[odin]

I've decided to buy some of these guys and I'm just hoping they make the trip to me, I've read they are still hardy but a little less so then Opae ula. I've tried to research breeding these guys but I've not found a lot online, the larvae always seem to die and never progress so this got me thinking. Is it the lack of food or the water perameters that affect them? If it's food then maybe feeding baby shrimp food more and adding a tank additive to keep the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates at a zero will keep the water clean while they get to eat?

If this isn't the key to raising them do they require a higher salinity? And what foods have people tried? I've read about 'green water', Just doing a little brain storming :)

[Ann]

The Bamboo larvae are impossible to raise in fresh water. Perhaps the Alpha larvae need a much higher salinity. Maybe they move to higher salt contents when breeding.
Just a Thought,
Ann

[opae ula related]

Cool. How many do you plan?

My plan...The next time the female that I have get berried, I will put her in a separate tank with only a gravel floor and no hiding places. Once they are release, put the mother back in the original tank. Yes, cruel but this way I can see the larva. They live together in the natural so my thinking the foods/water is the same as opae ula with spirulina powder being perfect with the algae in the tank for the young ones . Fukubonsi mentioned flies and small insects. Or further after the release, is to put half of the larva in a separate tank with higher salinity.

He also mentioned a tank with experimenting just Alphas but I don't think he gave any info on it.

http://www.fukubonsai.com/M-L2b3.html

[odin]

I've got 12 because I was worried a few wouldn't make it, they will be in the parcel 7 days so I just hope I don't open it up to find them all dead

[opae ula related]

Nice! The weather is warm so I predict all will survive.

[odin]

Nice! The weather is warm so I predict all will survive.

Wish me luck.

[opae ula related]

You might end up with more if the seller gave you extra for possible lost.

[Marko2]

Where are you buying the alphas from ? Would it be possible to connect different tanks of different salinity together with pipes then the shrimps could choose were to release there larvae

[odin]

I'm not to sure about the tank layout as you suggest because we wouldn't be able to stop the waters mixing. I think it's going to be a case of having a few small tanks with just some substrate and mature water and have different levels of SG and try a few larvae in each salinity. Vary the types of food you feed them and as a thought maybe dose the biodigest I use as this contains the nitrifying bacteria to turn ammonia and nitrite and nitrates into phosphates which will let you keep the water clean and let you feed a lot of food into the tank without t fouling the water.

Failing that maybe setting up tank with a filter and pump with filter media like a conventional fish tank and having it mature and ready to convert any amount of ammonia.

None of the above may work though

[opae ula related]

I agree. Another idea is to sacrifice/kill an opae ula to feed. Not going to be popular with that comment.