Gestation for shrimpies

[ina1032]

Well, the other day I bought out Walmart of ALL their ghost shrimp, 78 of them to be exact. They love their new home, a spacious 75g FW community tank. I know I've lost one for sure, because I saw one stuck to the filter intake. Ok, my question is though, I know for sure I have 3 pregnant females (they were already prego when I got them). What's the gestation period for shrimps anyway? I've only had them a couple days and I'm getting impatient. I'm gonna be a shrimp grandma! I wanna make sure I've got enough time to get another tank up and running for the babies before they get eaten.

 

[Hooked Newbie]

Well, the other day I bought out Walmart of ALL their ghost shrimp, 78 of them to be exact. They love their new home, a spacious 75g FW community tank. I know I've lost one for sure, because I saw one stuck to the filter intake. Ok, my question is though, I know for sure I have 3 pregnant females (they were already prego when I got them). What's the gestation period for shrimps anyway? I've only had them a couple days and I'm getting impatient. I'm gonna be a shrimp grandma! I wanna make sure I've got enough time to get another tank up and running for the babies before they get eaten.

I'm not sure about the gestation period. It will be difficult at best to catch the babies (they are tiny) in a 75 I'm afraid.

 

[The Zigman]

78 ghost shrimp?!?
how long did it take to catch and count them all?

 

[pixl8r]

Well, from the time the eggs are fertilized, it's usually 25-30 days. However, water temp, and quality can affect how long the eggs take to hatch. Since you got the females berried, there's no way to accurately predict, when they will hatch. There are a few indicators that you can watch for. The eggs will change color as they near hatching. The eggs usually become more translucent, but not always. You should be able to tiny dark spots in the eggs, the spots are the eyes of the larvae. I would not worry about the babies hatching before you get the new tank setup. I would worry about the shrimp lasting, if you have any remotely aggressive fish. Angles, loaches, or cichlids can gorge themselves on shrimp. I believe shrimp is like chocholate to them, or crab legs, to my wife. Get the new tank setup as soon as you can. Make sure to have the filter intake covered with a sponge or something to prevent the baby shrimp from being killed. FYI, Palaemonetes paludosus (the common North American Ghost Shrimp), have larvae that go through a few short developmental stages. When the larvae hatch, they are not able to swim well. Two to three days after they hatch the larvae become tiny shrimp, that is, they molt and look like small versions of their parents.

 

[inkyjenn]

ive had ghost shrimp bear offspring

the eggs went from a green to almost an olive green to tan and you could most definately see the eye specks inside the eggs. i kept mine in water around 78° - 80° F. the eggs took 2-3 weeks to hatch. you probably wont have too many new shrimp though in a community tank. the larvae are swimmers, not benthic, miniature shrimp. they are attracted to light, so the instant you flip on your lights, they will come up and your fish will most likely eat them :/

 

[ina1032]

I got them at Walmart, even though I swore I would never buy another aquatic animal from there, they live in deplorable conditions. But I just couldn't resist, especially after I'd been to all the pet stores in town and NO ONE had shrimp. They were in a tank with plants and neons, so the kid took all the plants out, and I just told him I wanted all of them. I watched him pretty close, but he counted each net full.
I've got guppies, a silver dollar, 3 rainbow sharks, the shrimp, and a BGK in the 75g now. I would imagine the BGK would hunt them @ night, so that's why I would LIKE to get them moved, but I often forget just how big the tank is, and how hard it is to catch shrimp, so I'm thinking maybe they're just gonna hafta make it on their own. Hopefully I've got enough hiding spots for them. :fingers crossed: