Peppermint Shrimp...Mom?

[ae87]

Is what’s going on here what I think is going on here?...
If it is, what should I do?

 

[ae87]

Really poor quality video, sorry guys! Wouldn’t let me upload from my phone..? So I tried to throw it on YouTube and got poor quality.
If you look real close, it looks like she tries to catch one that floats off to the right...

 

[Oldsalt01]

Yup. Ur gonna be a foster person. What should you do? Sit back and watch the progression. Just before they hatch, the eggs will get golden and one night around lights out they'll hatch. And make..... FREE FISH FOOD! The naupli are very tiny and to my knowledge, without specialized equipment and set-up they won't survive either the fish or the filtration.

 

[ae87]

Yup. Ur gonna be a foster person. What should you do? Sit back and watch the progression. Just before they hatch, the eggs will get golden and one night around lights out they'll hatch. And make..... FREE FISH FOOD! The naupli are very tiny and to my knowledge, without specialized equipment and set-up they won't survive either the fish or the filtration.

AAAAHHHH!! Thank you! I knew it! (I thought I did anyway lol)
Proud foster Peppermint parent!!![emoji1373]
Must be doing something right if my babies are having babies!
May the circle of life continue.[emoji172][emoji846]

 

[reef lover]

Awe. Congratulations!!

 

[ae87]

Awe. Congratulations!!

Thank you! It’s a first of any saltwater baby for me :) I saw her last night and thought “that shrimp is HUGE! Am I over feeding?” ...then I saw her do the wavy thing and start moving them around with her feet and my mind went to “no freakin way...” LOL

 

[Oldsalt01]

If I remember correctly gestation is about 60 days and I believe they are hermaphrodites. None of mine survived the night but my ocellaris and tail-spot blenny ate well. One caution about Peppermint's. They're supposed to be reef safe but mine attacked and tore up four brand new Acans. I lost the corals and got rid of the shrimp. Live and learn.

 

[ae87]

If I remember correctly gestation is about 60 days and I believe they are hermaphrodites. None of mine survived the night but my ocellaris and tail-spot blenny ate well. One caution about Peppermint's. They're supposed to be reef safe but mine attacked and tore up four brand new Acans. I lost the corals and got rid of the shrimp. Live and learn.

The hermaphrodite thing is so common in the saltwater world! I had no idea, but it’s very cool.

Yours were gone after one day?! LOL ah! I hope I at least get to see them :) I have 3 Peppermints and they hardly ever leave this one rock! I have a little bit of coral that sprung up from our live rock, but the only thing that bothers those from time to time are the cleaner hermits...but it IS GOOD TO KNOW!

I will certainly keep that in the back of my mind. I’m still so new to everything.

 

[Oldsalt01]

The only reason i knew they'd hatched was because the fish were going NUTS under the moonlight's. I had to look close to see the little buggers..... they looked like marine snow being blown around in the return stream. Welcome to the obsession!

 

[ae87]

So, she shed and everything came off with it... is this suppose to happen? I’m so totally clueless...

 

[reef lover]

Just some unhatched...no worries.

 

[ae87]

I didn’t see any sign of babies yesterday...and I was determined to! So I placed the egg filled exo in our isolation box. ...after pulling a hermit off that climbed the tree to get to the eggs LOL

Everything I read says it usually happens around lights out. I waited for a bit and decided to go to bed. Once my husband was done with his schoolwork, it was pretty late-midnight or so, he checked and it kinda looked like it was snowing in the tank!

HUNDREDS! Everywhere! It was so awesome, they are so cute.

Observing them I can see how fragile they are. They get thrown around in the current, the ones that come into contact with surface can’t grab on and bounce right off. I don’t see any this morning, but we had recently added more live rock and some fake plants. Maybe we’ll see one pop up haha

I have 3 Peppermints and I see babies on another one already...my little buddies are going to be eating well!

 

[reefcleaners Verified Sponsor]

Is what’s going on here what I think is going on here?...
If it is, what should I do?

Oh so cool! I would be lying if I said I knew how to breed shrimp well. Sponge filters with a barrier to keep the parents away and then remove the parents and keep them in the breeding tank without pumps is usually the first step, then you need to match food with their size as they grow. Golden Pearls were made for this, they have food by stage. Their smallest is 5-10 microns if memory is correct. I think you would have to have it ready to go though when it happens.

 

[reefcleaners Verified Sponsor]

So, she shed and everything came off with it... is this suppose to happen? I’m so totally clueless...

Yes, a molt. that is normal.