Trouble breeding CRS

[supermansteve32]

Hello again everyone. Just an update and a question. My nursery tank has been working like gang buster and I've got 21 babies and 3 more pregnant females. Thanks everyone for your help. 

My question is what should I change in the 60 gallon to fix my issue with the dying shrimp? The differences in the tanks are Malaysian driftwood, fluval filter, splash bar, atmospheric pressure (because the 60 gallon is 30 inches tall, nursery is 12)

[Grubs]

3 hours ago, supermansteve32 said:

My question is what should I change in the 60 gallon to fix my issue with the dying shrimp? The differences in the tanks are Malaysian driftwood, fluval filter, splash bar, atmospheric pressure (because the 60 gallon is 30 inches tall, nursery is 12)

I don't think any of those things should effect the shrimp.    IME identical tanks develop along different trajectories to different stable conditions that will contain a particular biochemistry and micro-flora and fauna.  Sometimes all you need to do is shake things up a bit and send the tank off in a different direction to a new stable state that is hopefully more favourable to the shrimp.  This could be as simple as moving the shrimp to a bucket, draining the water and do a new scape.

If you don't want to bother catching all the shrimp you can still do a lot of moving things around leaving the tank running - e.g. gravel vac the substrate to remove a lot of "mud", take the wood out - sun dry it, then put it back in in a new spot, maybe a new globe in the light if you can (or swap the lights with another tank to change the colour temperature). Redirect the outflow from the filter to flow the water in a new direction. Some new plants.

In other words just change things up... a new start with all the same gear.  Nothing to lose.

[sdlTBfanUK]

Fantastic to hear that the nursery tank is working so well so quickly! I would just carry on as it is at the moment as it may all work out given a bit more time and with more shrimps as you put them in from the nursery tank. When I have only a few shrimps they tend to be hiding a lot but when I was 'overstocked' they were much braver.

IF it is possible you could do an experiment of dropping the big tank water level down maybe to half (if easily possible) and see if that makes a difference as obviously then the pressure will be less? If it makes no difference after a month then go back to full water level? Maybe they think it is winter as the pressure is greater in the big tank?????

In the long run though if it continues to be a problem with the big tank there may be an advantage to doing the nursery tank as you can control the numbers better in the big tank that way when you get further down the line and over-run by just transferring a few to the nursery tank to have the babies and knowing that the berried females shrimplets in the big tank won't survive and cause too much of a population explosion - a sort of family planning' for your shrimps........  And you have a backup source of shrimps should there be a disaster in one of the tanks?

REALLY pleased that at least the nursery tank works. I would let the shrimplets get to 1cm before transferring them back to the big tank to give them a fighting chance!

I still tend to think if you just continue as it is given time it may sort itself out on its own, unless it has to do with the pressure then carrying on with the nursery tank will sort that out and has some advantages in number control long term. 

Simon

[supermansteve32]

Is there anyone on this site that has had success with crystal reds in a large tank like mine? 

[sdlTBfanUK]

I hope someone will reply positively to your question!

Is the nursery tank still working, and how are the adults doing in the big tank?

Simon

[nicpapa]

Shrimps when the population is low , they dont like the big tanks.

Sometimes males cant find female when is the time .

What the temp of the big tank and the small one?

Also dont use metal temp probe.

If the shrimp stratum is new it will leach lot of ferts in the water  , its for planted tank.

Move the shrimps to the small tank ,do a big water change, dont use chemicals.

Driftwoods are new?

Sometime if they was in a fish tanks and use chemicals for threat the fish wood absords the chemicals.

 

[supermansteve32]

sdlTBfanUK. Yes the nursery tank is working really well. Two moms already delivered full batch, 3 more still pregnant. They've gotten pregnant in the big tank and moved over, males finding females isn't an issue. 

nicpapa. Driftwood is about 1.5 years old and only ever been in this current tank. Temp is consistently 70-74 degrees on both tanks. Stratum is about year and a half old. 

Back in November last year I had over 50 to 60 shrimp in there, then I moved the tank and then it's been declining until I started the nursery tank. 

Thanks everyone

[sdlTBfanUK]

Hopefully then if you keep on with the nursery tank, as soon as there are more shrimps in the big tank it may all sort itself out. Really pleased to hear that at least the nursery tank is working well in the meanwhile!

Were they breeding ok before you moved the tank as if they were that would tell us it isn't the water pressure at least? 

Simon

[supermansteve32]

6 hours ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

Hopefully then if you keep on with the nursery tank, as soon as there are more shrimps in the big tank it may all sort itself out. Really pleased to hear that at least the nursery tank is working well in the meanwhile!

