Rearing Cleaner Shrimp

Marlin65 · #1 11-06-2008, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hillbillyreefer

Well that didn't end well. It looks like about 1/2 went through the first molt. Then they just sat around and perished. As the April Kirkendoll quote says "Only the largest and most willing to grab brine shrimp will survive. You will get more to survive if you raise rotifers to feed them for at least the first one or two stages". I don't think the preserved rotifers were good enough for them, the predatory instinct didn't kick in. The brine shrimp weren't available early enough, in high enough concentrations. There are several still alive but I'm guessing greater than 95% have died.

Interesting experiment though. With a little warning time to get cultures going before the larvae are shed I think far better success is possible. Not sure if raising to maturity is possible but longer than 36 hours should be. Maybe I'll try again in a couple weeks.

Does anyone know where to get rotifer cysyts of have a rotifer culture going at the moment?

Florida aqua farms sells them. I can probably part with a culture in a few weeks. Your going to need phyto to feed them and they are a bit more particular than brine shrimp. If you don't feed them good stuff they won't have enough nutrition in them to raise your larva. PM me later if you are still looking.
They need to be life so they can identify them as prey.
The hardest part about raising shrimp is that they have a very long larva stage 150 plus days. Maybe try peppermints they are supposed to be a bit easier to raise.

Marlin65 · #2 11-06-2008, 03:36 PM

Oh I see you are in Alberta.
You can buy them life online and have them shipped and there is lots of places that sell resting ones online. Your local LFS might have some to.

hillbillyreefer · #3 11-06-2008, 03:47 PM

Thanks Marlin65. After my last post a search turned up FAF has them. I'd like to find some cysts in Canada though. I'll do an order in the next day or two. Get a culture going and try again. I've been considering starting a rotifer tank all summer. I already grow my own phyto so feeding the rotifers shouldn't be a problem.

Anyone know where to get rotifer cysts in Canada?