Ohio Reef

Member Boards => Miles => Topic started by: Miles on February 12, 2017, 16:41:22

Title: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 12, 2017, 16:41:22
I'm going to start breeding peppermint shrimp again, and I figured that I would share the process with everyone. Feel free to ask questions along the way.

Breeding Setup
Tank: 20 Gallon High
Heater: 100W glass tube heater
Filter: HOB filter with poly fill (mechanical), several pieces of live rock (biological)
Other: Chad Vossen's Larval Fish Trap (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/fish-breeders-love-the-vossen-larval-fish-traps)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170213/faab146f21b208f60ae7720699b9233d.jpg)


Brood stock
6 Peppermint Shrimp (4 purchased from Petco in Troy, 2 from somewhere in Cinci)
Species: Lysmata Boggessi (I currently believe that this is what they are, my opinion may change)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170212/c220190f819c2e3f4d92e4af90f3adc3.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170212/8c954dfa6aeccb77dff39412ad6011e1.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170212/2cffbcf6bff21ea6e504d7f91b70bfc4.jpg)


Larval Tank
10 gallon tank (from Petco $1 per gallon sale), blacked out on three sides
4 airstones (one in each corner, this is to simulate the pelagic zone. More on this when I have larval shrimp)
***Pics to come***

Recommended Reading
How to Raise & Train Your Peppermint Shrimp: A Hobbyist's Guide to Raising Saltwater Aquarium Shrimp From Egg to Adult (https://www.amazon.com/Raise-Train-Your-Peppermint-Shrimp/dp/0966778448/) - 2nd Edition  by April Kirkendoll
Peppermint Shrimp ID (http://www.mbisite.org/Forums/tm.aspx?m=39004)
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 12, 2017, 16:45:50
Here is a video of my shrimp destroying some aiptasia.

https://youtu.be/e1n0lyDO-aA
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 12, 2017, 19:52:11
One of my shrimp is definitely carrying eggs, so it is only a matter of time before there are babies...
Also notice the striping pattern, fairly certain these are L. boggessi.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170213/9940c809d43c31998de953b456657a10.jpg)


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Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Humphrey on February 13, 2017, 00:10:58
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing.
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: CoralBeauties on February 13, 2017, 09:47:58
Quote from: Humphrey on February 13, 2017, 00:10:58
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing.
+1
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: muttley000 on February 14, 2017, 05:43:00
Always wanted to try this.  Where is you source the larvae collector please
Title: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 14, 2017, 06:28:33
I purchased mine directly from Chad Vossen a few years ago... but it looks like BRS has them now.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/larval-trap-vossen.html



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Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: muttley000 on February 14, 2017, 20:05:32
Quote from: Miles on February 14, 2017, 06:28:33
I purchased mine directly from Chad Vossen a few years ago... but it looks like BRS has them now.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/larval-trap-vossen.html



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Thank you, should have googled first!
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 16, 2017, 11:18:20
Found a second shrimp holding eggs last night. This one was swimming up into the water column and fanning the eggs (I may post a video later).

Last night I remove dthe HOB filter and replaced it with a sponge filter so that if larvae hatch they won't get sucked in before they make it to the trap.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170216/b31fecef2e6ad451958956e6aff93435.jpg)




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Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: lazylivin on February 16, 2017, 11:56:09
When i was breeding them i found it easy to put the shrimp in a plastic container the night they were going to hatch. No air or anything, just shrimp in a small 16oz Gfs container. Then next morning i would remove the shrimp and have a container with 100% of the babies. Just another option for you.
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 16, 2017, 12:09:47
Quote from: Lazylivin on February 16, 2017, 11:56:09
When i was breeding them i found it easy to put the shrimp in a plastic container the night they were going to hatch. No air or anything, just shrimp in a small 16oz Gfs container. Then next morning i would remove the shrimp and have a container with 100% of the babies. Just another option for you.

