Separating a pregnant ghost shrimp

[mindabsence]

Hello everyone! New face around here, I'll try to become as regular of a reader and lurker as I can! I've already learned quite a ton here.

Here's my situation; I have a ten gallon tank with 5 zebra danios, two guppies and a ghost shrimp whome I just added yesterday. I keep it regularly cleaned and keep a close eye on my water parameters too. It's only been running about two months as I'm just starting to get back into aquarium keeping now that I'm old enough to afford it myself haha

My delima is that I just bought a female ghost shrimp who is pregnant (I didn't know she was at the time of purchasing). Quite a number of eggs are visible with little black dots in the center of each. I know from what I've read that it's not a safe idea to keep her in there because the young will be eaten when they hatch. Unfortunately the only other tank I have at my disposal right now is a 1/2 gallon betta tank.

My question: Would I be safe to put her in this betta tank for a couple weeks until the young are released? I know it's small, but I could likely put a small plant and a little structure in there. Or, is this simply too small of a place for her to live without proper filter and lighting?
and
how long would I have to separate her from the young when they hatch? Since I attend classes during the day, I can't be with my dear fishies until the evening usually.

Sorry I was long winded! Thanks a ton everyone!

[chazsgirl]

well from my own personal experience she will pretty mad and wind up dropping the eggs before they are due to be dropped which means no babies for you. I have been trying forever to get baby ghosts and i still have no luck, but the 1 thing I was told was never remove her she will stress and lose eggs! someone else might be able to tell you a better way. good luck and if it works let me know!~

[Hooked Newbie]

"Ghost" shrimp can actually be quite a few different species. Alot of them will only have viable larvae in brackish conditions so I really wouldn't advise going to any extra lengths to try to propogate them. Also, some bettas have a real taste for shrimp.

Off-topic: What is the Betta setup?

And... :welcome: to AC!

[DAVIDFBT]

Most bettas will eat ghost shrimp, and there's no doubt that if you get her to hatch and then survive the pre larval phase, the betta will surely eat the baby shrimp.

[schuste]

It doesn't sound like there is a betta in the tank, just that it is a betta tank

[mindabsence]

my mistake in forgetting to clarify myself on that, it is just an empty old betta tank with no current betta in it.

So I'd basically be better off to just let the babies be eaten in the 10gal than trying to save them in a smaller tank?

thanks for the help :idea:

[mindabsence]

sorry for the double post, I couldn't find the edit button?
What if i get a small floating breeder tank and stick her in there while still in the 10g?

[Spewn]

I'd just leave the shrimp alone. I have my ghost shrimp in with a betta and they've multiplied to 5x their original population in just a few months. I haven't done anything at all to "try" and get them to breed, other than keep them alive I guess.

[chazsgirl]

ghost shrimp are fast movers! My fatty bee puffers couldn't even catch them!

[Mgamer20o0]

each betta is different some might work some might eat the shrimp.

[mindabsence]

well, the eggs were layed and hatched (picked up a cheap floating breeder tank and put some gravel in the bottom of it for her).
I came home from school one day and had three living babies that hadn't been eaten. That night I had two, and now (a good 5 days later) there is one that I can always see for sure. I'm unsure if the second one is still around and hiding in the rocks, or if that one bit the dust).
If said living baby has lasted about 4/5 days, do I have hope? Or is there still a good chance I'll loose it? To feed it I gring up a flake of food into an incredibly small powder, mix in a little water and dump it in the top of the breeder tank.

[cymrufem]

Any updates on the baby/babies?