I'm A Dad!

[lewiss]

To my shock I opened my filter to do clean it today and found 10 baby shrimp, alive and swimming around. I dont have another tank for them, and im pretty sure they'll die if i put them in the tank because my mandarin will eat them if nothing else! They're only about 2mm. But i really want to keep them alive and maybe breed them.

They are cleaner shrimp. Any idea on how to care for them??

Do they need strong light, and what do they eat are the most essential questions!!

Anyone help?

 

[Uriel]

Can't help with either question but gz.

 

[Donya]

2mm is awfully small...that would be larval. Are you the size is right, and if so, are you sure they're cleaner shrimp? If they are larval, then they are rather hard to care for. I would recommend the book "How to Raise and Train Your Peppermint Shrimp" by April Kirkendoll, which addresses the topic. According to that book, food would need to be something like baby brine shrimp for larvae that small. If the size is off and they're actually looking like miniature cleaner shrimp, then one way to keep them safe while being in good conditions would be to put them in a fine mesh breeder net with suction cups to attach to the side. That way you can ensure they get enough food while not becomming food themselves. It can also be worthwhile to run some fishing line around the net and tape it to the side of the tank so that if the suction cups don't hold it doesn't release the shrimp. While the suction cups can hold well when undisturbed, snails can be pretty good at dislodging them.

 

[-Nemo-]

Aww baby shrimpys. Shrimp quite often breed in our tanks, we just rarely know about it. Since they are hermaphrodites (and not too picky about partners), it you have 2+ shrimp, you're probably getting free fish/coral food every two weeks.

Shrimp are very difficult to raise, cleaners are some of the hardest. I used to catch them every so often when catching my clownfish larva, and tried my hand a few times with no real success. They are very sensitive and need to be fed live baby brine shrimp. They have a larval stage of around 130 days, which is why they are so difficult to care for. At that point they metamorphosis into the adult shrimp we recognize.

 

[lewiss]

No size isn't correct sorry. About a cm. Very small but looks like a tiny tiny shrimp. No colour, they're just grey. So they eat baby brine?? How do I get baby brine shrimp?? I'll def try to keep them alive!! Guess I'll be buying some supplies soon.

 

[-Nemo-]

Would have to hatch some brine... Usually takes about a day to hatch. I can't remember their starvation period off hand.. I know they have a yolk sac that can sustain them for a short period of time.

I know this is a horrid picture, but there were cleaner shrimp and emerald crab larva I accidentally caught before. The shrimp are the yellow long-shaped guys.

 

[Donya]

No size isn't correct sorry. About a cm. Very small but looks like a tiny tiny shrimp. No colour, they're just grey. So they eat baby brine?? How do I get baby brine shrimp?? I'll def try to keep them alive!! Guess I'll be buying some supplies soon.

If they're looking like minature adults (give ot take coloration) try them on something the adults might eat. Once they make the transition to being rather shrimp-looking they're not supposed to need specialized food, just smaller bits than the adults would grab. I've observed the same with fw shrimp that have a much shorter larval stage and are therefore easier to raise. If they don't take small food bits, then go for brine.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

why not put them in a countainer and keep them in there till they're a little bigger?

 

[lewiss]

Yeh they're in a container at the moment. I'll see if they eat normal food, and get some brine shrimp eggs just encase!! I'll post some pictures soon and you might be able to assess better than me!!
Thanks Nemo, but can't really see the picture, mine look bigger than that and different from what I can tell..

Cheers for the help guys, will keep you posted!!

 

[lewiss]

Ok - this is what I'm dealing with!!

That's them, but with back on their backs..

Is that larvae or bigger? And, I just put a flake in there and they are went to it??

 

[lewiss]

Ps. I'm sure they are cleaner shrimp as nothing else in there I can think of that they could be!
Plus my cleaners are always pregnant!!

 

[-Nemo-]

Those, my good sir, are pods
More than likely amphipods. They make yummy fish food

 

[lewiss]

Your joking!!! They look like shrimp!! How disappointing!!

Oh well! Thanks Nemo!!

Ps. No wonder my mandarin looks so fat he's going to pop!!

 

[seffieuk]

Wow, massive pods

Seffie x

 

[woody88]

Your topic says you are a dad!.............you are now!

........the podfather! Lol!