Cleaner Shrimp Holding Eggs?

[simonas]

One of my two cleaner shrimp has what looks like a load of eggs inside its abdomen. they seem to take up the majority of thebottom half of his body

The tank has fishin is there likely to be any chance of survival or will this just gove a nice snack to the others?

 

[sorgan]

Snacks, even if some survive the spawn a small tank won't produce enough of the tiny tiny food they will need to eat.

 

[ben1987]

ive got more toes than there is people who have succesfully raised cleaner shrimp!

 

[xxBarneyxx]

lol good way of putting it Ben

As above the larval stage is incredibly difficult to raise. Can't remember where I was reading about it but there are people attempting it. The larval development goes through a whole load of different stages and require very small source of live food. Some people I believe have managed it in small numbers (more by accident then anything else) but I don't think anyone has completely nailed down the best way to do it.

 

[-Nemo-]

Yes to all of the above. Shrimp often spawn in our tanks and we usually just don't know it. They are hermaphrodites so if you have 2 or more, it is pretty much guaranteed your fish are getting free midnight snacks.

Their larval stage is at least 120 days long which is why it makes it so difficult to raise them. As Barney said, most people who have gotten them to metamorphosis have almost always done so with only 1 or 2 shrimp left.

Enjoy the free food

 

[simonas]

oh well never mind

something for the others to eat then