How to Breed Malaya Shrimp

Malaya shrimp are a relatively new species to the American aquarium hobby. They were first introduced in 2007, and have been growing in availability because of the ease of breeding them. Unlike most aquarium hobby shrimps, Malaya shrimp go through a larval stage. Other aquarium bred shrimp hatch into miniature replicas of their parents. As long as there are no fish in the aquarium that will eat the larva, they will quickly grow into adult shrimp.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium test kits
  • Fish food flakes
  • Algae pellets
  • Zucchini
  • Spinach
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Instructions

    • 1

      Maintain the water at a temperature of 74 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. The pH should be high alkaline, from 7.8 to 8.0.You can measure water pH using an aquarium test strips or test kits. Most aquarium test kits and strips come with tests for pH, ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

    • 2

      Keep the water clean. Ammonia and nitrites should be low or undetectable. Nitrates should be kept under control with frequent water changes. Measure ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates using your aquarium test kit. This shrimp needs really clean water to breed successfully.

    • 3

      Verify you have a male and female Malaya shrimp. Male Malaya shrimp are light colored, with white lines down their backs and a straight underbelly. Females are larger and darker in color than males, and have a curved underbelly for holding eggs.

    • 4

      Look at the female shrimp's body shape. She will get very plump when she is filled with eggs. Once the eggs are laid, the female sticks them to her belly. The eggs take about 15 days to hatch into larvae. Larvae will metamorphose into the adult form in approximately 1 week.

    • 5

      Feed the Malaya shrimp larvae the same foods as their parents, only smaller. Crumble fish flakes into small pieces, or feed them sinking algae pellets. They also eat a variety of fresh vegetables, such as zucchini and softened spinach.