Are these crystal shrimp eggs?

[Tropical Tony]

Hi Guys. I’ve got 4 crystal shrimp in my tank but today I noticed some round black things in the stomach of one of them. I took a picture but it’s really blurry because I had to zoom in. I’ve circled where the dark spots are. Are these eggs? Also if anyone could let me know what happens next if they are eggs. Thanks. TT

 

[Colin_T]

yep

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Yes they are, congrats!

 

[Tropical Tony]

Whoop!!! So what happens now do they lay them somewhere?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

No, they will hatch and the fully formed baby shrimp will swim away. When you see the female “moving” the eggs around, she is fanning them. (Providing freshwater)

 

[Tropical Tony]

Ahhhh so they poop them out like live bearers?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Ehhh... sort of. Expect shrimp actually do hatch from eggs.

 

[Tropical Tony]

Ohhh how exciting. Any tips from anyone?

 

[dmpfishlover]

Shrimp take care of their eggs just like Crayfish and Lobsters do. They lay the eggs and then secure/attach the cluster of eggs underneath their tail and hold them there until they hatch. As PheonixKingZ mentioned, they use small appendages on the underside of their tail called swimmeretes to fan fresh oxygenated water over the eggs to care for them until they are ready to hatch. The eggs are not in the female's stomach, they are attached to the underside of the female's tail. So shrimp do provide some parental care, at least for the eggs until they hatch.

 

[dmpfishlover]

Do you have any fish in the tank with the shrimp?

 

[Tropical Tony]

Ahhh. That’s weird they look like they are inside dont they haha

 

[dmpfishlover]

Ahhh. That’s weird they look like they are inside dont they haha

It can appear that way, yes..

 

[dmpfishlover]

If you have fish in your tank, depending on what kind, you might lose most of the baby shrimp when they hatch, because some fish love to eat the babies.... If you have fish in the tank, what kind do you have?

 

[Tropical Tony]

Sorry forgot to reply to this. I’ve got neons, rummy nose, black phantoms some Pygmy corys and some panda corys that’s it. Lots of hiding places though as you can see

 

[dmpfishlover]

Sorry forgot to reply to this. I’ve got neons, rummy nose, black phantoms some Pygmy corys and some panda corys that’s it. Lots of hiding places though as you can see
View attachment 106609

Nice looking tank!!! Unfortunately, I suspect that several of these species may try to eat the baby shrimp once they hatch?... I have never bred shrimp myself. I do know a lot about them (along with other freshwater arthropods/crustaceans, as I Majored in Zoology in College and Minored in Entomology/Terrestrial and Freshwater Arthropods), however, I do not have direct experience with breeding them, and what fish might eat the babies, so I will leave that part up to those who have direct experience! I think that @PheonixKingZ may have some experience with shrimp breeding? If I'm wrong, sorry for tagging you PheonixKingZ! PheonixKinz would at least know who on here has experience, if he does not.