Green Babaulti Shrimp giving birth on video!

[Kazin]

I just caught a video of Green Babaulti shrimp (GBS) giving birth and I want to use this as a way to clear up some misconceptions I've read about them and post some helpful info:

1) Green babaulti shrimp give birth to mini shrimplets that are freely moving. There is no brief lower order stage as some have reported.
2) The shrimplets do grow more slowly into adults than RCS shrimplets, but at birth they're nearly same size as RCS shrimplets. Maybe a touch bigger than newly born RCS shrimplets?
3) GBS shrimplets have white eyes, RCS have black eyes. When breeding in the same tank, this is the best way to tell them apart. If you're really good, you'll notice the spiky rostrum on GBS, as well as other features (bigger swimmerets).
4) The GBS on video gave birth in the flow of the filter, letting the shrimplets disperse below into a dense carpet of dwarf baby tears. The female positioned itself in such a way that seemed (to me) to catch the flow from the filter. I hope I can confirm or deny this sort of behavior in the future.

If you guys have any questions I can clear up about them, please let me know!

[Video forthcoming, not so easy to get it off iPhone atm]

 

[Nils]

Sounds really cool, and on Google these shrimp look awesome! Can't wait to see the vid!

 

[Kazin]

Here is the video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The full video catches 2 shrimp being born. Because of file size constraints, this clip is edited down just to show the first baby shrimplet being born.

And why not some pictures of GBS shrimp as well?

 

[Nils]

Wow! That's really awesome! So how hard is it for you to keep these guys? Haven't seen them a lot so I'm assuming that they're more challenging to keep, right?

 

[Kazin]

GBS are weird. If you read what people have to say about them, they are "fine" in the mostly the same water conditions you keep neos, they breed in freshwater, they're similar in size, but they're not really common. I used to wonder why, but after owning them a while, I think I get the picture.

The problem with them is that the shrimplets take so long to reach maturity compared with RCS that you have a lot less room for error before you lose your colony. It's really a battle of long term attrition. The shrimplets seem more sensitive to survival than RCS and those that do survive take forever to get to breeding age.

They also seem to get stressed out during feeding with any other shrimp. I saw an RCS (not exactly an aggresive shrimp) slowly eat into the carapace of a perfectly healthy GBS while the GBS was in the feeding swarm. They don't really protect themselves in the swarms and even get hurt.

I think the best way to breed them is in a species only tank with 50%+ volume of mosses so that they can just graze peacefully and slowly build their numbers, maybe keeping them in a bit higher KH than you would for RCS. I haven't kept them for long enough to be an expert though.

Btw their colorations are very interesting. They actually do slowly change color based on what they're standing on. Mine turn dark brown on black substrate, light brown on cholla wood, bright green on plants, reddish brown on mopani wood, you get the picture. You'd think that'd be an extremely marketable shrimp.

 

[Autumnsky]

Hey! Great post. I have been eyeing these guys for maybe 3-4 years, but never owned them. Recently I saw them available as tank raised from a vendor I am considering buying some nano fish from, which brought them back into my mind as a possible shrimp to keep.

So as Caridina variety they can be with Neos? Though duly noted about being more delicate. They could cross with other Caridina..., right - do you know/heard of others experiences? Have you kept them with anything else other than Neos?

Have you ever used any of the Shirakura Chi Ebi or other foods made for baby shrimp?

 

[Kazin]

GBS are caridina, so being in the same genus, one must consider the possibility of cross breeding with other caridina. I haven't ever seen that take place, but I have read reports that tangerine tigers (caridina serrata) can crossbreed with them since TTs are among the most promiscuous shrimp. But you never know if those reports can be trusted. Lots of bad info on GBS out there. I personally feel like it'd be less likely (or well nigh impossible) just because GBS seem like totally different dwarf shrimp than tigers/bees to me. But that's my best guess and I'd need to see a picture of a TTxGBS hybrid from a trustworthy breeder to change my mind.

Anyways Autumn, yes I do I recommend them! The color changing alone will keep your eyes glued to the aquarium. They can be kept with RCS just fine but baby food (powders) feeding really does help keep the stress down. I use CSF baby food, BorneoWild baby food, and low keys baby food, but shirakura is a great brand and I'm sure that'd be fine too.

 

[Kazin]

Autumn please pick that vendors brain!!!!! What does he do if he's tank raising them? Species only? Parameters? Food? Would love some input from a successful keeper.

 

[Autumnsky]

I went back and looked at the vendor and atm they only have RCS green in stock I guess I will email and check/

Yes I have TT and think they would be too aggressive of shrimp tank mates for the GBS to be comfortable. When I say aggressive I don't imply mean, but they are in the middle of everything fast and hard and eat what they want including food particles from the mouths of other shrimp - steal them right away - and I wouldn't doubt an extra newborn shrimplet or two if they are hungry.

There is a (ugly to me) cross of TT and CRS being sold so I wouldn't doubt it trying to cross. Orange and green shrimp would be interesting like a Rili but since green and orange in paint color mixed would be ugly I would be scared to see the mess those two breeding might make!!!

I have about 0 KH so I would have to produce mixed RO water for mine and atm thinking through this it might be a better project for a year or so from now. (traveling a few weeks away at a time for a few trips and not a solid volunteer for tank upkeep duty) This year is booked pretty solid with me being extremely busy and reducing number of tanks I have running.

One reason I was wondering about 3 varieties of shrimp possible in one tank or just adding a handfull of show adults (of undetermined variety) to the nano tank, then keeping one 2 variety shrimp tank. Problem is I love too many varieties!!!

I think CRS or PRL will be my next aquisition since my water is well suited to their keeping.

One of my favorite shrimp I ever kept was a batch of (mutt) Neos which bred out multiple colors frequently blue to blue grey, reds, tans and sometimes other Neo sports like yellow, green, black and white and, it was easy and oh so fun to watch.

Definitely inspired to try these guys especially with the color changing!! I have a mental list going of things for next year. In the mean time I will try for more research and fact finding as well. Will share here too if anything new comes up.

 

[Kazin]

Ok cool! you won't regret owning them when you do decide to pull the trigger. They're really interesting.

 

[Autumnsky]

Any new pics or updates here for these shrimp? So far no new people I have found with them.

 

[Kazin]

Any new pics or updates here for these shrimp? So far no new people I have found with them.

I sold them off when I moved from San Diego a few months back. I have just been cycling a new tank long enough to consider buying some more and getting that started. Really fun and interesting shrimp. Thanks for the interest.

 

[Autumnsky]

Okay, was just wondering how it went.

Did you ever get many babies?

Post here if you get them again.