Zoea *successful captive breeding & rearing of C. variabilis

[Nat_addicted to HC's]

Wow! That's actually a really neat idea, it makes sense And they might of just needed a "push" you know? It seems to be working
Can they get in and out of the water shells? Maybe a little needlepoint canvas might help? They're so tiny.. It'd be so hard to accomodate them.

Yes i have sunk them in the sand and they are not smooth. Fingers arms & legs crossed!

[Nat_addicted to HC's]

Congrats on getting this far! You just went into uncharted waters - literary!
You rock - you are still a heroine!

Thanks AussieJJDude (blushing) yours and everybody's support has helped me along sooooo much! You guys & gals rock!!!!

[Nat_addicted to HC's]

and if even one of them makes it, it's an amazing feat. but yes if nothing else you (and all of us following the updates) have learned a lot

Reminding me of this has really helped put things in perspective, thank you! I'm so happy to have shared this with all of you, my feelings of disappointment thankfully have subsided[SMILING FACE WITH HEART-SHAPED EYES]

[sandra03]

I like your thinking, you might be onto something. Instead of trying to force artificial conditions on them, try to replicate what would happen in nature.
Good luck little critters!! <3

[aussieJJDude]

What Sandra said is a point...
But.... Life isn't about how you survived the storm...
it's about how you danced in the rain!
(You have great sigs)

[Curlz]

hello to Australia,

Edit: Ohh I forgot to say "congratulations"


I read your thread and try to understand it and what you have done. (Sorry I am german and it is ont that easy for me )

I do not know if I can help. Only my 4th try was a good one.... now I am trying it again...



C. variabilis is the only Coenobita species which are going through two Zoea stages and one Megalopa. (You have already got that biological document, as far as I know). From day 6-7 the first ones morph to megalopa. Fprm day 16 the first one should go onto land (wearing a shell)
They are known as the most cannibalism megalopa. So you have to feed enough other sorts of food, to keep them away to eat themselfs. I feed frosted Krill and frosted Mysis. (defrosted before)

What I do not understand (sorry for that):
why are the megalopa on sand? It is too early for them and they do not wear a shell.
Do you keep the megalopa still in the "two tanks in the aquarium" or do you put them intp the mussels shells in the transition tank?


What I have done:
Mine are looking for the shells in the Kreisel tank.
It tooks a longer time till they kept their shells. If we noticed that a Megalopa wear its shell some hours, we put them into a second salt water tank (was from day 30).
This salt water tank was connected with a brunch to sand, soil and moss. Again it took a long time the first one came out of the water with his shell. (that was at day 41 as far as I remember - but that's not important because I got violas).
This second salt water tank was handled like the Kreisel tank. Same water, same salt. Same temperature and with air pump. Daily water change (50%), cleaning floor daily and change food two times a day. To keep it as steril as we could.

[HermieLuv<3]

Awww. Don't beat yourself up... You did do amazing.. and all on a whim! You weren't prepared and got sooo far. Maybe the last 2 will pull through...? You live and you learn... at least you know what to do next time! =)

[HermieLuv<3]

sorry... i meant the 3 you have left... good luck!

[Nat_addicted to HC's]

Awww. Don't beat yourself up... You did do amazing.. and all on a whim! You weren't prepared and got sooo far. Maybe the last 2 will pull through...? You live and you learn... at least you know what to do next time! =)

Thanks 1 left hannibal (shane named him/her short for hannibal the cannibal) ate the others!

[Nat_addicted to HC's]

So today a female I didn't even know had eggs deposited them on a beach pebble and sat waiting for the tide that would never come. I put the pebble in the salt water & we watched the eggs hatch! It was instant!
We have a second batch (not as many as the last lot) on the go!

[wolfnipplechips]

Wooohooo!!!

[sandra03]

ahh with the site issues we lost some updates there. can you recap and update us on the new batch? if i remember correctly Hannibal didn't make it..

[Nat_addicted to HC's]

Bugger :-/
yes Hannibal didnt survive (heart wrenching) & I have another batch of babies that are megalopa already, i will post the pic of eggs again, the female deposited them on a beach pebble then sat guard & waited like she was waiting for the tide. They hatched the second they made contact with salt water. Not as big a batch as the last lot but still a viable amount. Ive done things a bit different this time, i have not doted as much for fear of attachment & they have been better for it (i kinda decided i couldnt do it yet & would wait till next season if i was that lucky) i havnt done as many water changes as the jars were less populated, no food till megalopa helped with the quality of water too, they started eating each other immediately as proven & predicted, i had figured im not wasting anymore money (my horse needs the dentist & our summer has & is being [45 here the other day] a killer so power bill is extreme among other things) on these beautiful creatures im killing from lack of knowledge & understanding, i however could not just tip them out! *long heavy sigh* i dumped a heap of siamese fighter food/crumbs in each jar & went to work my horse then worked my bosses horses, did fencing, mucked out yards (my job). i figured i would worry when i got home, still school holidays & the boss wasn't too impressed with the kids coming to work & generally being annoying around the stables. after what curlz said ive been thinking non stop about separation, feeding etc, there has to be a simpler way, the environment is pretty basic really & they've evolved to reproduce in the most extreme environments in Australia, surely i can figure this out. Anyway i have over 50 in & out of shells & its all down to food i think, these ones have a bold red stripe down to the tip of the tail (red food lol) and the last lot were relatively clear so perhsps the others died of starvation :-/ these guys are pooping! Tons of it & they literally pounce on the tiny crumbs & scoff, there behavior is different too, none of this lying on their backs, they are either in shells or fighting for shells or eating, so hard to get photos i need a petri dish & macro lense, they look heck cute dragging these shells around, they are able to protect their vulnerable parts as they are in shells! Most of the time, unless they are shopping for a different fit! Not getting my hopes up but these guys are definitely having a much better crack at it!!!! Yay

[wodesorel]

That is so amazing Nat!!!!

So maybe we need to worry less about water quality and just stuff them full of whatever we can.

[Happy Crabber]

Wow! That is such great news. I can't wait for pics of them in their teeny tiny shells! (no pressure