Woohooo! Two females with eggs! Update P.6! BABIES! (PPs)

[wodesorel]

Instant Ocean does supply calcium, and the brine shrimp has it as well.

I wouldn't add extra calcium unless you knew what the levels were in the water (they do make tests for that) as too much can be a serious heath hazard for marine organisms. It's not just calcium that's needed for molting and exos, it's iodine as well. They're usually monitored and dosed together for inverts, but again I doubt you'd need to add extra of either.

In future attempts you might want to look into Reef Crystals, as that has higher levels of things that inverts need for growth, but again it doesn't seem to be ultra important which salt you use unless you have specialty corals sucking it out of the water like a vacuum. It would be interesting to see what baby hermits would do to the levels, but you topping off or replacing water on a regular basis is also replenishing the minerals as they're being used.

[wolfnipplechips]

Thanks for the help.

I see a few dying on the bottom today. I know it's going to happen no matter what even in the best of times, but it's still sad. Did another ammonia test. It's the same as yesterday between 0 and 0.25. Will do another 1/2 change when my husband gets home at 5-5:30.

[wolfnipplechips]

Just some more pics.











You can see them trying to eat brine shrimp eggs.



I also tried to feed them dried daphnia right before I did a water change (so it didn't have time to rot). They liked it, but it was too messy and I won't do it again. I wonder if live daphnia would be too big? And I think they are freshwater? The bio dept at my university keeps them so I could get a culture from them, probably.

[HermitHoarder]

your crabbies are so darn cute! is this the farthest we have seen crab babies come in captivity? I hope so badly that they get to land crab stage.... I check this forum every day to see how far they have come Keep the crab baby pics coming!!!!!!!!!

[wodesorel]

There are different species of daphnia - some would be small enough but others would definitely be too large. They are freshwater, but they would still make a great food source if you can get a live culture!

I am adoring all the photos. Thank you for them!

[wolfnipplechips]

I think sojmad got to something like 17 days before all hers died?? I think that might be a record that I know of in just a hobbyist. Her thread is here viewtopic.php?f=34&t=80608

I found a small creature that is marine. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marine-Daphnia- ... 256b642e71 But they look a bit spendy, and I would have to set up a breeding tank for them to make them worth the money. Maybe I'll bookmark it for next year (crosses fingers for more eggs next year). I'll e-mail the bio dept head and see if she will give me some fw daphnia. I remember they had like 3 or 4 types. We had to measure their respiration rate or something one time.

If I could get my babies to land dwelling life, I think I would be on a permanent high.

[Happy Crabber]

These are so great. What are on the ends of their legs? They look like finger-flippers or something cool.

Thanks for the update. I was hoping there would be something about them when I logged on.

[wolfnipplechips]

They have fluffy feets for swimming! Might also make good filtering tools to get detritus. I like their mustaches.

[Skymall007]

Love the updates! I check every few hours =) ahahahaha that picture with the brine shrimp makes it look like he is playing basketball. I contacted my marine biology professor who concentrates on crabs. =) I hope she might have some more articles that could help. I can't wait to see more updates. This is absolutely wonderful!

[wodesorel]

I was looking into rotifer and phytoplankton cultures tonight, and I think we'll be setting that up for next year IF I can find cheap starter cultures. Phytoplankton needs light and Miracle Grow to grow, which can then be used as a food source for the rotifers, and the rotifers can be used as a perfect natural food source for the hermit babies. (And fiddler crabs and other fry.) Both can grow in 2 liter pop bottles with an air hose stuffed inside for oxygenation. Not terribly expensive to maintain, but the starter cultures are ridiculous and then shipping on top of that.

Do the labs at school have either? The phytoplankton would make a great gut-load for the brine shrimp and daphnia, too!

[wolfnipplechips]

Bio dept hasn't yet gotten back to me, yet. She may be in the field or something, as she is usually pretty prompt about e-mail. Very short field season here, so the professors all take advantage.

A male crab is trying to mate with Cat in the moss pit today. I'm not sure she wants to or even can considering she just had a bunch of babies! Maybe the male is just full of hormones and nowhere to use them. I'll keep an eye.

Big Mamma still hasn't spawned. I might just try to spawn her myself if her eggs look ready. She's hiding out in the plants, so I don't want to check her yet. Might stress her out.

Babies are doing fine. Still some dying on the bottom just like every day, but still a ton swimming around, eating their brine shrimp. My husband should be home soon for another water change...

[ceo1282]

You know it's a popular topic when it says there are 1540 views! I love that opal/iridescense in their eyes...too cute

[Skymall007]

When shall they be hitting their first transformation? (I can't spell metamorphises lolz). How are they today? Also, will the newest babies go in the same tank? Is it possible they become lunch or too many in one place? Sorry for all of the questions. I think about these little guys every day

[wolfnipplechips]

Not sure when they hit their next stage (if they haven't already). I was under the impression I could tell (because I'm super observant), but maybe I can't. I admit, I have not gone over much literature since this thing happened.

Babies are fine today. Still a million of them, chowing down on brine shrimp. There are like 50-60 dead/dying ones today. That might be a record.

I think something may be wrong with Big Mammas eggs. She is so late dropping them (still hasn't happened). I think I'm going to drop them for her today. They will likely get eaten by Cat's babies if they go into the same tank, but I don't have much choice... I don't have another 20, and a 10 is too small. Plus then I would need another air pump, air stone, more salt, etc., and money is too tight this month for that.

[wolfnipplechips]

Well, Big Mamma doesn't have eggs anymore, and I can't find them. I found a few yesterday (when I started to suspect something was wrong), and tried to hatch probably around 70 of them, and none were alive. I think she waited too long. Probably for the best since I don't want to see them get eaten, and that many babies may crowd the tank.