# Berried Shrimps and Hang on Breeder Boxes



## deepblue3 (Jan 11, 2014)

Hi All!

I have several newly berried shrimps and I wanted to eventually move them to a marina hang on breeding box. What I have in mind is for the females to have the babies in the box and I would put the female back in the tank once this happens and raise the babies up to a decent size before putting them back into the main tank with the rest of the colony.

My question is - could I put all 4 of my berried females in the same box (size of the box is large) or does each shrimp need its own box?

Input is appreciated.


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## woopderson (Feb 12, 2014)

You could keep them all in the same box. Out of curiousity, why do you want to raise the babies in the breeder box? Babies tend to like lots of hiding places and you don't see too much of them until they are a few days old. My PRL colony all breed in the main tank and the babies all pile in the big moss carpet.


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## deepblue3 (Jan 11, 2014)

Thanks for the answer... The reason is because it is a bn pleco/shrimp tank and I would like to observe the babies and make sure they don't get hurt by the bristlenose, since they are so tiny. Do you think it will be an issue?


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## woopderson (Feb 12, 2014)

Ahhh I gotcha. I would also be leery of the pleco eating them by accident. The babies are very very small. Just be very careful when netting the females, as they may drop some eggs due to stress.


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## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

No problem with a four mammas in the large b box, I raised my BKK/Blue Bolt babies in one of these. Once the mamma has the babies, just net her out and put her back in the main tank...she will probably berry again soon.

I kept my babies in the breeder box until they were about 3 weeks old and able to forage without hiding. I put a little of the tank soil in the bottom of the box, some moss and dirty floss from a hang on the back filter for the babies to eat biofilm from. 

They stayed in the floss until they were big enough to venture down to the soil and pick over what was there. I squirted liquid Gravidas powder or Earthworm powder in the breeder box also for supplement food.

With the breeder box you can get an accurate count of how many babies you got and see what colors (if they are crs/cbs/taiwans etc) with ease and observe them better. The pleco might eat the young babies, so this would be
a better start for them.


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## deepblue3 (Jan 11, 2014)

Thank you both for the advice!

Bettaforu, can you tell me what do you put on the hang on box little guard/gate outflow to the main tank to prevent the baby shrimp from going back into the main tank?

Yes I really think its a good idea for observation and I will mimic the tank with the substrate and plants as you suggested. 

I will post a pic soon of the mamas in their box.


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## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

I cut a little piece of sponge to fit behind the little gate section, this way the
baby shrimps can't get through the sponge.

Also put an airstone fed through the top hole into the breeder box, as this supplies extra oxygenation to the box for the babies....just keep it on low bubble by a connector.


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## deepblue3 (Jan 11, 2014)

*Growth rate of the shrimps*

Ok great, thanks for the tips.

Soooo --- I go to check on the shrimp last night and the one berried female was no longer berried and she was standing on a giant heap of dense moss. Upon further observation I saw two tiny baby shrimps on the moss as well! So I did just miss her having her babies. The moss is very dense and the plecos dont go near the moss so I suspect those tiny babies will be okay in there.

My next question is what is the general growth rate for the shrimp? I have the rili shrimp. It baffles me how small they are, I can barely see them! I am curious to know and I cannot really find anything online.

Thanks!


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## woopderson (Feb 12, 2014)

You can bet there are more babies in that moss! Depends on the type of shrimp. I believe neos and crystals take around 3 months to reach maturity, while taiwan bees can be around 6 months.


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## deepblue3 (Jan 11, 2014)

*Breeder box update*

Thank you both for your help and advice. I set up my breeder box, and I used bettaforu's tips. I added the substrate from the main tank, indian almond leaf from main tank, moss and plants from main tank, I will add some more free floating moss as well to give them place to hide. I didn't have sponge for the outflow gate so I used panty hose/nylons and fit it over it and secured it. I also had a small piece of driftwood that would fit in the box.

I used a small aquarium led light I purchased off ebay for $10 for lighting.

Also is a picture of the rili shrimp. I have the rili and crystals in the main tank


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## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

looking good. You may want to rethink the driftwood though, as its taking up a lot of space inside the box....moss is really all you need. The reason I mention the moss is that the moss contains biofilm from the tank and lots of other goodies that the babies will need once born. 

They don't move very far from their birth place for a few weeks (why no one really sees them at first)and they eat at that location. Born in the moss they can just stay there and munch away without any predators trying to eat them or competing for food with hungry adults (who push them away) 

The driftwood makes a good hiding place yes, but the moss would provide a better food source in my opinion.

Nice looking shrimps you have there...the rili is pretty color.


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## woopderson (Feb 12, 2014)

Woah that breeder box is huge! I second betta4u's sentiment on the driftwood. Its most likely fine, but 100% moss may be better.


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## deepblue3 (Jan 11, 2014)

Ok I'm going to put alot of moss in the box. It does look pretty sparse now.

Yes, the breeder box is a nice size! I quite like it.


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