Ghost Shrimp breeding

Here's some pics of some very happy Ghosts - that weren't bought for feeders!

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Very cute little guy

Man, I bought some of those things and they lived for 3 days, I was so bummed...but they are too cute!
Kin

More pics. These shrimps seem to like an unheated tank that's around 72F - and LOTS of moss! I'm going to try and catch the next female I see carrying eggs and put her in the snail breeder tank. Then I'll have a good supply of younger shrimp.

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The egg carrying GS that I moved to the fry tank w/the snails. Crossed fingers!

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Cool project! Hope they hatch out for ya!

Just in case you didn't already know, Ghosties are low order breeders. This means that the young will hatch in a larva state. With Ghosties, this is generally short. I believe it is 24hrs if memory serves me right. Depending on the species of Ghost, it could require brackish or freshwater to morph.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Very cool! I've always found these guys to be very interesting! I can't wait to see what happens with the eggs! Definitely keep us posted.

i think those guys can kill fish.

alan j t wrote:

i think those guys can kill fish.

Only the red claw variety is aggressive.

They are sold as feeders in most LFS.

I had a 10gallon with these once .There was alot of Java moss in it . They bred very well for me . BUT , do not put any fish that are not herbivores in with them . Even the juvie guppies will hunt down and consume the newborn shrimps . That is experience talking by the way . They did fine with BN Plecos and cory in with them.
Ray

That's why I moved the egg carrying female to the 'snail breeding' tank. My 10G has glofish which munch on anything tiny like fry/larvae. All I have in the snail breeding tank is a lone painted glass fish. Debating on if she needs to be moved.

If you have any fish in there, the larvae and small shrimplets will be in danger.

And we have tons of tiny white larvae in the snail tank this morning. So tiny that I thought at first they were nothing more than some bottom waste stirred up - until I saw them moving and darting. Will take pics in a couple days as they get bigger.

BTW did read somewhere that GS larvae need snails that generate slime because they feed on that slime. That's why I put them in with the apple snails.

Awesome! It's actually the snail poo that produces the micro critters that will help them. I do the same with the Oto fry in that I try to keep a couple Briggs in the tanks for just that purpose as well.

Good deal. Oh...and good luck getting pics of the zoea. Unless you have a very good camera, it will be very difficult. :o)

WOW congrates! I love the knowledge of others. I never knew the correlation between snails and shrimp. Thanks.

FishVixen wrote:

I never knew the correlation between snails and shrimp

It's not just for shrimp for that matter. Any of your bottom feeding fry and algae eaters like Oto's and plecos.

Pics of the larvae. They are the little white line looking things.

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Interesting. I've never been able to get the Freshwater Ghosts (Palaemonetes paludosus around here) to breed. Some says it's because they need a brackish stage for the Larvae.... but that isn't true as they are plentiful in many freshwater pond, ditches etc. I'd love to figure out the secret.

The best way to do it is to isolate the female right before she drops the eggs. This will give the larvae a better chance of survival. You can inject a little green water to help substain them for a couple of days.

The larval stage is very short for ghosties. You can start feeding a day or so after they morph. Let them grow a little before introducing them to the tank.

There are some varieties of ghosties that the larvae do require brackish conditions. Others are freshwater.