Wood Shrimp Breeding?

[Kaylee Skylyn]

I've recently purchased some Wood Shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis) (I've also seen them listed on boards as 'Bamboo Shrimp' or other such names) and find them so interesting to watch, using their fans to search for food. I am wondering if anyone knows about breeding them, or beter yet has tried or succeeded?!

So far I haven't found a whole lot about breeding them except that they are probably 'brackish' breeders, or the same as Amano shrimps in that their larva need salt water to develop in and are planktonic when hatched.

Does anyone have more information on breeding these guys?
Or seen them with egg? If so what were the conditions?

~fishing for information~
Kaylee

[GunmetalBlue]

Hi Kaylee and welcome to the forum. :)

So far anyway, no one has claimed they've successfully bred Bamboo shrimp. So unless someone does, you may have to be your own pioneer.

What I would suggest is to read up as much as you can about breeding shrimp that requires brackish/salt water for their larvae as a starting point. The two kinds of shrimp that have been bred that I know of is the Amano and the Red Nose shrimp.

For Amanos, mikes machine seems to be the best, though I'm not sure that's an allowed link here: http://mikes-machine.mine.nu/breeding_yamato.htm

For info on breeding Red Nose, click here and read Hockey shrimp's info:
http://www.shrimpnow.com/forums/showthread.php?t=297

After you've got the basic info in hand, you would need to make a detailed chart of variables and try different ones out, as no one seems to know what they are yet. Some of the variables, for instance would be amount of salinity; how quickly to change the salinity; how long before reducing salinity, etc. You'd also have to figure out how to feed the larvae during this time. From what I've read, the larvae go through several planktonic stages; it would be difficult to figure out if they need any differing conditions for those stages.

If possible, I would speed the process of elimination by dividing the larvae into more than one tank and trying out different variables in each tank.

Yes, I know of a mod in a different forum whose Bamboo shrimp would get eggs periodically, but he did not attempt to rear them, so no info. Generally speaking though, the Bamboo is a tropical species and do best between temp of 73 - 82 Farenheit. It's recommended to have larger tanks for them (20 gal and up). They also seem to love a nice current, since that is a big part of how they eat, by filtering the water.

Don't forget to update us if you decide to start on this project.

-GB

[silane]

It's recommended to have larger tanks for them (20 gal and up). They also seem to love a nice current, since that is a big part of how they eat, by filtering the water.


Hi GB,

Is there any restriction on how many bamboo shrimp in the 20gal tank or rule of thumb on water volume vs number of shrimps?

BTW, Hockey shrimp has sucessfully spawned another brood of Red Nose shrimps, and he has wrote an article on how to breed them with pictures on it, I am putting it in Library as soon as I got it. :)

[dwaffer]

I also keep a pair of bamboo shrimp. By all acounts they are very healthy and happy but I have not yet even seen any eggs. I was just wondering if anybody had ever seen them produce eggs or larvae?

[GunmetalBlue]

Hi Fruitpie :) , it's amazing, Hockey shrimp's success in breeding them. The article will be a great addition to the library and hopefully answer many questions, but I somehow suspect Hockey shrimp will still get inundated with more questions! lol

About the Bamboo shrimp, all aquarium situations are different so it's hard to say, but I gleaned the 20 gal and up "rule" from a reliable source (the above said person who had a mating pair), and also, from personal experience. The point is that they do much better in a larger tank. Of course, if the Bamboo is still young and small, it's less of an issue.

These guys get large, approx. 8 - 12cm (3.15 - 4.72 inches). Mine were adults when I first got them and both were over 4 inches. I didn't know any better and had them first in a 10 gal. Looking back, I see that they did not have much volume of water to filter nor very many choices of where they could hang out. They seemed to be two large objects when on the floor of the aquarium and their movements seemed limited. They didn't need to do much to get from one side of the aquarium to the other. At one point, one of them ceased to filter as often and stopped doing much of anything.

When I finally got to move them to a larger tank, they were so much happier (as happy as we humans can tell shrimp are happy :D ). They are more able to display their normal behavior. They'll still have a few favorite spots they like to hang out at, but at least they don't reach the other end of the aquarium in a few moves. And I'm surprised at how much stuff they must filter out of the water because even without me directly feeding them, the amount of waste (poop) seem to indicate they get enough to eat. Which, BTW is another limiting factor of how many Bamboo shrimp one can keep successfully in a given aquarium - whether they are able to get enough food in their given environment.

Dwaffer, do you know if you have an adult male and female? If you're not sure how to tell, Kaylee explains the easiest way to identify the sexes in this thread:
http://www.shrimpnow.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5500#post5500

-GB

[dwaffer]

Thanks GB.
I do have a male and female. The male has much bigger front legs.
I hear rumours that they live for perhaps twenty years so I guess I must be patient. :D

[Kaylee Skylyn]

Awsome! Thanks for the info GunmetalBlue!

Due to the lack of first hand aqurium breeding information on the web so far I have started researching their native/wild habitat. Hopefully I can make them happy enough to get eggs. The brackesh phase is going to be the most chalanging....so far I've had trouble finding out what salinity 'brackesh' is (generaly as well as where wood shrimp come from). Good point of spliting up the babies too. I had that thought just today too.

I am hoping to breed my Amanos too but last time I was unable to get the babies (fry?) past the planktonic phase.

Kaylee

[GunmetalBlue]

Hi Kaylee, your enthusiasm will surely come in handy since the info and other people's personal experience is so lacking on the breeding. Should you succeed, you should definitely write an article! :book2:


I hear rumours that they live for perhaps twenty years...

