Talk of baby shrimp, started thinking...

[OCCFan023]

Well I had been contemplating adding a second cleaner shrimp just for looks and the cool addition of two shrimps, and then began to think of maybe seeing what would happen if they bred. Now with the new threads popping up about baby shrimps and such and the low survival rates due to preditors and unsafe tank situations I figured before I add any fish that would endanger them why dont I add a scarley and see what happens if I devoted the tank towards them for a little.

Ive looked around online alot for information that I need but cant find any... So I figured Id ask.


1) If I add a second shrimp to the tank, do I have to look for a male when I buy one. I read somewhere they are hermaphrodites but need a second shrimp to fertalize the egss (now that I write that this makes no sense.....) So if I buy a second will one turn into a male or female?


2) If I add a second will that hinder my ability to stock the tnak later (with 3 fish)?

3) I was reading Kahlua's thread and read they like cyclop-eeze, is that all they need.


Thats all I can think of for now... I dont know why theres nothign online about these guys but who knows..

 

[KahluaZzZ]

They will synchronize their molting and have babies...they can change sex so you only
need 2. IMO you can add what number you like of those shrimps.
They can eat finely chopped brine and mysid ( mysid is better ) and phytoplankton but dried good is best if you don't wanna produce too much crap..and the best flake is cyclop-eeze i think.

 

[OCCFan023]

.
They can eat finely chopped brine and mysid ( mysid is better ) and phytoplankton but dried good is best if you don't wanna produce too much crap..and the best flake is cyclop-eeze i think.

The little ones will eat finly chopped mysis shrimp? I have some from when I was still feeding fish.. so thats good news. Also I have been feeding my big cleaner on large pellet of formula 1, if I were to crush this up and feed it to the shrimp would they eat that?

Thanks for the information Im going to go pick up my second cleaner today Im pretty excited.


O yea quick question, how long did it take your shrimps to like pair, or does it differ from shrimp to shrimp?

 

[KahluaZzZ]

When i put the second shrimp in the water, the other one ask her out...and they live happily togheter..i think they have a mortgage for their top of the reef loft. Seriously it takes 5 seconds. 2-3 weeks later i noticed some eggs in my oldest one...they another month the other was pregnant too.

Formula 1 or 2 are excellent food IMO and shrimps aren't super picky. Formula food is less chunky than mysid so there's a better chance for them to catch this food, and it's basically krill + shrimp enhanced.

 

[OCCFan023]

awsome to hear about the food choices, Im glad I wont need to go all out on food atleast.


mortgage on there reef loft lmao... Its funny you said that they pair so fast because my second shrimp is currently being acclimated (im just using the bag in the water (no drip method) and the other shrimp is already staring at the bag... Fast little guys arent they... ha


I cant wait to see what happens when I let him go.

 

[RockingCricket]

I cant wait to see what happens when I let him go.

What happened? Are they friends?

 

[KahluaZzZ]

I'm not a shrimp expert as you know i posted a question about the frequency of their meals.
The food choices i mentionned are for the babies..adults can eat whatever they can find on the bottom, but sometimes i handfeed them.

 

[OCCFan023]

They seem to be getting alot well, there stick together for the most part. I fed my normal guy (I namded him Mack because he went after the other shrimp so fast) his ussual dinner of one marine pellet and threw one in for the smaller shrimp but he didnt seem interested and it just went to the bottom. They tend to stay within 2 inches of each other and have been sharing a rock (the spot Mack use to stay in byhimself he has left and is on top of the rock sorda tothe side with (the name to be determined) little shrimp close by.

 

[RockingCricket]

*GOLDFISH*awww, a beautiful friendship in the making*GOLDFISH*
Congrats!!

 

[OCCFan023]

yea hopefully I can post soon with some updated news of maybe some fry shrimp on the way

 

[KahluaZzZ]

yep mine too share the same rock, upside down and stay like 2 inches from each others.

Congrats for your new couple

 

[wayne]

There's a book by April Kirkendoll (sic) called training your peppermint shrimp or similar with a pretty good cookbook for raising the shrimp. I don't believe it's that difficult, but you need to do it right, and you're not likely to raise too many using pot luck

 

[OCCFan023]

Yea thats true. I think Ill wait and see if the two even have eggs and see what happens (wait and see if the eggs disappear, or if they fry hatch). Ill try my best for the first time (Ill probably take the two big cleaners out and put them in my QT if the eggs hatch (to avoid all predators) and try and feed with mysis and crushed formula 1.


I found that book on amazon, had one good reveiw (but no exceprts unfortunatly) but it looks good. Ill have to check that out if I get seriouse about raising them.


Just on a side note when I first read your post, when I went over pretty good cookbook I thought you mean cookbok for when you raise them... but then reread and was good to go ahaha

 

[OCCFan023]

update:

Well I came home today from school and low and behold I went to check on my tank (as always) and I was lookin at Mack (the cleaner shrimp Ive had the longest) and I noticed that it looks like theres eggs in his/her (can the guys hold the eggs?) stomach. Ive never seen his stomach look like this and I was wondering if the eggs are just white things in there stomachs?


If they are the eggs (which I really think they are) how long should I expect to see them in his stomach? Will he lay the eggs or something else?

I have a quick question if I were to get like a breeding net and put my large cleaner in it and just wait to see the babies out then take him out would they be safe or would they get out?

thanks for any help

 

[KahluaZzZ]

yep those are eggs..when the belly is filled they'll turn greenish..then wait like 3 weeks. I tried to put one in a breeding net but it jumps when you try to catch it and i didn't want to hurt the shrimp.

 

[KahluaZzZ]

btw my fry are still alive and growing..fun to watch

 

[OCCFan023]

thats awsome to hear that yours are doing well, where do you have them? What are you feeding yours?

 

[KahluaZzZ]

now is use a little flakes + a little marine snow ( dunno if they really filter it..anyways corals love it ) and mainly mysid fineley chopped ( soaked in selcon just in case they need more )

The babies are now swimming more freely between rocks, but they always remain in safe spots...that might be why they're still alive. I've seen pods chasing the smallest ones but in vain, they swim better than the pods.

 

[OCCFan023]

Well today I noticed that there was some big changes in the tank conserning the shrimp. Macks stomach (on the bottom) appears to have like opened up and I can see like eggs on his stomach ready to come out. Does this mean he will soon be laying a batch of eggs somewhere? They dont appear to be green, but there clearly eggs. Does this sound normal, should I expect to see a batch of eggs in my tank soon?


If I am to expect a batch of eggs will they just sit there until they hatch (how long do they ussually take to hatch). Im going to have to watch and see if my ermerald eats the eggs, if he does I will remove him.

 

[aresgod]

they change color before they hatch, I forget what they go from but mine just laid some more and I put them in the fuge so hopefully they will live this time.