An elastic band will hold it on. I usually use a grocery produce bag.

Then you need a piece of copy paper. Roll it into a smooth cone and tape the long edge closed. You want a hole at the small end that's barely big enough for one fly to crawl through. 

Make a small hole in the cover of the container, stick the paper cone into the hole and push it down about two thirds of the way into the container but not so it touches any of the bait you used, juice or fruit. Use tape to secure the cone in place, make sure there are no gaps around the paper cone for flies to get out.

Put it anywhere you see flies.. they will be attracted to the bait, crawl down inside and then be stuck, as they try to get out at the top. It's very rare for them to find the cone hole again. Change the piece of fruit or use fresh juice every week or so until the flies are gone. Works every time.

If you have any bright yellow paper or a yellow container, it works even better, as they are attracted to the colour yellow more than any other colour.


----------



## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

ahhhhh i see the light

something like this?


----------



## manmadecorals (Jan 17, 2012)

Wow... I like how my thread spun out lol!

This is pretty awesome!

I just picked up some more Amano Shrimps from Big Al's Vaughan. 2 for $2


----------



## Shrimp Daddy (Mar 30, 2013)

You got ripped off.


----------



## eatmysox (Jul 24, 2012)

randy said:


> Let's see how many are interested first. Who else would be interested?
> 
> And you can start now, at least start getting these shrimps if you don't yet have any ;-)


I will get involved just need to source a few more amano shrimp.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk


----------



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Jimmy, the pic with the orange paper cone is pretty much the trap I've used for years.. and it works a treat. I've even considered trying to make one that's reusable, but so far, my motivation has been lacking Yellow paper works best.. or a yellow container, but any colour works.


----------

