# Cherry Shrimp - SO CLOSE!



## Halibass (Jan 28, 2007)

Ah, is this a normal occurance? It seems like my berried female molted right as the eggs were ready to hatch. Some of the eggs even have "eyes". 

Please excuse the poo poo, my snails go nonstop.


----------



## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

They look unfertile


----------



## Halibass (Jan 28, 2007)

eklikewhoa said:


> They look unfertile


Hmm, maybe those were, but even those had two black specks on each one when I took them out. This female has been carrying the eggs for at least a week (I've only had her for a week) so they should be fertile. I thought they drop the unfertile eggs pretty quickly.


----------



## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

If she was carrying the eggs for more than three days they were fertile. Sometimes water quality can trigger a moult and the female loses the eggs too....i've never seen this myself though.


----------



## THHNguyen (Dec 2, 2006)

It looks like some of the eggs already hatched since cherries usually lay more eggs than that...
Those eggs probably just went bad after fertilization so they didn't hatch. I've seen this a few times with mine but there were usually only 2-3 left unhatched.


----------



## Halibass (Jan 28, 2007)

Shrimp&Snails said:


> If she was carrying the eggs for more than three days they were fertile. Sometimes water quality can trigger a moult and the female loses the eggs too....i've never seen this myself though.


I was reading on a different forum and it looks like changes in water quality can trigger a molt. I did do a water change the day before, so maybe I'll have to more careful in the future.


----------



## Halibass (Jan 28, 2007)

THHNguyen said:


> It looks like some of the eggs already hatched since cherries usually lay more eggs than that...
> Those eggs probably just went bad after fertilization so they didn't hatch. I've seen this a few times with mine but there were usually only 2-3 left unhatched.


I hope that's the case. I'll know in a couple of days if I start seeing some babies


----------



## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

Halibass said:


> I hope that's the case. I'll know in a couple of days if I start seeing some babies


Good luck I hope you spot some little ones soon.


----------



## Muirner (Jan 9, 2007)

Halibass said:


> I was reading on a different forum and it looks like changes in water quality can trigger a molt. I did do a water change the day before, so maybe I'll have to more careful in the future.


Ok, so i think this may be a reason for mine molting at about the same time along in her "pregnancy". But what do I do, not do water changes? Or VERY VERY few?


----------



## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

I've never had this happen with berried shrimp....they either drop the unfertilized eggs or carry them and have shrimplets. I do water changes once a week in my 10g but plant to start doing them twice weekly since the population has grown a lot.


----------



## Color Me Blue (Feb 26, 2006)

Have you ever seen *all *shrimp molt after a water change? No. Some will, but it's most likely their time to molt. I would not stop doing water changes because you have berried cherries. In fact, you should do your water changes on a regular basis. You need to keep your water quality in good condition. I agree that it looks as though her other eggs "hatched" and those left behind in that molt just weren't viable. In fact, now that your female cherry molted, she's going to primed for mating again. Don't worry....you'll see plenty of babies soon enough.


----------



## Halibass (Jan 28, 2007)

Shrimp&Snails said:


> Good luck I hope you spot some little ones soon.


Yea! I see little shrimplettes! Of course I first saw them going thru the tubing during a water change, but it's ok, they were all saved.


----------



## tundra girl (Mar 2, 2006)

see nothing to be worried about -in about 2 weeks you should really be able to see them-mine at that age are already a bright red
Cindy


----------

