Cleaner shrimp reproduction machine

[Generalx5]

Hi everyone,

I bought two cleaner shrimps, at different times(1 week apart) and from different stores.

First one after a molt, developed green roe overnight?(very fast) after doing some research, I decided to get another to fertilize the eggs. But that didnt happen till a week later and the eggs have long dissapeared.

Second shrimp was a lot larger and was already carrying eggs, the eggs hatched over night 3 days later and I collected a dozen or so of baby shrimps and moved them into a rearing net in the same tank.

Now that was just maybe 4 days ago, yesterday both shrimps molted, a second time for the first one and first time for the larger one. After the molt, I was please, fed them with bits of silverside leftovers.

ANd today! I woke up to seeing both of then having green eggs again!

Is that even possible? why are they making soo many eggs? Ive already seen shrimps darting around in the live rocks near the bottom, there are at least 5 of them small baby ones that I've observed.

Is there something thats causing them to make eggs? I added iodine which helps them do the molting thing, but if I add too much, could it cause them to cycle faster? too fast? 1 week cycles? WTH?

The two shrimps in question look like this:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2667/3799017369_646d3933dd_o.jpg

The baby shrimps in the live rocks are pink though...didnt look like cleaner shrimps, they moved so fast I couldnt see if they had a white band across the back. Other than than, those might be pepper mint shrimp babies. I also have 1 peppermint shrimp in the tank.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Personally... I wouldn't add iodine. Too easy to overdose and really mess things up. Your shrimp will get all the iodine they need from the salt mix, assuming you're doing "normal" water changes every couple weeks or so.

From my experience, my shrimp will molt about one a month, and with each molt will come a new batch of eggs. Once a week seems a little quick... but it also seems like when I get a new shrimp it immediately molts.

Just guessing here... but often times reproduction happens more frequently due to stress. Maybe too much iodine?

 

[Generalx5]

I dont change as often, maybe once every 2 months. I dont have any fish in the biocube 14, all I have are a bunch of live rocks with mushroms, lether, various polyps, bubble, some cheto, 5hermits, 2nassi snail, 3astrea snails, 1 peppermint shrimp, 2 cleaner shrimps, 1 emerald crab, some brittle star fish, I dose "purple up" once a week, add calcium, strontium and magnesium suppliments every 3-4 days.


Kurt: How many cleaners do you have? my reason for asking is if there is more than one, maybe that triggers the egg making process? I dont know...

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I only have one cleaner, and if my memory serves me correct, shrimp don't need a mate - they can fertilize themselves.

With such a small tank, I'd really suggest more frequent water changes. But hey... if it's working for you, probably no need to change. But I'd really watch that iodine - PurpleUp (which is a waste of money, in my opinion) has iodine in it to start with. So in reality, you're dosing more than you think you are, most likely. With frequent water changes, all those "essential elements" really aren't required.

 

[melosu58]

With such a small tank, I'd really suggest more frequent water changes.

I agree. PWC`s will take care od any iodine issues you have. No need to add iodine to the tank.