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OEBT growth and maturity questions:


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Do OEBT shrimp grow slowly?  I have had a few small ones under a half an inch since the end of May and they do not seem to grow bigger.  Could I be doing something wrong...
 
My tank is heavily planted so I only tend to see one or two at a time, I keep them with several Blue Rili adults and a bunch of Blue Rili babies, but then the oddest thing...today I saw some very small babies and when I looked with a magnifying glass it seems that their eyes are orange.  Is it possible for OEBT  shrimp to breed when they are still under and inch in size, I never saw one berried, but the new fry really do seem to have orange eyes.
 
Also, I have started a new 9 gallon tank and was hoping to add  OEBTs to it, as well, after it has cycled.   I have used ADA Amazonia soil and have been reading  on some threads, which state that  this is not a good substrate for tigers.  Is this true?
 
 
 
So, my questions are:
 
 
Why might my tigers not be growing?
 
Even though they are still small, could they have bred?
 
Is ADA soil bad for keeping OEBTs? 
 
 
Current Parameters in the cycled 4 gallon tank:
 
TDS 160 - 195
Ammonia 0
Nitrate      0
Nitrite       0
GH           8
KH           3-4
Four gallon with fluval shrimp stratum,
 
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Shrimp will grow at different rates, depending on their genetics, environment, and, to some degree, nutrition. Higher temperatures will increase the growth rate, but also spur the tendency of bacterial infections. There are food products out there (e.g. Mosura Excel) that market faster growth with higher protein content. You can supplement their diets with a bit of protein, just feed sparingly, especially in a small tank. I rotate among protein, plant, and baby foods, powder and pellet, on different days.

 

You are probably seeing babies from a berried female that was hiding. My experience with OEBTs is that they breed when they reach maturity and size.

 

Some shrimpers have kept OEBTs in Taiwan Bee parameters. Most keep them in harder, neutral water. I have mine in a planted tank with GH 7, pH 7.4, and KH 2, and with ADA Amazonia. The caveat here is to make sure there are stones or something else to buffer the pH and add some hardness. I planned for an Iwagumi scape with Seiryu stones, which raises the GH and pH, defeating the purpose of an active substrate meant for soft water shrimp like CRS and Taiwan Bees, but perfect for a planted tank with OEBTs.

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Oh my, thank you so much for all this great information.  This is wonderful!

 

I think that the baby, I saw must have been one of the Blue Rili babies...perhaps I imagined orange eyes (it was still very tiny)...I really don't think my OEBT shrimp have reached maturity.  I will experiment with some of the other food types you suggest to see if that helps.  The Rilis are breeding, molting, popping out shrimplets, and getting bigger all the time...but the tigers just sort of stay the same size. I will put your suggestions to work and see if I can't push them along.

 

I have lava rock and driftwood in the new tank that is cycling, but I will look for the Seiryu stone, as well, it is very pretty!  Your tank is so tranquil and other worldly.  I love it.

 

Thank you again for such helpful information!  I appreciate more than I can say.

 

 

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