# Pregnant ghost shrimp? Advice?



## Eridanus (Jul 1, 2021)

So as my luck would have it, I got what I'm pretty sure was the only ghost shrimp in that group of 20 with eggs 😂 

I've had ghost shrimp in the past, but I have never dealt with eggs or raised any. So what should I do?
She has to go in with Dimitri, since I'm not allowed to set up another tank, and Dimitri is the only one that would not bother her. I would ask my parents, but seeing as I got a firm no about a 7th betta there's no way I would be allowed to set one up for shrimp. (Even though we have an extra unused ten gallon, parents are odd)
In Dimitris tank, I have a piece of driftwood and live and fake plants. His only other current tankmate is a black Mystery Snail. 
I have a picture of Dimitri's tank attached, and one of the to-be mother. Don't mind the mess of it atm, it's getting cleaned tomorrow. 

But what should I do?? Are they something that will quickly over-run his tank? I don't really want more than one shrimp but that plan kinda failed so what should I do?? How would I feed the young ones? 

Dimitri will also be getting some surface floating plants within the next week too, hopefully. If that makes any difference.
But yeah, any advice is hugely appreciated, thank you!!


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## Eridanus (Jul 1, 2021)

I've been reading up on raising the young.
If they hatch, would it be cruel of me to just leave them in the betta tank? What would their chance of survival be? I wouldn't be able to make any sort of accommodations for them, or at most not many.
I would prefer not more than one shrimp, but I also don't want to be cruel to the young...

Also, I read that unfertilized eggs in the mother are green. And now that she's in the tank (I named her Nirvana, and no, not after the band lol) that they're green. Maybe that'll change in a few days or so. But I'm not sure. Is this true? Or is any sign of eggs mean she's going to have young?

Edit: Here's a letter pic than before


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## Maxwedge (Jan 20, 2020)

I've had shrimp in my planted 20gal with my Betta, 5 Kuhli Loaches, a Cory , Otto and various snails for about 2 years. Here's my thoughts:

If your shrimp got preggo in a particular tank, keep her there for the best chance of the young surviving. If you move her to a different tank with different parameters (ph, temp, food, ammonia/nitrites) the young probably wont hatch and she might die too. If your tank is healthy enough for her to grow a brood of eggs then it's healthy enough for the eggs to hatch and grow. What works for mommy will work for the kids.

You'll only get as many new shrimp as the habitat can support. Meaning if the food supply is decreased the # of shrimp will decrease. If there's abundant food then they will reproduce faster/more offspring. I have never had "too many" shrimp and I let them do whatever they want in there.

Food: I drop in a few shrimp pellets every day or two, but they also eat any extra fish food the fish miss, and are constantly scouring the plants and decorations for algae. Once you have a few you really don't have to worry about them much. Again, if the water parameters are good they will breed, but you won't get any more shrimp than the ecosystem can support. Less food equals less shrimp.

I always have preggo shrimp and usually can spot a few tiny babies in there. I HOPE my betta is eating them but Ive never seen this. I also keep a stainless shrimp basket/screen on my filter inlet pipe. Otherwise the little guys get sucked up and I find them living under the sponge when I clean the filter about once a month.


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## Eridanus (Jul 1, 2021)

Maxwedge said:


> I've had shrimp in my planted 20gal with my Betta, 5 Kuhli Loaches, a Cory , Otto and various snails for about 2 years. Here's my thoughts:
> 
> If your shrimp got preggo in a particular tank, keep her there for the best chance of the young surviving. If you move her to a different tank with different parameters (ph, temp, food, ammonia/nitrites) the young probably wont hatch and she might die too. If your tank is healthy enough for her to grow a brood of eggs then it's healthy enough for the eggs to hatch and grow. What works for mommy will work for the kids.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all the info!!

I just got her from the pet store yesterday evening, so she's in a new tank and all. 

That makes sense, okay. I'll look into shrimp pellets just incase. 

Ohh okay. What does the netting look like? Is there a certain kind I should look into?


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## Maxwedge (Jan 20, 2020)

I use these stainless screen-baskets. I ordered this one on-line from Walmart and got it in about a week. There are lots on ebay but they usually ship from China and delivery varies from a week to a month. I think there are 2 sizes: 12mm and 16mm? The larger ones fit my intake tube.


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## Eridanus (Jul 1, 2021)

Okay, thank you so much!! I'll look into it.


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## Maxwedge (Jan 20, 2020)

Hey OP, here' some more pics of my shrimpies. I originally had 10 blue velvets, but they never bred (or if they got eggs I never saw any babies). Then I got some "cleaner shrimp" and they have done well. Super easy to care for. About once a month I give them a calcium chip (I order them from a store called Crayfish Empire"). They're good for strong shells, especially in the 6.5-ish ph tanic water I try to keep for my betta.















Here's a baby on a leaf. He's 1/2 the size of a grain of rice and much smaller than the little pest snails I always seem to get with new plants...








And finally here's an adult flying across the tank, instead of walking like those common "pedestrians" on the bottom.








I hope your babies hatch. The shrimp are tiny and nobody sees them until I point them out, but they're fun to watch and spend their lives cleaning up the fishes table scraps.


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## Eridanus (Jul 1, 2021)

Awwww so tiny!!

Would cuttle bone work for them too possibly? 

Thank you again!


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## Maxwedge (Jan 20, 2020)

I tried cuttle bone ONCE and it got slimy and my apple snail died. I don't know if all those things are directly relayed, but I never tried cuttle bone again.


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## Eridanus (Jul 1, 2021)

Aww no, I'm sorry!

It's always worked for me but if these are richer in calcium I'll definitely look into them.


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