Mamashack Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 About a week ago I found one of my female white pearls was berried and was so excited. I estimated about 12 tiny snowballs altho it was pretty much a guess. Today she looks like there are only about 4 left. I believe it is her first time to be berried. Is this normal for first-timers? Or is there something I should be looking out for? Water parameters: pH 7.8 temp 21-23 C ammonia 0 ppm nitrate 5 ppm TDS 253 GH 9 Got a new light a couple of days ago for both tanks which is quite a bit dimmer than the old one as I heard they are more sensitive to light at this time. I got white ones http://www.arcadia-aquatic.com/classica-led-striplight/ One of the new females in the QT is also berried and I'd like to know if there's anything I can or should be doing to prevent this happening with her too. Haven't changed their feeding just adding a pinch of Bacter AE every other day as before. Any help, thoughts and/or advice would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Truthfully, first and second timers will often drop eggs as they learn to carry them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Thanks Soothing - it's reassuring to know that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 The eggs did look rather loosely attached from the get-go and they looked like they were being jostled dramatically when she was fanning them or maybe she was trying to get rid of them. I've seen a video of a shrimp eggs hatching and the female looked like she was kicking them off and that just how this one looked. Anyway maybe the 4 she has left will hatch or maybe they won't. I'll keep my fingers crossed for next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMG Aquatics Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 I've been my 1st timers drop their eggs many times. Just about 3 days ago. I saw mine drop 2 eggs. Started with like 10 and now 0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 It's sad isn't it? But if it's not that unusual I'll think positive for the next lot all being well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMG Aquatics Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Yah so even though shrimp can start mating early, some take a few tries before successfully giving birth to shirmplets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Thanks Poopians - at least I know now it's not something I've done wrong or not done right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miwu Posted October 10, 2014 Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 Agreed with the above, but just in case: be careful not to stress them out too much especially if they are first timers. I've had many first timers successfully carry their eggs until they hatch but I needed to be really careful about not stressing or shocking them at all. It can also be tempting to net them or put them in a trap so it's easier to observe but be sure you're not doing any of that. However, many first timers just need a few tries before they get it right, and that is perfectly normal as well. They'll get berried again soon enough so good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 Thanks miwu. I think I did startle her the night I noticed she was berried. I put a mug of coffee down near the tank and it clunked a bit and she jumped. Maybe that didn't help. I won't be doing anything like isolating her. She's still got 4 eggs so not sure what will happen over the next few weeks. I had planned to move the shrimp from the QT into the main shrimp tank this week, but I'm going to leave both lots where they are for the time being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted October 10, 2014 Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 I've also noticed from autopsies that teh eggs are actually encased in a gelatinous substance. They aren't just loose. Perhaps the first time allows hormones to start being produced to start making that substance in a larger quantity to help carry the eggs as well. And maybe that explains why we see dropped eggs and some left from 1st timers and occasionally others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 That sounds an interesting and feasible explanation - thanks, Soothing! Soothing Shrimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Sad to report that she's died. I found a shrimp body yesterday morning but couldn't tell which one it was as there were only a couple in view at the time. Just been checking the tank and they were all visible and all male . Just hoping that the females in the QT survive so I can transfer them over soon all being well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Sorry to hear that- especially since it was your only fem in there. Good luck with the transfer. Mamashack 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merth Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Always sux to lose them especially the breeders sorry for your loss! Mamashack 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 Thanks both - she never seemed to get going with them really - almost as if it stressed her out. Hoping the females from the QT get thro the next week or so then I'll make the transfer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2014 I'm happy to announce that my girl is alive and well and still carrying her 4 eggs. She must have been in hiding all this time and it must have been a male that died. I could have sworn there were only 5 males left - there must have been 6! Sorry he's died, but I'm so relieved that she's still with me. I couldn't believe my eyes when I got in from work tonight and saw a big and beautifully fat shrimp! I'm all smiles again!! miwu and Soothing Shrimp 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metageologist Posted October 16, 2014 Report Share Posted October 16, 2014 That's good to hear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 And just to put the icing on the cake one of the "boys" is saddled now so must have been an immature female! lol Pika and Soothing Shrimp 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miwu Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 Nice job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Got a few questions so hopefully you'll all bear with me. She's alive and well, but she's not got any snowballs left so I think she's lost them all. How long usually til they become saddled again? I know they can saddle up just before releasing shrimplets, but since she didn't get that far I'm just wondering if anyone has any ideas. Should I adjust the tank feeding regime? It's always been my concern that there isn't enough food, but they do tend to ignore most of what I add - snowflake being the one consistent exception to this. Also the other WPS are still in the QT - is it ok to transfer them over now? I've held back because of her being berried and it's been over 3 weeks since I put the new ones in QT. There's no sign of fungus and no milky whiteness indicating bacterial infection - the only thing I have noticed was one of the new ones is berried. Good idea or not? There are several ramshorn snails in there and lots of baby snails now so i've added a couple of baby assassin snails from the 60L to help reduce their numbers. The last time I had assassins in with dwarf shrimp I saw one disappearing down an assassin's throat - what a horrible sight that was! I think/hope that the shrimp was dead before it happened. Haven't had them together since tho I am a bit nervous. Any contraindications for having them together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Just paranoid I guess, however there have been some bad accounts of assassins and shrimp- so I don't do assassins in shrimp tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miwu Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I think you'll be fine adding the rest of the shrimps in, except it might be stressful for the one that still have her eggs. The female that lost her egg will molt about a month after she last molted, which is when she got berried. She may or may not be saddled at that time depending on how well she has been eating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Thanks Soothing and miwu. I've removed the assassins back to the 60L - in fact I've moved everything! The QT shrimp are now in the main shrimp tank and I'm setting the QT up for some new ones - got my eye on some orange sakura ones that I can collect from about 30 miles away. They haven't any in yet but at £30 for 10 I'm sorely tempted. They are going to let me know when they are back in stock. I was pleasantly surprised that there were 7 out of 10 shrimp left alive in the QT as I'd only seen 2 or 3 at a time. No sign of a berried one so she must have lost them or perished, tho there are still 4 females so I reckon she just lost them. Now have about 12 in the 19L and all seem to be coping with the transfer. Soothing Shrimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamashack Posted November 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 Well guess what I saw in the shrimp tank yesterday?! A baby white pearl! Just one! Standing on top of the plant pot - it was the right shape and had a little black spot where the head would be. Only saw it in profile and thought I was maybe wanting to see one so much that I was imagining it, but my son confirmed it when he came over. So she hadn't lost ALL her eggs after all. I have a single grand-shrimp! lol Pika, christinenha and miwu 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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