Peppermint Shrimp Spawn (Lysmata boggessi)

[DeneBanger]

No more than two hours after lights out my PS released the clutch and now I have several hundred larvae in the nursery! Upon observing them for the last two hours I have come to believe that the kreisel system is not the best method for rearing Lysmata and attempts to keep them suspended in the water column are unnatural and probably account for the low success rates in breeding this species. Let me explain my observations, the larvae are all attaching themselves to the sides of the nursery and arranging themselves in the same position, head down, abdomens gently beating in the water column. The nursery has been established for about two months and has plenty of diatoms and a nice brown film algae along the sides of the tank. Upon first glance I thought that perhaps they were getting caught in the film algae until I noticed that they are actually reaching out and taking a hold of the sides. I'm ruling out the possiblity that they are accidentally getting stuck because they have all taken on the same position (heads dow,n abdomens gently beating in the water column), if they were getting stuck they would be every direction including being stuck on their backs and they are not. Then every once in a while they will release themselves move along in the current and then reattach themselves. They appear to be feeding off the film algae in the nursery.
The set-up that I am using is a slightly modified version of the same breeding system that I discuss in my book "Breeding Berghia Nudibranches the best kept secret".

[monocus]

in which way has it been modified?i am going to be building one of your tanks using a 15 and 10 gal that i have kicking around-i'll just be cutting the bottom with hole saws instead(i have 10 different sizes)

[DeneBanger]

I just modified the power filter to one that is rated for 3 gallons and ran the feed line directly into the nursery rather than through the PF. Also added a PF to the sump.

[DeneBanger]

Originally Posted by monocus

in which way has it been modified?i am going to be building one of your tanks using a 15 and 10 gal that i have kicking around-i'll just be cutting the bottom with hole saws instead(i have 10 different sizes)

very good idea! you may have to put some eggcrate under the inner chamber (or tank) to keep it suspended

[DeneBanger]

I'm also running 4 foot NO flourescents up top and I've added an aragonite sandbed to the sump and a flourescent tube over the sump for naturally occurring algae growth to provide a very nutrient rich water column.

(for the berghia don't run any lights except for harvesting)

[DeneBanger]

Here's another interesting observation, if I turn the lights out and wait an hour or so the larvae all release from the sides of the nursery and float around in the water column. If I turn the lights on again and wait for about a half hour they all start to reattach themselves to the sides of the nursery.

[monocus]

i have lots of egg crate and i have store bought under gravel filters that i am going to use-for lighting i have switched my whole house to led(including my aquariums and plankton reactors)i have various led bulbs and tube fixtures to experiment with,and i know about no lighting for the berghia.my 3 berghia tanks have 3 sides of the tanks blocked off with plastic wrapping paper to allow less room light in-works really well and you can still observe the berghia

[DeneBanger]

Now the larvae are beginning to take "prey", this time around I have decided not to go down the normal route of NHBBS, instead I have been starting to feed them fresh water cyclops in the 200-400 micron range. Based on my experience with raising seahorses I have come to learn a couple of things:
1) artemia cysts are notorious for carrying pathogens (especially vibrio sp)
2) I have only found hydroids in association with this food source.

and thirdly, one way to cut down on pathogens or disease is to introduce a food source from a different environment altogether. When we were raising seahorses we used a fresh water mysis (PE Mysis) in order to help reduce/eliminate disease.

[DeneBanger]

I just came back from feeding the PS, and now my "female" is holding eggs again so it looks like I'll have another batch of larvae in about two weeks. Just before she released the first clutch I noticed she was developing eggs behind her head and now just a day and a half later (after she was moved back to the mating tank) they have moved down to her abdomen.

[DeneBanger]

Quick update at 36 hours old the larvae have developed talked eyes.