Can't get my bee shrimp to breed

captmicha

captmicha

Le tired.
Dec 6, 2006
2,052
0
36
39
Maryland, USA
Caridina cf. cantonenis

I'm providing them with ideal conditions: http://www.theshrimpfarm.com/shrimp/bee-shrimp.php.

They won't breed...

I have a Hagen Elite Mini and an air operated sponge filter. They're in a five gallon, 5 or 6 of them. There's also my aging cherry shrimp in there. (I know they should be separate but I just really don't have yet another tank and filter for them).

They're all eating. I give them fresh veggies. NLS crustacean pellets, Hikari crab cuisine, Hikari Shrimp Cuisine, home made fish food (with sea food mix, egg yolk, veggie and fruit extract, seaweed, spirulina, quiona flour, veggie flour, nutritional yeast, calcium powder, and fish oil) and occasionally Aqueon color flakes. I also give them algae that I pull from other tanks.

The tank doesn't stay at one temperature. It fluctuates in the range that that website said. Um, light from a window, a resin decoration. Lots of java moss. Drift wood. No substrate right now besides some random old egg shells and coral that don't make much difference in the pH since they're covered in bio film.

Water parameters have been steady.

If this is because I haven't been keeping up on water changes up until a while ago, how long will better water quality start making them want to procreate (hopefully)?
 
I've read that in some cases, they won't breed unless they're in a larger tank. Mine only started to breed after I moved them out from a 10 gal to a 20 gal.
 
I had CRS breed in a 3.5 gallon tank, but it did take them a little while to get going. I'd pull the resin decoration in favor of natural stones. You just never know if it's off gassing that one thing they don't like. Also, my CRS really liked an occasional frozen blood worm. They're not really algae eaters as much as other dwarf shrimp.

Other things to consider are PH and hardness. Steady params doesn't mean they like the params.
How far is your temp swinging? Getting too warm for even a a few hours can easily throw them off rhythm.
Are they molting frequently? should be every 3 weeks or so.

In any case, unless you really hit all their parameters and requirements right on the nose, it will take a few months for them to settle in. Don't expect an immediate boom.
 
for me, it was adding indian almond leaves that made the difference. my ph was higher than i'd prefer or want for crs/cbs (around 6.9) so i added some indian almond leaves reading that they help soften the water. i haven't tested the ph yet but it's been about 2 weeks and i have 3 berried mama's already. shrimps are a lot more... lively then before too. i've seen new molts every few days since i've added the leaves.

as for temp swing, mine is consistently 75 throughout the day and 70 at night..
 
Try a little Luther Vandross
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Or some Marvin ***e
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Low ph, low hardness, frequent WC's.
 
I can't add anything to further acidify the water, it's acidic enough already.

I've read that in some cases, they won't breed unless they're in a larger tank. Mine only started to breed after I moved them out from a 10 gal to a 20 gal.
Click to expand...
Possible but there's no way I have enough room for a larger tank devoted to one type of animal.

Asking the obvious question here, but are you sure you have a mature group with a mix of sexes? While the probability is low, it is entirely conceivable that you ended up with all one sex or that all your shrimp are still juvies.
Click to expand...
Entirely possible with my kind of luck!

Low ph, low hardness, frequent WC's.
Click to expand...

Thanks I guess... but if you read my initial post again, you will see what I already said my water parameters are...

I had CRS breed in a 3.5 gallon tank, but it did take them a little while to get going. I'd pull the resin decoration in favor of natural stones. You just never know if it's off gassing that one thing they don't like. Also, my CRS really liked an occasional frozen blood worm. They're not really algae eaters as much as other dwarf shrimp.

Other things to consider are PH and hardness. Steady params doesn't mean they like the params.
How far is your temp swinging? Getting too warm for even a a few hours can easily throw them off rhythm.
Are they molting frequently? should be every 3 weeks or so.

In any case, unless you really hit all their parameters and requirements right on the nose, it will take a few months for them to settle in. Don't expect an immediate boom.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've had them for at least four months now. They're molting and looking good. They're getting protein and calcium and seaweed and veggies and fruit and all kinds of good things. They never have to rely on just algae.

I can't keep a steady temperature... Wish I could but I can't with the way my room fluctuates. One day I hope I'm allowed to move them to the basement where it's more consistently cool but they're stuck in my room for now.
 
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