How Quickly Do Shrimp Reproduce? (Answered!)

If you’re planning to set up a shrimp breeding tank, you might wonder how quickly shrimp reproduce.

The breeding process might take from three to five months, depending on the type of shrimp you have and the overall environment of the tank. And the good news is, you can do a lot of things to make sure your shrimp reproduce.

In this guide, I’ll explain what it takes for the shrimp breeding process to be successful and what you can do to increase the possibility of your shrimp breeding. I’ll also answer some common questions related to this topic.

Do Shrimp Breed Easily?

It’s pretty simple for shrimp to breed, but if you want to set up multiple shrimp breeding tanks (for hobby or for profit), you should keep in mind a couple of things.

You can enhance the possibility of breeding by ensuring your shrimp live in a healthy environment, and there are many things you can do to make sure the baby shrimp survive.

It goes without saying that your shrimp should have a healthy balanced diet and a tank that’s clean at all times.

In terms of their diet, your shrimp should be fed a consistent selection of food that’s high in protein and nutrition.

In addition, make sure that there are no sudden or drastic changes in water parameters.

With regards to water parameters, make sure that the water’s pH is between 6.0 and 8.0.

Also, the water temperature should be between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Shrimp can live just fine at room temperature, but only if it remains the same. If the temperature in your home is prone to change, consider purchasing a heater for the tank.

Your tank should contain some live plants as well, as this will not only maintain the overall health of your shrimp but also give them a place to hide.

Female shrimp usually mate right after molting, which refers to the biological process of shedding their skin. And when shrimp molt is when they need a place to hide the most because this is when they feel the most vulnerable.

If you take all of these steps to create a healthy, natural environment for your shrimp, you’ll be setting the stage for the breeding process to take place.

How Fast Do Shrimp Reproduce?

As mentioned before, the overall reproduction cycle might take from three to five months.

It usually occurs right after the female shrimp goes through the process of molting. When shrimp molt, they lose their hard shell and will search for a safe space inside the tank to hide until it grows back.

During this hiding stage, the female shrimp will release pheromones into the water to attract the males.

As opposed to fish, which usually lay their eggs at the bottom of the tank, female shrimp carry their eggs inside the stomach for a total of 30 days.

In addition, since the eggs are attached to the female, she’ll constantly fan them with her tail, which helps the eggs receive oxygen.

It usually takes between 25 to 35 days for the eggs to hatch. A female shrimp can carry anywhere from 21 to 51 eggs at once.

A shrimp egg is usually 1.19 millimeters long, and the larger the mother, the larger the eggs.

After the eggs hatch, it usually takes around two months for the baby shrimp to reach the juvenile stage. Until they reach this stage, it’s impossible to tell the difference between male and female shrimp.

Then, it takes another two weeks for them to grow into adults. In all, it takes shrimp from four to six months to reach sexual maturity.

How Often Do Shrimp Reproduce?

While it usually takes between three to five months for the entire breeding process, female shrimp can breed again just a couple of days after the eggs are hatched. However, this depends on many factors.

When the eggs hatch, it’s essential to ensure there are no pests or any other types of predators inside the shrimp tank. That’s why it’s generally advised to keep shrimp in a separate tank and fish in another.

One more thing to keep in mind is the tank’s filter. Since baby shrimp are tiny, they can be easily sucked into the filter. For this reason, I recommend getting a sponge filter for your shrimp tank, as it’s 100% safe.

Speaking of safety, your baby shrimp should have somewhere to hide. This is especially important until they reach maturity.

Moss is always a good option. Alternatively, you can always use rocks and driftwood if you want to avoid adding live plants to your aquarium.

Since baby shrimp tend to spend most of their time on the bottom of the tank, they eat the biofilm that gathers on the surface of rocks, plants, or anything else in the vicinity.

If you want to avoid overpopulation, don’t use nano tanks for your shrimp. Since it’s generally advised to have one liter of water per shrimp, keeping them in aquariums that can only contain up to 10 gallons of water is not a wise idea.

This is especially important if you plan to take shrimp breeding seriously. If possible, get a tank that can fit up to 50 gallons of water for your shrimp.

In Summary

Now that you know how long it takes for shrimp to breed, you can do many things to make sure everything proceeds smoothly.

For example, it’s best to only add a couple of plants to your shrimp tank. If there’s too much greenery, you might not even notice that your tank is filled with baby shrimp.

As long as you provide your shrimp with a healthy environment and feed them regularly, there’s nothing to worry about. Just make sure that your tank is large enough to accommodate them all!