So apparently my peppermint shrimp are a mated pair...

[STiTCH87]

...because right now there are HUNDREDS of live baby shrimp swimming around in my tank. My fish are having a field day eating them. Wish I could save some and grow them out but wouldn't I need a separate tank with special food and low flow?

 

[cstmpprl]

Yes you would. Let the fish eat them, cheap food.
Michelle

 

[snowmaker]

I believe that any two shrimp of Genus Lysmata will eventually be a breeding pair... something about them having dual sex organs or something crazy like that.

I would try to raise some as the first foods are new hatch artemia - It couldn't possibly get any easier (to raise food that is). Heavy aeration can be damaging so light is better.

 

[Greg Hiller]

>I believe that any two shrimp of Genus Lysmata will eventually be a breeding pair... <

Yup, they alternate sexes. I think the scientific term is sequential hermaphrodites.

 

[STiTCH87]

I'm sorry snowmaker, I don't understand what you meant by that last part. You feed peppermint fry some artemia as their first foods? Or am I not understanding?

They're all eaten now anyways, but I get the feeling it's going to keep happening because my bigger of the peppermint shrimp gets fat as hell every month and has the green on it's stomach of the eggs.

 

[snowmaker]

Yes,
You could feed bbs to your shrimp larvae as the shrimps first food.
One option is to capture, and separate the female / egg carrying adult before it releases the fry, maybe in a breeder net but I'm not positive one will hold bbs, then put the adult back in the display. Feed the babies a few x per day.
I would check here for details:
http://www.marinebreeder.org/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=201

 

[STiTCH87]

Thanks for the info. I may give that a try next time just for fun.

 

[snowmaker]

Just came across this. I was looking to find out if the newly released young are attracted to light so they can be collected in a larvae collector.
http://www.marinebreeder.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=201&t=179

Larvae collector:
http://www.marinebreeder.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=232&t=7104

Works for peps:

I got about 50 peps in the trap last night works great Chad thanks

I have a pair in a 120 reef and now guess they have been feeding my tank every couple weeks. Not an aiptasia in sight too! ... unlike the sump and attached frag tank.

 

[STiTCH87]

Oh wow that's quite the DIY invention! He should really patent that thing, could make some dough selling the patent and design plans.