Hatching Cleaner Shrimp

[kevchev515]

I've been lucky enough to have a pair of cleaner shrimp breed. The pregnant one is having trouble keeping her swimming legs closed because they are growing! But my question is, is it easy or possible to raise these little guys into adult shrimp, once they hatch, or is it a lost cause?

Even if it is impossible then i won't be upset because it would be a nice tasty treat for the fish inhabitants.

Thanks a bunch.

 

[esmithiii]

Fish will eat them. I believe you need a dedicated tank w/ no fish. I do not know what the diet of the fry is.

Ernie

 

[Anemone]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by kevchev515:
<strong>But my question is, is it easy or possible to raise these little guys into adult shrimp
</strong><hr></blockquote>

In a word, no

There have been rumors for a few years of one organization or another raising these shrimp, but no one is ever able to confirm it. It seems these shrimp go through about a dozen metamorphoses before reaching their adult form, and each stage needs a different live food. The longest I've heard anyone reliably getting the fry to live is between 40-50 days, and even extremely dedicated hobbyists willing to make incredible efforts usually only make the 10-20 day mark.

Sorry,

Kevin

 

[rgardiner]

There is a neat little book by April Kirkendoll called "How To Raise & Train Your Peppermint Shrimp - A Hobbyist's Guide To Raising Saltwater Aquarium Shrimp From Egg To Adult". She describes in entertaining detail her experiences in raising (and selling for a while) Peppermint Shrimp, Lysmata wurdemanni, and her failed attempts at raising the Scarlet Cleaner, Lysmata amboinensis.

 

[rgardiner]

If you are interested, her book is from Lysmata Publishing at http://www.communicomgroup.com/lysmata/