So after a bunch of talk I finally got the chance to take a couple of pictures of my ghost Shrimp Breeding setup.
Equipment:
1. 10 Gal
2. Air Stone
3. Bubbler
4. Compact Fluorescent light bulb
5. Heater (set 82C)
Plants/Animals:
1. Java Fern (unplanted and just goes wherever)
2. Duckweed
3. 4 females Ghosties/2 Male (initially)
4. Bunch of Ramshorn snails
The water is probably somewhat hard (due to alot of snail shells on the ground) but I dunno, I don't feel like buying a test kit for it...or pH... or nitrates... or anything for that matter.
Breeding/Conditioning:
Just feed them daily. I use Hikari Crab Cuisine with some variation now and then when I feel like it. Happy females seem to constantly have eggs both developping within and under their swimmerettes. I personally don't seperate the females into other tanks when breeding, for two reasons: it stresses them out and they don't eat the babies anyways.
Larvae survival:
You'll find these mini upside down babies somewhere floating in the water column usually near an area with not too turbulent water. Typically near the surface or near the bottom. Note: I have never observed any tendency to be drawn towards light despite many articles and the whole smashing into windows to suicide thing.
They will usually only survive for maximum of 1 to 2 days without specific feeding. So try to feed them food for 2-3 days (or until u dont see anymore floating babies, either they died or they're post larvae). Ideally, feeding baby brine shrimp would be food. But I'm lazy so I just feed frozen ones or any other small foods I have accessible, though survival rate drops dramatically. (Microworms should also work) They will grab the food and munch away. If they aren't then your either feeding too early (they don't seem to eat for the first 1/2 to 1 day, i'm not sure the exact timing) or they don't like the food.
Post-Larvae stage:
Once they get past the larval stage your good to go. Just feed as normal (crab cuisine or etc) and they'll grow up ...eventually...They grow at the blinding speed of very slow. It's probably slower for me because I slack off alot on water changes but hey... I have better things to do. If your worried their being outcompeted for food you can crush up some of the food and they'll find it.
Now for some pics.
Enjoy
PS My camera skills are limited for such miniature beings so bear with me.
Equipment:
1. 10 Gal
2. Air Stone
3. Bubbler
4. Compact Fluorescent light bulb
5. Heater (set 82C)
Plants/Animals:
1. Java Fern (unplanted and just goes wherever)
2. Duckweed
3. 4 females Ghosties/2 Male (initially)
4. Bunch of Ramshorn snails
The water is probably somewhat hard (due to alot of snail shells on the ground) but I dunno, I don't feel like buying a test kit for it...or pH... or nitrates... or anything for that matter.
Breeding/Conditioning:
Just feed them daily. I use Hikari Crab Cuisine with some variation now and then when I feel like it. Happy females seem to constantly have eggs both developping within and under their swimmerettes. I personally don't seperate the females into other tanks when breeding, for two reasons: it stresses them out and they don't eat the babies anyways.
Larvae survival:
You'll find these mini upside down babies somewhere floating in the water column usually near an area with not too turbulent water. Typically near the surface or near the bottom. Note: I have never observed any tendency to be drawn towards light despite many articles and the whole smashing into windows to suicide thing.
They will usually only survive for maximum of 1 to 2 days without specific feeding. So try to feed them food for 2-3 days (or until u dont see anymore floating babies, either they died or they're post larvae). Ideally, feeding baby brine shrimp would be food. But I'm lazy so I just feed frozen ones or any other small foods I have accessible, though survival rate drops dramatically. (Microworms should also work) They will grab the food and munch away. If they aren't then your either feeding too early (they don't seem to eat for the first 1/2 to 1 day, i'm not sure the exact timing) or they don't like the food.
Post-Larvae stage:
Once they get past the larval stage your good to go. Just feed as normal (crab cuisine or etc) and they'll grow up ...eventually...They grow at the blinding speed of very slow. It's probably slower for me because I slack off alot on water changes but hey... I have better things to do. If your worried their being outcompeted for food you can crush up some of the food and they'll find it.
Now for some pics.
Enjoy
PS My camera skills are limited for such miniature beings so bear with me.
