Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > More Forums > Reef Club Forums > SouthWest Region-Reef Club Forums > Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society (OMAS)
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 01/31/2011, 08:48 AM   #1
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
Sexy Shrimp Breeding Project

My sexy shrimp breeding project is officially underway. I had a spawn last night, and managed to capture a few. I wasn't paying attention, and the fish/coral/anemone got most of them, but I did snag 40 or so. Got my fingers crossed that they will still be alive when I get home from work today.



I'm also hoping that this storm doesn't knock out my power, b/c I don't have a generator or any backup plan.


jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/01/2011, 06:59 AM   #2
Miss.scoots
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tulsa
Posts: 33
I love sexy shrimp! i have two! i want a heard lol! how many do you have?


Miss.scoots is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/01/2011, 07:36 AM   #3
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
Well crud--they were all alive last night, and all dead this morning. Water quality probably, although it could have been any of a dozen other issues. Time to read what little information is available and try again next spawn.

Scoots--I have six. Four females and two males. They are really fun, and I'd love to have more. I think they're the best investment in livestock!


jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/01/2011, 09:48 AM   #4
R_Hudson
Just having fun
 
R_Hudson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Tulsa, Ok.
Posts: 990
Any type of breeding is extremely difficult and tedious. Everything has to be perfect. It may take a few tries before you start having success. Don't give up on them. You may check in the breeding and invert forums for extra research. Good luck with this wonderful project


__________________
I don't pay to have my dirty work done for me. I do it myself.
Ted Nugent
R_Hudson is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/01/2011, 10:00 AM   #5
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
Thanks Richard.
There isn't a ton of info out there, but from what I've discovered, I did the following things wrong:
1) Water temp too low
2) Light intensity too high
3) Photoperiod too long

Plenty of room for improvement. Luckily, I get a spawn about every 2 weeks, so I'll just clean my equipment, adjust my technique, and try again.


jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/01/2011, 11:12 AM   #6
R_Hudson
Just having fun
 
R_Hudson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Tulsa, Ok.
Posts: 990
Keep it up, you'll get it eventually and it sounds like your on the right track


__________________
I don't pay to have my dirty work done for me. I do it myself.
Ted Nugent
R_Hudson is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/01/2011, 02:00 PM   #7
Lytehouse
seeker of knowledge
 
Lytehouse's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NW OKC
Posts: 3,276
What a cool project

These are the coolest little critters

When I had a 5 gallon, several of them would host a sebae I got from Scott.

Good luck with your nest attempt.


__________________
--Lynn



The challenge is the fun.
Lytehouse is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/01/2011, 02:43 PM   #8
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
I'm eagerly awaiting the next spawn. I ordered a very small variety of brine shrimp eggs, and I'm decapsulating them right now. Should have another spawn this weekend, and I'll try again.

I'm hopeful that by November, I can speak at a meeting about my successful sexy shrimp breeding system.


jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/01/2011, 02:52 PM   #9
kcooley
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 223
look into a larvae trap too, once the lights go out and you shut the pumps off they all swim right into the trap, you will have much greater success and make it easier to transport and acclimate to the rearing tank.


kcooley is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/03/2011, 01:46 AM   #10
Miss.scoots
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tulsa
Posts: 33
How do you sex them? I got one for my 72 and didn't think I would ever see it a gain but it worked out great so I got another and now everytime I see them for sell I want to get more!


Miss.scoots is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/03/2011, 08:46 AM   #11
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
Sexing them is easy. Males are very skinny and have a long saddle across the hump on their backs....

this is a male:



Females are fatter and generally larger, and have a smaller saddle with a dot below it.

this is a female:



easy peasy.


jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/05/2011, 06:08 AM   #12
Miss.scoots
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tulsa
Posts: 33
I'll have to check but i think both mine are girls.


Miss.scoots is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/05/2011, 06:28 AM   #13
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
Scoots--they're happier living in colonies, so you should get yourself lots more. In a tank that size, a large, wiggling herd would be fantastic! Also, since they spawn so regularly, their larvae are a great source of food for corals and anemones.


jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/05/2011, 06:30 AM   #14
Miss.scoots
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tulsa
Posts: 33
I want more for sure! are the males usually darker like that one? I don't think I've seen any males for sell are they hard to come by?


