I only can tell you again, that Nat got variabilis. Variabilis is the ONLY species who only got 2 stages of larvae. They do not need any food in these larvae stages. And it is a short time to transmorph to megalopa. Absolutely different from other species.The German keepers like Curlz who are really hardcore about raising zoea have a great track record, but I think the experience with Nat shows us that while the German method is guaranteed, there are other methods that may work just as well. I admit that in the beginning I thought that any zoea would require pristine water and live food and all that jazz, but Nat's successful raisings changed my mind completely about it.
The hardest part @ variabilis is to prevent the megalopa from eating each other. In all other species it is the hardest part to get enough food in the 4-5 larvae stages and that the larvae have not problems while molting to each new larvae stage. And this runs for weeks till they change to megalopa.
So please do not compare with other species.
My method is not guaranteed! Absolutely not.
Now my 7th experiment is running and only my first try in a kreisel was successfull! (Was experiement No.4)
Even if there are two successfull experiments, it is not as easy as it seems. And there are not really other ways to raise them.
Hermits are close to prawns, shrimps and co. And they all need nearly the same conditions to breed. Even marine fishes or sea horses need nearly same conditions. To breed marine animals is always hard.
So in my opinion and experience, there are no other ways to breed them: A good running small tank (1-5 liter) with a stream, constand heat, good saltwater, enough freshly hatched artima, a little bit of phytoplankton, and cleaning. And not too many larvae. But as you see, I fail even if I do all the things I tell you
At the beginnung I thought: there must be an easy way. But now, 7th experiments later, I am sure: there is no easy way.
And at the beginning I did not know that there are sooo many details to be important. I have to learn a lot about marine business, finding good artemia, hatching artemia, phytoplankton, bacteria, stream, moltings of larvae and so on.
@kuza: Same problem here. I have to work and can't feed them every 3 hours by hand. And unfortunately if you hatch artemia seperated in a jar, you have to check often to get the really freshly hatched artemia. Older ones will not be eaten and do not have the protein and stuff the larvae need.
So I decided to use an automatic feeder. (an automat for feeding fishes). It puts the eggs directly into the water. And the artemia can hatch there, so that the larvae can catch them directly (and they do).
In the evening I have to clean the tank carefully and do a water change. And that works, if the eggs, the larvae and the water is ok. But no guarantee.
Important is to have only a few larvae (not more that 100, less is more!). The higher is the chance that all larvae got enough food. And they need a lot.
