Floating Breeding cage? Silicon safe for shrimp?

[stan]

I currently have a few pregnant cherry shrimp in my 33 gallon! My tank is lightly planted and HOB filter with no prefilter, and a tons of fish thats gona go after any shrimplet.

Any advice/warning for me before I carry out my following game plan. I must admit that I'm quite excited about it!

So I'm thinking using my floating breeding cage for the shrimps that about to hatch:


To prevent the shrimplets from escaping from the floating breeding cage, I'm thinking of patching up the holes on the breeding cage with these: filter bags:

sealing with these silicon:


To prevent the light from stressing the pregnant shrimp, I'll shade of some light.

To try to give the shrimp a sense of security, I'll be putting in a small patch of a moss ball, java moss, and small chunk of almond leave. covering the base up with a very thin layer of substrate. [ any advice on hide out? some thing thats very light weight but will allow the shrimp to hide in?]

To keep water circulation, I have a straw connecting to the filter outlet, constantly introducing fresh water. [wonder if it would actually stress out the shrimp.]

Concerns:
Will the silicon harm the shrimp in anyway?
Will new board shrimps be able to go through the filter bag mesh?
I was hoping to find a larger Floating breeding cage. Can't seems to find any.
Pregnant shrimp might not like the environment, and not hatch the srimps at all?
With the shrimp drop their egg if i scope the with a net??

Let me know what you guys think.

Eventually, I hope to grow more plants so they can hatch naturally in the tank.

[TomC]

Here is a bigger breeding trap on ebay at an excellent price.

Aquarium Floating Baby Fish Breeding Trap Hatchery Net - eBay (item 260748652838 end time Mar-10-11 03:05:30 PST)

[stan]

Thanks for forwarding the link.
I've thought of getting those cage before. But I wanted to be able to observe the shrimps in it like I would with a floating cage.

Here is a bigger breeding trap on ebay at an excellent price.

Aquarium Floating Baby Fish Breeding Trap Hatchery Net - eBay (item 260748652838 end time Mar-10-11 03:05:30 PST)

[wsl]

I don't see why this wouldn't work. Just make sure you get everything set up with the mother shrimp in their before the eggs hatch, or you're never going to be able to find the shrimplets. For hiding spots, I recommend you just put a big clump of your java moss in there, and that should be sufficient for mothers and babies. The shrimp shouldn't drop their eggs too easily unless you stress them out a lot while moving them, so just make sure you transfer them over quickly. I don't think the silicon will harm the shrimp, and the babies should not be able to pass through the mesh I think. Having water circulate is important in keeping the shrimp alive, and should not stress them too much unless the flow is really strong. Good luck with this project.

[Kanesska]

the only concern I'd have is their ability to climb out, but it looks like a cool plan

[stan]

Sounds like it a "go" for the plan! Hum ~ now i just need to find some moss!

[stan]

Had this running for almost a month now! working great's I get to closely observe the new born and juvenile shrimps all the time!

(I moved the light directly over the cage to take the shoot, usually it not that bright, baby shrimps seem comfortable in them)



the older shrimps~

[Ursus sapien]

Just stumbled on this thread...

glad you had success - it's a good plan, and nicely executed.

I do this to hatch cory eggs, just add an air stone.