Sexy shrimp breeding attempt!

[HydroJ]

My sexy shrimp is expecting! I hope this attempt will be successful!

 

[HydroJ]

I find 2 useful source:

https://humble.fish/community/threads/sexy-shrimp-breeding-success.10537/page-17

 

[HydroJ]

This is a ChatGPT summary based on these 2 sources:

Absolutely — here’s a cleaner action-list/checklist version you can copy directly into a forum post.


Sexy Shrimp Breeding — Action List


Before the female releases larvae

• Set up a 1–2 gallon round/cylindrical larval container
• Keep larval water separate from the main reef system
• Set temperature to 27°C / ~81°F
• Set salinity around 34 ppt
• Add very gentle aeration so larvae slowly circulate
• Use a bare-bottom container with no powerhead
• Run approximately 12 hours light / 12 hours dark
• Cover the container enough to reduce evaporation
• Have fresh saltwater ready for water changes
• Start Artemia hatcheries before larvae are released
• Prefer decapsulated Artemia eggs
• Have live phytoplankton ready
• Optional: establish a Parvocalanus culture
• Optional: have rotifers available as another live food

Hatch night — Day 0

• Watch the berried female closely as the eggs mature
• Collect newly released larvae with a larval trap or gently transfer them
• Avoid sudden changes in temperature or salinity
• Put larvae into the prepared larval container
• Begin feeding immediately
• Add freshly hatched Artemia at approximately 0.5 nauplii/mL
• Add enough phytoplankton to produce a light green/brown tint
• Make sure larvae remain suspended but are not being thrown around by bubbles

Immediate feeding is especially important: in the controlled study, larvae fed immediately had 96.7% survival at day 10, whereas delaying feeding by two days reduced survival to 33.3%.


Every morning

• Check temperature
• Check salinity
• Replace evaporation loss with fresh RO/DI water
• Check larval activity
• Check whether Artemia are still small enough
• Remove obviously oversized/older Artemia
• Add freshly hatched Artemia
• Keep approximately 0.5–1 Artemia/mL
• Add phytoplankton if the water has cleared
• Check for dead larvae/debris and carefully siphon them out

The study found good growth and survival at 0.5–2 Artemia nauplii/mL, with 0.5/mL being the most economical effective density.


Every evening

• Check food density again
• Add fresh Artemia if necessary
• Check aeration
• Make sure larvae aren’t collecting on the bottom
• Make sure larvae aren’t being pushed above the waterline
• Check salinity again if evaporation is significant

Daily water maintenance

• Prepare replacement water at the same temperature and salinity
• Slowly replace approximately 10–15%
• Avoid sudden large water changes
• Siphon from the bottom carefully without sucking up larvae
• Keep salinity around 33–35 ppt
• Never rapidly correct a salinity change

Note: the scientific study actually performed complete daily water replacement under controlled laboratory conditions. 8«°®¶¸Û.pdf.pdf My 10–15% slow-change recommendation is a practical compromise based on combining the laboratory results with the home-breeding experience.


Days 1–7

• Fresh BBS available at all times
• Maintain light green water
• Optional: add Parvocalanus
• Keep water quality very stable
• Don’t allow old BBS to dominate the culture
• Record daily survival and observations

Days 7–14

• Continue fresh BBS
• Continue phyto
• Continue optional Parvocalanus
• Watch larvae under magnification if possible
• Look for developmental changes after molts
• Continue gentle daily water replacement

At around 27°C, the study found that larvae generally reached the fourth zoeal stage at approximately 9–12 days post-hatch.


Days 14–25

• Keep the routine consistent
• Do not reduce feeding just because larvae are larger
• Continue removing oversized Artemia
• Watch for changes in swimming behavior
• Start looking for larvae spending more time near surfaces/bottom
• Do not rush to transfer them

Days 25–45 — Settlement watch

• Look carefully for larvae beginning to walk rather than swim
• Look for a more recognizable shrimp body shape
• Check walls and bottom for tiny settled shrimp
• Continue live foods even after the first shrimp settles
• Do not immediately move newly settled juveniles
• Reduce aeration slightly only if necessary

The research suggests this is the main window to watch: approximately 92% of postlarvae metamorphosed between days 26 and 45, although some took as long as 59 days.


Once several shrimp have settled

• Keep them in the original container initially
• Maintain stable salinity and temperature
• Slowly reduce excess pelagic Artemia
• Continue offering live foods
• Add a very small piece of established live rock if desired
• Begin offering extremely small/crushed meaty foods
• Watch whether juveniles actually take the food
• Increase food size gradually as they grow
• Avoid sudden transfer into the display tank

Target parameters

• Temperature: ~27°C / 81°F
• Salinity: ~34 ppt
• Lighting: 12L : 12D
• Larval container: ~1–2 gallons
• BBS density: start around 0.5/mL
• Food: freshly hatched decapsulated BBS
• Secondary food: phytoplankton
• Optional: Parvocalanus / rotifers
• Expected settlement: roughly days 26–45
• Possible late settlers: up to ~day 59

Biggest things I want to avoid

• Do not delay the first feeding
• Do not let salinity creep upward from evaporation
• Do not make sudden salinity/temperature changes
• Do not use strong pumps
• Do not let old, oversized brine shrimp accumulate
• Do not use such a large larval tank that food density becomes difficult to maintain
• Do not transfer freshly settled juveniles unnecessarily
• Do not give up at day 30 if larvae haven’t settled yet