How to breed Peppermint Shrimp

[Skydvr]

How to Raise and Train Your Peppermint Shrimp by April Kirkendoll [ISBN 978-0-9667784-4-1]

It is written in a pretty approachable manner. If you are the type that prefers more of a technical, highly detailed research level document this might leave you looking for more, but it is still a good start. She wrote it to be a more approachable guide for the average hobbyist.

If I recall, it takes about 5 weeks to get them to settlement and looking like actual shrimp. April outlines some low cost methods she used to rear them.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

No, that's not really normal.
Normally they carry the eggs until they hatch and release the larvae. Those then take weeks, if not months, to develop into the final shrimp.

What happened to your little shrimp? Any pictures of them?

The little shrimp were eaten by other fish.. There were several that ran around on the glass until they were noticed. I didn't get any photos.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Yes. When the female shrimp molts it sends out pheromones to attract a male and the eggs get fertilized. Female then carries the eggs until the first larval stage (your miniature shrimp). Usually releasing soon after lights out. I don't have peppermint shrimp, but do have pistol shrimp. Lots of larvae over the years, but never tried to raise them.

I thought the first larval stage was free swimming. These were around 6mm and fully formed. They looked like mini cleaner shrimp.

 

[AcroNem]

I thought the first larval stage was free swimming. These were around 6mm and fully formed. They looked like mini cleaner shrimp.

Sounds like mysid shrimp.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Thats very cool! Do you happen to have a picture of this shrimp? Wonder what type of cleaner shrimp it was?

Sorry, I don't have any photos. It was really cool

Thats very cool! Do you happen to have a picture of this shrimp? Wonder what type of cleaner shrimp it was?
[/Sorry, I don't have any photos. It was really cool but short lived.. The blue chromis that found them really enjoyed them. They were white stripped. I had three of them... 2 female and 1 male.

Sounds like mysid shrimp.

They were white striped cleaner shrimp.. It only happened once. Usually the females would just release eggs but this once they were little shrimp.

 

[mtfish]

I thought the first larval stage was free swimming. These were around 6mm and fully formed. They looked like mini cleaner shrimp.

Now you have my curiosity up. Apparently the larval shrimp should be around 3-4 mm and free swimming. They then are supposed to molt every couple of hours. Perhaps what you saw (and what I have seen in my tank; although pistol shrimp), is a later larval stage. The ones in my tank have been different sizes at different times when I looked late at night. They also looked like miniature shrimp. Never gave it much thought other than free fish food. Next time I see this in my tank I will to try to collect some and take pictures.

 

[Stigigemla]

When my peppermint shrimps left the free swimming and settled as a shrimp they were about 1/2" or 3/4" if I remember correctly.

 

[MightyMO]

I don't know about you all, but I have had some bad expierience with peppermint shrimp eating my coral... Message me if you want to see my reef safe shrimp trap I used to get them out of my tank...

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Now you have my curiosity up. Apparently the larval shrimp should be around 3-4 mm and free swimming. They then are supposed to molt every couple of hours. Perhaps what you saw (and what I have seen in my tank; although pistol shrimp), is a later larval stage. The ones in my tank have been different sizes at different times when I looked late at night. They also looked like miniature shrimp. Never gave it much thought other than free fish food. Next time I see this in my tank I will to try to collect some and take pictures.

I don't think this is the usual process.. The same shrimp regular dispersed eggs into the water. This is the first and only time that they were mini shrimp. Not sure what happened. Wish I could have collected some before they were fish chow.

 

[AcroNem]

I don't think this is the usual process.. The same shrimp regular dispersed eggs into the water. This is the first and only time that they were mini shrimp. Not sure what happened. Wish I could have collected some before they were fish chow.

It isn't the process. They have a larval stage that's usually between 30-60 days (depending on the shrimp)before settlement as young shrimp. They do not hatch as young shrimp. I wish I could have seen what they were too, it's interesting.

 

[ThRoewer]

It isn't the process. They have a larval stage that's usually between 30-60 days (depending on the shrimp)before settlement as young shrimp. They do not hatch as young shrimp. I wish I could have seen what they were too, it's interesting.

I think those were either first larva stages or Mysids.