Miss.scoots is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/05/2011, 06:49 AM   #15
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
Color can vary. You're better off just looking at the markings.
I believe both sexes are in the trade in equal abundance, so you shouldn't have an issue finding males, assuming the weather clears and vendors can get their livestock shipments in. If I had to guess, I'd say that because of the females' larger size, they probably handle the rigors of shipping better and suffer fewer unfortunate events (I've squished one by accident myself).

Speaking of male sexy shrimp, one of my males molted right in front of me yesterday. Just like a locust--he climbed up the wall of the tank and shimmied right out of his skin in broad daylight. I was quite surprised!


jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/06/2011, 08:22 PM   #16
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
Had another larvae release this evening. Almost missed it b/c I was watching the Super Bowl. Checked on the tank just in time to find the water full of baby shrimp. I caught quite a few--75 or so--but I need to refine my technique so that they don't get bashed around so much. Between scooping, siphoning and sucking them up with a turkey baster, I'm sure I maimed quite a few. Nevertheless, this looks like a much healthier spawn than the last time. They are hopping up and down like cockroaches.

On the negative side, I read that the survival rate is about 15%, so if I am successful, I should end up with 10 settled shrimp. I guess the evolutionary strategy is to produce several hundred babies every two weeks and hope a few make it...

Wish the spawn had happened while I was off work for a week (teacher), but that's the way it goes. Updates tomorrow.


jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/07/2011, 10:45 PM   #17
Miss.scoots
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tulsa
Posts: 33
how are they doing? and i put my boy in the tank and haven't seen him since. I hope he makes it.


Miss.scoots is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/07/2011, 10:46 PM   #18
Miss.scoots
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tulsa
Posts: 33
Where do you buy yours?


Miss.scoots is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/08/2011, 10:56 AM   #19
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
I'm approaching the dreaded 48 hour mark, where I typically lose most of my larvae. I believe there is a molt that happens at this time, and mine just never make it through that. There's so much that can go wrong. I do 2 water changes per day of 1/3 volume, and it has to be temperature and salinity matched to avoid shock. Contamination from equipment is always a possibility, as is simple mechanical damage from accidentally sucking them up when I siphon out the dead baby brine shrimp.

As for where I buy my shrimp--anywhere in town that has them reasonably priced. I'm not vendor-monogamous.


jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/08/2011, 07:28 PM   #20
mutateddogbone
Registered Member
 
mutateddogbone's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Broken Arrow, OK
Posts: 1,016
oddballs has some hatchery kits, even comes with the first packet of eggs if thats what you're gearin up for?


__________________
2013 Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society - President

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Current Tank Info: 75g braceless SPS dominated w/ 50g Frag Tank
mutateddogbone is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/09/2011, 02:11 AM   #21
Miss.scoots
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tulsa
Posts: 33
Hatchery for brine or mysis? I've never noticed it before. I'll have to check it out. I haven't seen my boy anywhere i don't think he made it how long do they usually hide out for?


Miss.scoots is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/09/2011, 07:55 AM   #22
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
Bummer. I've never had one hide. A new shrimp usually finds the others almost immediately and joins up with the clan.


jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/10/2011, 11:56 PM   #23
Miss.scoots
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tulsa
Posts: 33
Did the 2nd round make it so far?


Miss.scoots is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/11/2011, 05:29 AM   #24
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
Nope, but I've had another spawn since then. I changed the tank size and lighting conditions and got a more reliable heater, so I'm hoping for the best. The new spawn will be 48 hours old tonight, and that's when they always die on me. If there's any good news, I'll let you know.


jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/16/2011, 07:51 PM   #25
jayelblock
Registered Member
 
jayelblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: tulsa
Posts: 408
Don't want to jinx myself, but look...4 day-old sexy babies! Some of them have molted and have a distinct pair of legs and tails. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.




jayelblock is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Sexy shrimp doing not sexy things eating stylo and pocilli Blitzburggirl Other Invertebrates 4 08/27/2009 09:30 AM
Sexy Shrimp (From the "How Many Shrimp for a 46 GAl) Tennyson Other Invertebrates 22 03/06/2008 02:33 PM
Will groups of 2-3 sexy shrimp and a peppermint shrimp get along? dynaschm0e Other Invertebrates 10 11/26/2007 01:03 PM
Is it ok to put sexy shrimp in with a pistol shrimp? cherubfish pair Other Invertebrates 3 08/16/2007 05:00 PM
sexy shrimp and cleaner shrimp cowboy99 Advanced Topics 3 03/25/2006 11:49 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:36 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.