How Long Does It Take for Crystal Red Shrimp To Breed?

How Long Does It Take for Crystal Red Shrimp To Breed?

by

If this is your first time keeping crystal red shrimp, you probably have several questions. One of the most common questions tends to be about breeding cycles—after all, the last thing you want is to check your tank, only to discover it has been overtaken by new baby shrimp, requiring you to move them to a larger space. So, how long does it take crystal red shrimp to breed?

Crystal red shrimp breed and spawn every 4-6 weeks after maturity—at about 4-6 months after birth. The eggs take approximately 1 month to hatch. However, you should ensure the water is at the ideal temperature and that you meet the proper tank conditions to breed shrimp successfully. 

To learn more about breeding crystal red shrimp, keep reading. I’ll also inform you about the grades of these shrimp, in case you plan on selling some of the young, and some of the precautions you should take when breeding crystal red shrimp. 

How Long Does It Take for Crystal Red Shrimp To Breed?
How Long Does It Take for Crystal Red Shrimp To Breed?

How To Breed Crystal Red Shrimp

There’s nothing special you need to do to get these shrimp to reproduce—as long as you have a tank with both male and female shrimp, breeding will happen independently without your intervention. 

That said, you do need to ensure that the water conditions are suitable for your shrimp to breed. These are the same conditions you need to keep your shrimp, but breeding shrimp are a little more temperamental about water temperature than non-breeding shrimp.

The right water conditions are essential if you’re breeding for a grade rather than merely producing your shrimp for a hobby.

Specifically, instead of having a range of temperatures from 62-78°F (16.7-25.6°C), you must ensure that the water stays at 75°F (23.9°C) until your female shrimp spawn. Once they spawn, you can allow the temperature to fall under 74°F (23.3°C). Higher temperatures increase the death rate of eggs and newly hatched shrimp and increase the risk of bacterial infection.

The temperature is the primary concern when breeding crystal red shrimp. All other water conditions should be the same as in any other crystal red shrimp tank.

Understanding Crystal Red Shrimp Grading

If you’re breeding crystal red shrimp to sell, you’re likely concerned about the grade of the offspring your shrimp produce.

All crystal red shrimp command a high price because they are in high demand. However, the higher the grade of your shrimp, the greater the cost. In order of desirability, the general grades of crystal red shrimp are the following:

  • C-Grade. Almost entirely red coloration with a few white stripes. 
  • B-Grade. More white than C grade but not usually organized into clear bands of color.
  • A-Grade. The shrimp exhibit semi-opaque areas of white but not in a defined pattern.
  • S-Grade. The shrimp show more extensive areas of opaque white with a less clearly defined red band.
  • S+Grade. The shrimp show more solid coloration in the white and red areas than in the S-grade.
  • SS-Grade. These shrimp have an additional circular red coloration on their back.
  • SSS-grade. These shrimp show the most white over at least three-quarters of their bodies and red on the face, antennae, and limbs.

There are also some subtypes in the grading system.

There is no certainty what grade the baby shrimp will be based purely on their parents’ official grading. Several factors affect crystal red shrimp coloration, and it’s always a guessing game. 

However, breeding two shrimp of high grades increases the chance of the offspring being a high grade. To reproduce crystal red shrimp commercially—you should consider starting with SSS-grade shrimp.

Precautions To Take When Breeding Crystal Red Shrimp

Aside from ensuring the water temperature is correct, preparing your tank for the breeding process is essential.

Females spawn 30-50 eggs at a time. While it is true that only a few of these will survive to adulthood, you will also need to consider the breeding cycle of the crystal red shrimp. 

Once your shrimp are sexually mature (about 4-6 months), they will breed every 4-6 weeks. If you fail to prepare for their breeding cycle, you can end up with an overcrowded tank before you know it, especially if you don’t remove shrimp from the tank between breeding cycles. 

Crowded tanks stress out shrimp and increase the risk of death among your shrimp. If you’re intentionally breeding your shrimp, have a different tank ready for placing the juvenile shrimp in. Make sure the tank is large enough to accommodate at least 30 shrimp per female breeding shrimp you have.

What after breeding? I wrote a detailed guide on how long it takes crystal red eggs to hatch https://shrimpplanet.com/how-long-do-crystal-red-shrimp-eggs-take-to-hatch/

Final Thoughts

Once sexually mature, crystal red shrimp breed relatively fast, spawning in 4-6 week cycles and taking another month to hatch. This short reproduction time is good news for aquarists looking to breed these shrimp commercially—due to the high price they command on the market.

Sources