Can you identify this cloud of small critters that suddenly spawned in my tank??

[Iant419]

I was getting ready to leave when I noticed what looks like a feeding happening. These things are maybe 1/4 the size of the smallest shrimp I feed. Not sure if these are babies or parasites or what. Please help. I have a blue tang, porcupine puffer, algae goby and a single clown.

Managed to catch a video under the microscope at 4x.

 

[Iant419]

Of course I forgot to add the video link!
Here it is.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

What inverts do you have? They almost look like baby shrimp. Whatever the case, I doubt that they are parasites.

 

[EricR]

Woh,,, shrimp,,, that's cool,,, free food.
Do you have any kinds of shrimp in your tank?

*tangent -- is that a live cowry on your frag rack -- that's cool too

 

[Iant419]

Woh,,, shrimp,,, that's cool,,, free food.
Do you have any kinds of shrimp in your tank?

*tangent -- is that a live cowry on your frag rack -- that's cool too

I have multiple cleaner shrimp and peppermint shrimp. I didn't even think of that. And yeah my Cowrie is huge.

 

[dedragon]

maybe they do look similar and i am having trouble finding pics of peppermint shrimp larvae, either way free food... i wouldnt expect too many to make it to adulthood sadly

 

[Duncan62]

Of course I forgot to add the video link!
Here it is.

Baby shrimp. You should try to separate them. Cool.

 

[EricR]

Baby shrimp. You should try to separate them. Cool.

Yeah,,, definitely -- I know nothing about raising baby shrimp and captive survival rate but worth looking into.

I just have one skunk cleaner so not "expecting" any babies any time soon.
Good luck...

 

[Duncan62]

Yeah,,, definitely -- I know nothing about raising baby shrimp and captive survival rate but worth looking into.

I just have one skunk cleaner so not "expecting" any babies any time soon.
Good luck...

Those will eat reefroids and soon crushed flakes. Use a foam qt filter. They grow fast. Another tank to look after. Lol

 

[DaJMasta]

Those should be peppermint shrimp. Haven't seen them under magnification personally, but fire cleaners and skunk cleaners look a bit different. Sort of looks like a CBS with the banding, but since they're a different genus I wouldn't expect the same body type.

For reference, this is fire and skunk cleaner larvae:

Red are fire cleaners (all wiggling around), yellow/clear with a tiny bit of red is skunk cleaner.

 

[vetteguy53081]

baby camel or peppermint shrimp