Yow! That would make them live longer than cats or dogs! :shocked: That is quite a rumour; actually, I think their max lifespan is more like 5 or so years. Your male, if it already has the fatter front legs, sounds like it's reaching maturity, if not already so. Perhaps you may not have to wait too long. I unfortunately am not sure how old they have to be, to be mature enough to breed - so can't help much there.

-GB

[dom]

I just got 10 pieces of banana wood shrimp last nite. And yes this is the batch just came out from the farm.

And I found there are 2 female carrying with eggs. I am just can't wait to breed them. So confirm the eggs will hatch as in larvae like amano and red nose? Or the eggs will hatch as in shrimplet?

It is hard to find out the level of salinity inside the water since lfs didn't carry any tester. Anyone have any other method to find out? Please advise.

Cheers,
dom

[Kaylee Skylyn]

The eggs will hatch as larva, like amano shrimp. (as stated a few times in this string)

The hard part is next. (keeping alive, feeding and raising)

I beleave they are all wild caught currently. Least thats what I've read.

I've also read somewhere (but don't know how accurate it is) that "brackish" water is 1-4 teaspoons of salt per gallon, and thats a very wide range... Now how MUCH salt fan shrimp larva need I don't know. I have not found any information for that yet. Now Amano shrimp seem to be optimumly raised in 17 ppm salinity. (I don't know what that translates into as teaspoons per gallon)

Now to clarify, there are a few diferent species of fan shrimp, I don't think this is widly known...

Common Fan shrimp (Wood Shrimp): Atyopsis moluccensis (the ones I have and are the ones most often available)

And a extreemly similar looking Bamboo Fan Shrimp: Atyopsis spinipes
(often sold under the same common name as each other)

But I dont know if they have diferent breeding habits. I haven't found a conclusive way to tell the diference between them but have read that the way to tell them apart is the size and shape of the 'nose'. Put I forget where I read that....been doing lots of searching, reading, and only printing up the most helpfull info.

[dom]

From http://mikes-machine.mine.nu/breeding_yamato.htm

Mike said:
One guide suggest that 17 ppt (parts per thousand) is a good salinity for raising the shrimp, but when I first tried 17, and then 25 ppt, I saw >97% losses in the first three weeks, with the bulk of losses occurring day 8 and 9, and very slow growth. By contrast, when I used full marine salinity (35 ppt), I have not had any noticeable losses, and growth has been rapid. Another guide on the net who, like me, experimented with different salinities came to the same conclusion: any salinity below 30 ppt will result in heavy larval losses!

So, 17ppt is not apply for the larvae to survive. Must be between 30-35ppt. And 17ppt apply only when the first larvae start to metamorphose. (This also from what Mike said.)

I will goto lfs tonite and get some salt water, hydrometer and breeding tank. Thanks a lot everyone....hope i can breed the yamato, red nose n banana wood shrimp. Since there are so many females of them carrying eggs.

[Kaylee Skylyn]

oh, your quoteing directly from mikes page there. Confused me for a minuite...

Now do keep in mine he explains that the differences results achieved between him and others could be explained by the shrimp being colected from diferent areas and thus having slightly diferent needs (Salinity for the larva). I did try raising a batch of amano shrimp in salinity over 30 but lost them all after the first week. I don't know if it was the salinity, or my lack of experience, unproper food or what. But it does seem that hobbiests are having the most success with salinity 30 and above.

Now that I have two small tanks I will split up the brood and try diferent salinitys. I would suggest you try that with the wood shrimp as no one has documented what salinity wood shrimp larva need. It may be the same as amano shrimp but it may NOT be.

Let me know how they do!!
I'd be very very interested to know.

[scarabeul1984]

Hello guys, do you have any progress in breeding Atyopsis moluccensis.
Can anyone give me some details on there natural home. South east Asia rivers?
I really want to learn as much as I can about them and there natural home.
Thank you very much.

[scarabeul1984]

Where can I read about the natural habitat of Atyosis Moluccensis.
I searched the internet but can’t find anything about the South East Asia Rivers, please help me.
Tell me were can I find this information’s.
Thanks

[Basss]

Atyopsis moluccensis breeding is possible in home aquariums. I breed them - see pictures in my gallery. I cant give here (to the forum) some link to my videos of the ofspring or some pictures, because these pages dont allow me sent here some links.. Because I have less then 15 posts.
It is new and very bad information for me, because I have gave here some links, but now I cant..

[gr81]

can you tell us at least basic setup, water params etc...
I thave problems keep adults for long time. offspring sounds like fairy tale to me. what are you feed them?

[Basss]

For keep adults I have no special directions. I never measure in my tanks any parameters and I think, that important is to have Atyopsis adults with any other shrimps like CRS. Why? - because of feeding Atyopsis is relative difficult - you must crushed or mashed granulas or another feed and put it to the tank near the filter. Very big part of this flow down and Atyopsises dont eat it and old feed spoil the water. When you have CRS in the bottom of the tank - they eat this feed and water is clear.

[killer007]

Ah...sorry to bring this up again...
but anyone successfully breed the Bamboo shrimp (fan shrimp/flower shrimp)?
I just brought two today and one male and one female and hope someone could tell me how to breed them sucessfully...
like use the same method as Amano shrimp?

Thanks

[Basss]

Briefly - method is similar to Amano shrimp method, but longer. It is not easy keep good conditions in small salt-water aquarium for about 70 days.

http://www.shrimpnow.com/mygallery/showimage.php?i=2536

[killer007]

did you buy the marine salt?
like use the same salt content for salt water fish?
or there is some kind of receipe?

thanks

[Basss]

Yes, I use the same salt, which is usually using for salt water fish. You must about 24 hours mix the salt with water and than I give there sea stones with big porosity and ampula with bacteries for good sea-aquarium establishing...

[killer007]

ah thanks i will try that out