Good idea... my main issue is identifying when they are going to hatch. I know they are supposed to get silvery colored the day of the hatch. Is that what you looked for?
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: lazylivin on February 16, 2017, 13:37:00
Yes it is a very distinct change to silver coloration when they are ready to hatch
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 16, 2017, 21:01:53
Here is a video of one of the shrimp with eggs... sorry it's not completely in focus.

https://youtu.be/BHZTlooAEtg
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 21, 2017, 12:20:50
Was out of town for the weekend, came home to find that 4 out of the 6 shrimp are currently carrying eggs. I may have to come up with a second larval tank....  ^-^

Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 25, 2017, 12:19:36
Had a hatch last night, but I don't think I'll end up with any survivors. I started a brine shrimp culture too late to feed them.
https://youtu.be/80WFtOyAmfY



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Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: AJ on February 25, 2017, 13:51:03
You should raise them eating aiptasia and sell them for a premium  :alas:
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 25, 2017, 14:14:16
Quote from: AJ on February 25, 2017, 13:51:03
You should raise them eating aiptasia and sell them for a premium  :alas:

Aiptasia is the reason I am raising them... I'll probably end up with way too many and will probably make them available for purchase.


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Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: lazylivin on February 25, 2017, 22:46:07
You can grind flake food between your fingers into a fine powder to feed them at this stage until your nhbbs is ready
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Grymtooth on February 26, 2017, 00:36:33
I might need one or two

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Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 26, 2017, 07:42:15
More larva hatched last night. This time I had newly hatched brine shrimp ready. I siphoned most of the ones from the previous hatch out of the tank because they had dropped to the bottom of the tank and weren't up in the water column like they should have been.


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Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 26, 2017, 20:28:16
A couple quick pics. First one is of the larva in the trap before I transferred them to the larval tank. Second is of shrimp in larval tank (big specs are peppermint shrimp, little specs are newly hatched brine shrimp)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170227/edc664ea87978dd781d87dcc77893e4d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170227/f49010f13e7191dbafea7a1b7988104b.jpg)


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Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on February 28, 2017, 22:45:03
Microscope composite of larva at 3 days old.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170301/71140fb37608ae7fad2d3437a057b7de.jpg)


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Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: CoralBeauties on February 28, 2017, 22:54:38
really cool
jeff
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: guynamedfleck on March 01, 2017, 08:43:39
incredible!
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on March 02, 2017, 08:15:41
Missed a hatch yesterday morning  :'( I somehow missed it when i checked the tank before leaving for work....
 
Got home from work (and from picking up an aquarium from a club member) late and when down to the basement to check on the larva and discovered a clump of larva in the trap. Pretty much all of them were dead... They had gone probably about 19 hours without food and were just stuck to the mesh. I'm surprised that they were dead since I've heard that they can survive a couple days without food, but usually die after that if they aren't fed in the first 8 hours.
 
Other than that, the Larva from Hatch2 seem to be doing great. I'd guess that there are probably around a hundred still alive.   


Oh yeah... for those interested, I have a breeding log going over at MBI (http://www.mbisite.org/Forums/tm.aspx?high=&m=100257&mpage=1#100257). It pretty much has the same stuff that I am posting here, but MBI is where all the breeding experts are.
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on March 02, 2017, 22:22:44
Peppermint Shrimp day 5 with a brine shrimp.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170303/32ce18ab4afb3d7605b368f9d78e5864.jpg)


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Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on March 03, 2017, 07:55:54
Had another hatch last night. I just threw them in with the now 6 day old larvae (hopefully I don't regret that). One thing I have learned from this so far is that having multiple breeding pairs in one tank makes for a really hard time keeping track of spawns. Of the 6 shrimp in the tank, I counted 4 of them carrying eggs last night (meaning that there are three now). This would mean that within a day or two of a hatch those same shrimp are mating again and either producing eggs or the shrimp that was the "male" is now playing the "female" role.
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on March 29, 2017, 09:51:10
some shrimp are still alive....

I'm going to guess that I'm going to end up with between 5 and 10 that make through metamorphosis (which will hopefully happen soon)
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: thepipbull on March 30, 2017, 09:24:55
Awesome cant wait to see the pics 
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: Miles on April 06, 2017, 12:42:55
Well... it appears that this attempt was a bust.

I didn't do a very good job at keeping an eye on salinity level. Usually when I have stand alone tanks, I make a line on the glass where the water level should be and then top off to that line. For some reason, I didn't do that this time and I was occasionally topping off with a fresh water drip, when it occurred to me to check. The salinity crept up to about 1.035ppm last week and I'm pretty sure it took a toll on the remaining larva. They were still alive, but didn't seem to be eating.

I'm going to make sure I do the line think next time around.
Title: Re: Peppermint Shrimp Breeding Log
Post by: thepipbull on April 06, 2017, 18:42:38
it happens
good luck on the next round