cleaner shrimp has eggs....

[traip93]

Someone told me that after a cleaner shrimp molts it changes sexes........

anyway, my cleaner shrimp molted last week and last night I was looking at him/her and it appeared to be fat...i looked closley and the sucker had lime green/yellow eggs on the little flippers under neith....tons of them.....pretty cool, I've heard of this happening in larger cleaner shrimp, but this guy is only about 2 inches, maybe 3.....I've had it for about 6 weeks

Free coral food I guess!!!

Questions:

Anyone know long before the cleaner shrimp will release the eggs?

Do they just release into the current? or are they buried? attached to rocks? I'm afraid if they are released they just make there way to my sump and back up through the return....

How often will the cleaner shrimp lay eggs?

Is this a sign of good water quality? or it this an every day occurance?

The tank is about 3-4 months old, but it's contents was moved from a 8 month old 46g.

thanks!!!

[jcigars]

I have two cleaners also and they do the same thing alll the time. It will probably take about a week and a half. I never really tried to time it but try and make sure your there when they realease the baby shrimp. Really cool to watch. My seem to do it at night when just the actinics are on.

[traip93]

so they eggs actually hatch into little shrimp?....cool,

what's the longest you been able to keep one around?

[jcigars]

Well my fish when fed act like they never ate before so about five minutes of frantic feeding.

BTW the release thousands of tiny shrimp. I havent seen any survive but I'll keep looking.