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Vernal Pool Inhabitants


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#21 Guest_Mysteryman_*

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Posted 29 March 2008 - 08:55 AM

The eggs are commercially available in Asia where fairy shrimp are as popular as brine. In fact, I have some coming from Bangkok even now, and they should be here in another week or so. They're a lot less hassle than brine, of course, but even more expensive. My 20,000 egg order cost 7 bucks. They should do a pretty good job of clearing the green water in my goldfish pools.
Powdered Chlorella algae is the food of choice given by the guy from whom I bought them, and he even includes some with every order.
You can nearly always get them on Aquabid from a few different sources.

#22 Guest_jase_*

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Posted 29 March 2008 - 09:25 AM

The eggs are commercially available in Asia where fairy shrimp are as popular as brine. In fact, I have some coming from Bangkok even now, and they should be here in another week or so. They're a lot less hassle than brine, of course, but even more expensive. My 20,000 egg order cost 7 bucks. They should do a pretty good job of clearing the green water in my goldfish pools.
Powdered Chlorella algae is the food of choice given by the guy from whom I bought them, and he even includes some with every order.
You can nearly always get them on Aquabid from a few different sources.

Have you had them before, or is this your first experiment with them? I'm definitely interested in learning more about these guys. Brine shrimp have always seemed like a hassle to me. I've got a ton of eggs, but only tried hatching them once and didn't have it work out very well.

#23 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 29 March 2008 - 11:48 AM

They should do a pretty good job of clearing the green water in my goldfish pools.

I hope your goldfish will be somewhere else at the time.

The Thai fairy shrimp was only described recently like 2001 or something. Streptocephalus srindhornae or something

Edited by iturnrocks, 29 March 2008 - 11:49 AM.


#24 Guest_scottefontay_*

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Posted 02 April 2008 - 01:48 PM

I believe it is because of reproduction. Brine shrimp are constantly reproducing. Most fairy shrimp require a dry cycle in between generations. Occasionally some fairy shrimp eggs will hatch without the dry cycle depending on conditions of the pool they are in. But I believe you get much larger numbers with brine shrimp.


I just read somewhere that fairy shrimp can have two types of eggs. The first is thicker shelled and requires a dry period. The second is thinner shelled and will hatch in the same season w/o a dry cycle ("summer eggs"). The site I found said that the "summer" egg counts go up when the number of male individuals is low. The babies can even be born alive, meaning that the eggs hatch within the female's egg pouch.

fourth paragraph
http://www.vernalpool.org/inf_fs.htm

http://forum.nanfa.o...amp;#entry34668

Edited by scottefontay, 02 April 2008 - 01:50 PM.


#25 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 02 April 2008 - 01:55 PM

I had some summer eggs the last time I did a hatch, but not enough to get excited about. About a month in, I noticed 2 new babies, so I assume they must have been summer eggs.

#26 Guest_scottefontay_*

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Posted 02 April 2008 - 02:21 PM

I had some summer eggs the last time I did a hatch, but not enough to get excited about. About a month in, I noticed 2 new babies, so I assume they must have been summer eggs.


I wonder if one were to hatch a whole bunch, grow them and then put them in the sun and let them dry out how many eggs they could harvest? OR would removing males possibly generate enough "summer eggs" to perpetuate a contunous culture? I think I may buy eggs and give it a try...when I get that economic stimulus check in May....

#27 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 02 April 2008 - 02:26 PM

I wonder if one were to hatch a whole bunch, grow them and then put them in the sun and let them dry out how many eggs they could harvest? OR would removing males possibly generate enough "summer eggs" to perpetuate a contunous culture? I think I may buy eggs and give it a try...when I get that economic stimulus check in May....


Sounds like a plan. I cant wait for my economic stimulus check. I already got the pre-check letter. I will have to try removing males next time. Im currently working on building up a population of clam shrimp. I think I got about 10 in this recent hatch, but they are still pinhead sized.

#28 Guest_scottefontay_*

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Posted 02 April 2008 - 02:47 PM

Sounds like a plan. I cant wait for my economic stimulus check. I already got the pre-check letter. I will have to try removing males next time. Im currently working on building up a population of clam shrimp. I think I got about 10 in this recent hatch, but they are still pinhead sized.


yeah I got my pre-check letter also. Will be ordering a few live cultures and the "Bible" from the site Jase listed in another post (http://www.lfscultur...m/cultures.html)

From what I have been reading, I don't think all of the fairy shrimp can reproduce asexually, like brine shrimp females, so don't take out all the males...
Are the clam shrimp the little clam-like shells I find on the glass in some of my fry tanks?

#29 Guest_iturnrocks_*

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Posted 02 April 2008 - 03:38 PM

Are the clam shrimp the little clam-like shells I find on the glass in some of my fry tanks?


The little tiny ones are probably ostracods (seed shrimp).
Posted Image

Clam shrimp are generally larger and interesting enough that you would notice them. They generally get about 1/4-1/2" long(shell).

heres a couple pics.
one next to a fairy shrimp.
Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

There are also some that have clear shells. Some clam shrimp have a lifespan of about 2 weeks so you may have to keep an eye out. The ones pictured lived about 4 months.

Edited by iturnrocks, 02 April 2008 - 03:39 PM.


#30 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 02 April 2008 - 03:47 PM

I should just point out that there are also actual clams (sphaeriids) in many pools, so you could have some of those. They usually cling to vegetation or wood, but I'm sure some could cling to glass as well.

#31 Guest_Mysteryman_*

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Posted 02 April 2008 - 03:49 PM

Isn't that one of the weirdest things ever? Like, dude, make up your mind; are you a clam or a crustacean?

#32 Guest_critterguy_*

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Posted 13 April 2008 - 12:15 AM

what scott describes sound to me like freshwater limpets. I think they are annoying little goobers but I guess they keep the glass cleaner than otherwise(while lookinglike waterspots themselves).

LOL@ Mysteryman...my sentiments exactly

Edited by critterguy, 13 April 2008 - 12:15 AM.


#33 Guest_Moontanman_*

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Posted 16 July 2008 - 06:58 PM

Sounds like a plan. I cant wait for my economic stimulus check. I already got the pre-check letter. I will have to try removing males next time. Im currently working on building up a population of clam shrimp. I think I got about 10 in this recent hatch, but they are still pinhead sized.


I am working on a population of fairy shrimp, i started out with a bout 5 or 6 that hatched out when i filled up a tank that was sitting on my deck. i figure they must have come on as duct with the wind. I have allowed them to dry up and repopulate the tank twice and now I have several hundred. I feed mine yeast. When you dry out your eggs do you want to trade fro some of my fairy shrimp eggs? Mysteryman, do you have a link to where you got your eggs? I would be interested in trying out a few of them to see what they will do. Tadpole shrimp are also vernal pool animals and are very cool as well.




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