Newly-hatched Lysmata wurdemanni larva:

from: https://bogott.net/unspecified/?p=2254 (breeding description for those interested)

Redescription of the larval stages of Lysmata seticaudata (Risso, 1816) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Hippolytidae) reared under laboratory conditions

Simultaneous hermaphroditism in the marine shrimp Lysmata wurdemanni (Caridea: Hippolytidae): An undescribed sexual system in the decapod Crustacea

 

[ThRoewer]

Lysmata wurdemanni (Pepermint Shrimp) breeding report (sucessful) with pictures and videos:

Lysmata wurdemanni | unspecified

 

[AcroNem]

I think those were either first larva stages or Mysids.

Newly-hatched Lysmata wurdemanni larva:

from: https://bogott.net/unspecified/?p=2254 (breeding description for those interested)

Redescription of the larval stages of Lysmata seticaudata (Risso, 1816) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Hippolytidae) reared under laboratory conditions

Simultaneous hermaphroditism in the marine shrimp Lysmata wurdemanni (Caridea: Hippolytidae): An undescribed sexual system in the decapod Crustacea

My first thought was mysid as well, they said they were near 6mm.

 

[ThRoewer]

My first thought was mysid as well, they said they were near 6mm.

They hatch as quite large larvae.
Assuming the 6 mm was an estimate and not a precise measurement, I would say it fits the first larvae stage.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Really wish I had photos.. 6mm was an estimate, I just looked at a ruler, they were actually 4mm. The only shrimp I have in my tanks are white stripped cleaner shrimp. In addition, I saw her shake them off.

 

[ThRoewer]

Really wish I had photos.. 6mm was an estimate, I just looked at a ruler, they were actually 3-4mm.

That fits even better. I'm pretty sure, what you saw were larvae.

 

[anthonywesty]

Here’s a video of my peppermint shrimps at night. During the day they hide on the rocks and at night they came out just for a couple hours and then hide again

 

[anthonywesty]

Anthony shared 0 photos with you

www.amazon.com

 

[Knight_Solaire01]

Wow I missed so many awesome responses! I am sorry yall. Sad news, the female passed away. I thought she was molting but this morning proved she was in fact dead. She had eggs under her too. Time to get another I suppose. :C

 

[marquitos]

Hello everyone. I wasn't sure if this belonged in the invert forums or breeding, so I made this exact post in both. I have male and female peppermint shrimp who have been getting along well with their bottom-of-the-tank mates such as the cleaner shrimp, hermits, snails, hermit crab(an impulse buy), and brittle star. They along with the peppermint shrimp molt every two weeks which makes me think that I am doing something right by them if they are comfortable enough to do this often. To my amazement, they had hundreds of babies one night. I tried catching some in the breeding net that I have saved for when I get ponies(because of course if I have a male and female I am preparing for this too), but couldn't catch any. I noticed my female lurking far away from her friend under a rock she normally doesn't go near. I decided to go ahead and net her into the breeding net and added some live rock to help her feel at home until sunset. My question is, do they lay eggs and then the male fertilizes them or does she carry the eggs until it is time for them to hatch under her tail? Should I remove her and just try to net the babies for better effect? I view this as a chance to practice feeding live brine shrimp for the day when I have a mated pair of ponies, and I can always give the fully grown babies to my LFS.

Hello, I have cultured marine shrimp (and a bit of Machrobrachium rosenbergii -- freswater) commercially for most of my life. Although I do not have experience culturing aquarium species, I think there are some commonalities with both. If you see that your female is gravid (carrying eggs), I would separate her (as gently as possible) and put her into a separate tank and into something similar to what is in the photo to allow the eggs and/or nauplii to separate themselves from momma - she will eat them. If she spawns eggs, they'll likely hatch in 24-48 hours and it is important to keep them up in the water column (an imhoff cone is good) with gentle aeration. You will also need some live phytoplankton ie, marine microalgae like chaetocerous, thalassiosira, dunaliela, or other single celled microalgae. Reed Mariculture sells live pastes of various species. This should take the newly hatched larvae through the first few days and then you'll need to start feeding them with small zooplankton like rotifers and then as the larvae grow, move them up to newly hatched, live artemia nauplii. Keep the microalgae in there throughout this time as the larvae, rotifers and artemia will be eating it. Be ready for mortalities as you'll likely have to learn through trial and error what exactly they need to be fed to get through their larval stages. Our marine larvae (Penaeus vannamei) went through 3 distinct larval stages before metamorphosis to Post Larvae (Nauplii, Zoea, Mysis and then PL's) and this took about 9-10 days. We would hold them for another 10-15 days before harvesting, packing and shipping them off to the shrimp farm grow out ponds. Good Luck!