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Something for a 2.5g?


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#1 Betta132

Betta132
  • NANFA Guest
  • San Gabriel drainage area

Posted 15 May 2016 - 11:07 PM

I have a 2.5g sitting cycled but empty (cycle being kept by a bit of dead krill), and I'm looking for something cool to put in it. I know ghost shrimp are probably an option, but I'm looking for something a bit more unusual. It has a tight lid, so things with wings would be an option. Maybe a water scorpion or a big ole water beetle? Or- how about a toebiter? I found a toebiter once, so I know we have them around here, but would I have to feed it live food? 

Also, if I were to grow a water beetle larva up to adult, would I be able to release it without any concern of pathogen transfers if I just took it down to a river and let it fly away without any water? Water beetle larvae are the coolest things. 



#2 smilingfrog

smilingfrog
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  • Minnesota

Posted 16 May 2016 - 12:47 PM

I once kept a dragonfly niad that I fed frozen bloodworms and bits of fresh shrimp, squid, and fish, as well as the occasional spider, sowbug, or earwig that I might find in the basement.  The frozen stuff had to be moved about to get its attention.  I just stuck them on the end of a tooth pick and held them in front of it.  I'm sure the same should work for a toebiter to get it to take the food.  By toebiter, you're talking about giant waterbugs?  I know they inject their prey with venom, which I believe acts to immobilize and sort of predigest it, though I'm not sure if they actually rely on the prey having a functional circulatory system to spread the venom.  In other words, I don't know how efficiently they could feed on an already dead prey item if the venom doesn't spread.  Should work fine for a water beetle larvae though, and I agree those are pretty cool.

If you do go the toebiter route, be sure and offer if some type of frozen foods if only as an experiment, and let us know how it goes.



#3 Betta132

Betta132
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  • San Gabriel drainage area

Posted 18 May 2016 - 10:52 PM

Toebiters and the like use acid to dissolve their prey, not actual venom, so I'm pretty sure they could digest a frozen item if it got their attention. They basically squirt stomach acid into their food. 

I might know where to get some water scorpions- anyone know if they're cannibalistic? They're the long, thin type that look like aquatic walking sticks and breathe through straws on their butts. Not sure what species they are, they just turned up in our neighbor's swimming-pool-turned-accidental-pond.

Actually, there's a lot of cool stuff in there. I should just go swish around with a net. For one thing, if something didn't really work, I could just put it back. Have to wear gloves, though, some of that stuff bites really hard- even the tiny cute beetles will get you. 


Edited by Betta132, 18 May 2016 - 11:07 PM.


#4 gzeiger

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Posted 21 May 2016 - 03:07 PM

Water scorpions are awesome. I never kept two - not sure if they are cannibalistic. I would think their hard shells would be pretty good protection from each other. Give it a try and report back :)



#5 Betta132

Betta132
  • NANFA Guest
  • San Gabriel drainage area

Posted 23 May 2016 - 02:57 PM

How often should I feed a water scorpion or similar bug? Couple times a week, maybe?






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