Were they breeding ok before you moved the tank as if they were that would tell us it isn't the water pressure at least? 

Simon

I believe they were breeding fine before the move. I started out with 10 shrimp and they grew to about 50-60 in number. I never thought the pressure was an issue but I just don't see why the babies aren't surviving in there. 

I mentioned before that after I moved the moms into the nursery tank I noticed 2 babies in the big tank so one of them popped a couple out beforehand. I don't see them anymore, guess they didn't survive. They lasted about 2 weeks. 

[supermansteve32]

Hello everyone. Thought I'd update and ask for advice on this topic. 

My nursery tank is working very well. I have had 4 pregnant shrimp delivery and there's two more expecting. I've got around 50 babies. 

I would like to move them to my big tank but I want to know why they were dying in the first place. I think it was probably the fluval filter, perhaps the suction was attaching them to the sponge to where they couldn't get off if it and then they died. I'll try to turn off the fluval and see if it adversely affects the adults first. 

I also tried to decrease thae water volume but I doubt really see a difference. I also added a second bubble filter. Maybe with the 2 bubble filters only that'll solve the issue. 

[sdlTBfanUK]

I am so pleased the nursery tank is working so well! I would let the shrimp get to about 1cm if you can, unless the nursery is getting over-run - bet you didn't think you would see that??? You should probably drip acclimate them to be safe. Just try a batch of 5-10 of the biggest as a tester and see if they do well for a couple of weeks - I can't see there being a problem with the big tank if the adults are doing well in there?

I doubt the filter was a problem if the end was covered with sponge? Babies don't move far from the point of birth anyway so my 'guess' would be they weren't getting enough food as in a big tank the food would need to be near to the baby otherwise it won't venture out to find the food, hence the small tank is better for the babies? Once the babies get bigger and start travelling they should be fine!

Try not to mess with too many things as that will only make it worse to work out if something is wrong when there may not even be anything wrong? I wouldn't be surprised if in time, once the population is bigger (per nicpapa 10 oct) and the tank has run for longer that babies will be born in the big tank and survive, at which point you could shut down the nursery tank if you want! I would probably keep it running so you always have a backup if one or other tanks have a problem!

In short, I am not convinced there is a problem with the big tank, other than its size as many people have problems breeding in a big tank even though everything looks perfect. Transfer 5-10 of the biggest shrimplets and see what happens in the next few weeks? By removing some of the bigger babies you will make more room for the newborns  in the nursery tank as well?

Simon

Edited November 24, 2019 by sdlTBfanUK

[supermansteve32]

Thanks Simon. I'll introduce them like you said a few at a time. Maybe if I add more moss to the big tank that might help with the babies in the future.

Thanks again

[sdlTBfanUK]

The baby shrimps will be happier with more places to hide so it may help them feel more secure, and biofilm will grow on the moss for them to eat!

Simon

[Zoidburg]

Is there a GH difference between the big tank and the nursery tank???

 

I've heard of crystals not thriving in GH higher than 5, but 3-4 is what's recommended. That is, the adults might be fine but offspring wont be.

 

I remember the first shrimp my O.H. got. Male and female. They were put into a 90+ gallon tank.  Female was not berried when she was put in there, but she was the following day.

[nicpapa]

On 11/24/2019 at 4:00 PM, supermansteve32 said:

Hello everyone. Thought I'd update and ask for advice on this topic. 

My nursery tank is working very well. I have had 4 pregnant shrimp delivery and there's two more expecting. I've got around 50 babies. 

I would like to move them to my big tank but I want to know why they were dying in the first place. I think it was probably the fluval filter, perhaps the suction was attaching them to the sponge to where they couldn't get off if it and then they died. I'll try to turn off the fluval and see if it adversely affects the adults first. 

I also tried to decrease thae water volume but I doubt really see a difference. I also added a second bubble filter. Maybe with the 2 bubble filters only that'll solve the issue. 

Hi there , i am 100% sure that the problem is not the pressure of the water.... Something in the big tank...  

[supermansteve32]

45 minutes ago, nicpapa said:

Hi there , i am 100% sure that the problem is not the pressure of the water.... Something in the big tank...  

That's what I've been trying to figure out all these months. 

Really the only difference is the Malaysian driftwood, fluval filter, java ferns. The big tank does have a lot of plants but I can see now hiw they may not be able to reach the gourd sources. I've bought more plants to fill it up so maybe that'll help.

I still haven't introduced any babies to big tank. I'll let you know when I do