How Many Babies Do Taiwan Bee Shrimp Have? small

How Many Babies Do Taiwan Bee Shrimp Have?

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So, you’ve noticed that some of your Taiwan bee shrimp seem to be pregnant and ready to deliver eggs. You aren’t sure if your tank is big enough for the babies or whether or not you need another tank to keep them in. The only way to answer this question is to ask – how many babies do Taiwan bee shrimp have at once?

Like most shrimp in the Neocaridina and Caridina genera, Taiwan bee shrimp have 20-30 babies at once. The eggs of the bee shrimp are fertilized outside the female’s body, and the female lays unfertilized eggs. 

This article will help you understand more about breeding Taiwan bee shrimp. For more information, keep reading!

How Many Babies Do Taiwan Bee Shrimp Have?
How Many Babies Do Taiwan Bee Shrimp Have?

How To Breed Taiwan Bee Shrimp

As long as your tank’s water conditions are right, bee shrimp breed relatively quickly and easily – all you need to do is introduce both male and female shrimp to the same tank.

Shrimp do not give live birth. Instead, the female shrimp carry their eggs outside their bodies. When they are ready to breed, the females release sex hormones in the water, and the male fertilizes the eggs, which are then transferred under her tail. 

Like adult shrimp, shrimp in eggs need oxygen, and the female provides it by “fanning” the water with her tail. A female bee shrimp carries 30-50 eggs at once. A portion of the eggs – and the young – will die naturally, which is why you will need to be prepared for 20-30 babes per female, and not more.

The challenge with breeding Taiwan bee shrimp is getting the water conditions perfect for their needs. Shrimp are extremely sensitive to water changes, and you must ensure the conditions are ideal for getting them to breed. 

The ideal water parameters to encourage breeding in your bee shrimp include:

  • Temperature: 68-74 degrees Fahrenheit (20-23.33 degrees Celsius)
  • pH level: 6.0-7.5
  • Water hardness: 0-2 KH and 3-6 GH

Additionally, you’ll need to ensure that there is a substrate at the bottom of your tank so your shrimp have something to grip onto when moving around. You should also add driftwood and plants to your tank to keep your shrimp entertained.

Furthermore, plants help control the spread of nitrates and ammonia in a tank. While Taiwan bees, like all other shrimp, prefer clean water, shrimp cannot thrive in water that has been stripped bare of all minerals and nutrients. Plants help control your tank’s water chemistry without too much monitoring from your side while also ensuring your shrimp have the nutrients they need to do well.

As I’ll discuss below, aquatic plants are especially important if you have any fish in the same tank as your breeding shrimp.

Considerations After Your Shrimp Have Given Birth

The water conditions are not the only things to keep in mind when breeding shrimp. Two important things to consider right before or after birth are the shrimp population in your tank and the other tank occupants.

Shrimp are prolific breeders, reaching sexual maturity at 4-6 months old. They molt every 4-6 weeks, and it is during this period that they also breed. Given this breeding frequency, if you have numerous females in a single tank, you’ll soon be overwhelmed with the number of babies and juveniles present.

Too many shrimp in a single tank creates competition for resources and prevents shrimp from thriving. It is recommended that you only have 5 shrimp per gallon (3.79 l) of water in your tank. So, if you’re planning on breeding your shrimp frequently, have numerous females in a single tank, or have a small tank, you should be prepared to transfer the baby shrimp to a different tank.

The other consideration to keep in mind is your shrimp’s tank mates.

Ideally, your Taiwan bees should have a tank to themselves or be in a tank with other freshwater shrimp. If you add them to a shrimp with fish, there’s a high chance that the babies and juveniles, in particular, will be eaten by the fish. The larger and more aggressive the fish are, the greater the risk of this happening.

However, having a separate tank for your shrimp is not always possible. In this case, ensure the tank you’re adding them to is heavily planted. Aquatic plants provide shrimp, especially babies, with ample space to hide and avoid predators. Plants increase the chance of them growing into adulthood.

Final Thoughts

Taiwan bee shrimp give birth to 20-30 babies at a time, after accounting for stillbirths and babies that do not survive into adulthood. To increase the chances of the baby shrimp thriving, you need to ensure there are not too many shrimp in your tank and there are no predators to eat them. 

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