Egg! What Now?

[wodesorel]

I actually went with the wet-packed kind, but I don't remember having seen the dried ones!

[JoeHermits]

I feel like I’m overthinking this. For my sanity I’m starting with a simplified list.

Food:

Instant Baby Brine Shrimp

Phytoplankton

Spirulina Flakes

[wodesorel]

I'm pretty sure others have done it with live brine and flake fish food. Don't stress yourself!

[JoeHermits]

I know that standard filters can’t normally be used because they can suck in the zoea.

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys think of these?

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostor ... lter-media

I’m wondering if I strung these over the air tubes in the mason jars, and let them sit for a few weeks, I might get some bacterial colonies to help keep the ammonia in check.

Not being a big fish person, I’ve never actually put my knowledge of the nitrogen cycle to use. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

(I do have access to a cycled freshwater tank, so I may be able to jumpstart the cycle)

[wodesorel]

The problem is that the zoea get hung up on anything that has a texture to it, and once they stop being free-floating they die.

That's why Keisel tanks are recommended, the micron mesh keeps them from getting caught but allows for water exchange to a second chamber that can be set up with a traditional filter and heater. The water flow keeps them moving at all times.

The mason jars work because they are smooth and the air keeps them moving. It's the same as a brine shrimp hatchery, actually. The problem is that the water quality will never be great.

The ceramic rings may be too rough. I tried with sponges once and they immediately stuck fast like glue. They are built to be free-floating, even substrate screws with them!

[JoeHermits]

Wondering if a DIY might be an option...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XY5w_yYbv ... annel_page

This one’s a cooler jug cut and siliconed into an aquarium. It has a mesh on one side to allow for water flow. I’m just not sure if it’s smooth enough for zoea, or what kind of micron mesh I’d need.

[GotButterflies]

I fed the eggs, which hatched into brine shrimp. I also fed spirulina powder, as well as chlorella powder. Flakes would be too big. I had Hikari first bites on hand too. I did try the frozen brine shrimp, but it was too messy.

[JoeHermits]

Thanks for the heads up. The spirulina flakes were a gift that came from an adopted hermit. I never used them.

[GotButterflies]

Your adult hermits would love the spirulina flakes! You also might be able to grind it into a powder

[JoeHermits]

Say, does anybody test their water salinity when housing larvae?

I’ve heard that analog hydrometers are inaccurate, but refractometers are kind of expensive...

[JoeHermits]

My homemade Kreisel is well underway. Not the prettiest, but it’ll work. I’ll post pics once it’s complete.

Anyways, I’ll be setting it up with a filter. Assuming that it’s cycled correctly, could I get away with only a 25% water change daily or will that not be enough?


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[wodesorel]

You may not have time to get it cycled fast enough without jump starting with mature media or mature live-rock. (Often pet shop live rock is too fresh and actually creates ammonia for a long time as things die off.) Cycling from scratch can take anywhere from one week to several months, and usually falls in between.

Having just cycled two from scratch, I'd actually recommend hooking the filter up to a smaller body of water for dosing the ammonia and growing thr biological filtrr, get it cycling out nitrates, and then move the filter onto it's permanent home. I think the bacterial colonies would grow faster with an easier food source, and then you don't have to worry about draining out the nitrates from the kreisel which woulr be bad for the zoea.

[JoeHermits]

That’s a good idea. Actually, could I get it going in a freshwater aquarium? Would the bacteria be able to transition if I had the filter running in a freshwater tank for a short while?

I’m already planning on getting a jumpstart from the media of said tank.


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[wodesorel]

I'm a little iffy on going from full fresh to full marine. I know it works fine for brackish tanks, but at higher levels of salinity the bacteria may be different. Not a saltwater gal myself.

[JoeHermits]

Did a bit of research on it, including a few other forums run by aquarists. Answers range from “Maybe” to “No”, so it looks like I’m setting up a mini saltwater pool for my filter to cycle.


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