link to fairy shrimp

AS requested here is the link to fairy shrimp it is up dated with graphic


cgi.ebay.ie/Freshwater-artemia-brine-shr...eZWD2VQQcmdZViewItem

I also bought some off this guy

www.bluebetta.com/bluestore/index.php?ma...5b9cecfff2d94be18559

got 2 jars of the 2.5 million in each jar.

First I went for the cheap postage and they never arrived, so I paid an extra $20 dollars and he sent them by insured post.

It would be interesting to see if you could actually breed them and safe yourself the hassle of having to order them and then hope for the best that the mail will deliver them.
(Sorry, ranting on about the postal system again but that Royal mail strike is seriously getting to my nerves now. Apparantly there won't be any further strike action but I am waiting for over 2 weeks now for 2 books to arrive which I require for work)
Maybe you could try to feed them eitehr with some infusoria or algae?

Holger

you can breed them no problem apparently.

But (there's always one), any eggs laid must be dried out before rehydrating them to simulate their natural ponds drying out before the rainy season starts again.

Artemia sieve at the ready:lol: Any idea how long the eggs have to be dried and what to feed the shrimp in the first place

My understanding (now don't quote me!)

These fairy shrimp are usually found in seasonal ponds, puddles etc.

They lay two types of eggs, hard and soft.
The life span is approx 8 weeks when breeding, if the water pool survives longer they lay a soft shell thus the pool etc will host a continuous colony. But at the first sign of the pool drying or temp dropping they lay the hard form, which will be dormant until either the temp rises or the rain and pools come. This is also the process by how they spread, the hard eggs can be blown for miles by the wind until it reaches a water source where they will hatch and begin the circle again.

It is recorded in a lab that the hard form of the eggs can survive 15+ years.

I have got them from the same guy a number of times with no proplems and very prompt postage with no extra cost. He gave us imformation of the date sent and a tracking number to keep an eye on it during transport.

Mickey

I seem to be a bit slow on the uptake this morning. Your link says to feed them the Chlorella which is of course a type of algae. Photosynthesis was first dicovered on this type of Algae by Melvin, think he got the Noble prize for it as well. Good news any garden pond contains buckets of them. An algae bloom and you will have enough algae to start your fairy shrimp farm

i have them in a small tank on the window sill. loads of sun and green water

Would you try and grow a few out and see if they breed?

I am considering it it would be an excellent food source for loaches i would thing and help create a more natural food source something for example that would be grown to suite the size of the loaches.
i got this some where it is some thing to help them grow to the max

To make yeast soup, dissolve one packet of dried yeast (either bakers or brewers yeast),
one teaspoon of sugar, and a big pinch of crushed fish food flakes in 1/3 cup of hot water
(around 100 degrees, microwave some of your spring water). Mix well, and let it sit for
about an hour to activate the yeast. Be sure to use a container tall enough to allow the
yeast to bubble up. (An old plastic frosting container works well.) Store your “soup” in
the refrigerator or another cool place. This will be enough food to feed your shrimp for
weeks.

To feed your shrimp, stir or shake the mixture thoroughly. (It settles out quickly.) Use an
eyedropper or pipette to drip a few drops of the soup into the water. The baby shrimp are
still extremely tiny and need very little food. You can determine how much food is
enough by using this rule of thumb: The water should be slightly hazy, but not cloudy.
You should be able to see through it. If it becomes cloudy, stop feeding for a day or two
until it clears up. If it becomes extremely clear, feed a little bit more. Increase their food
as they grow. At about 2 weeks, the shrimp will need approximately 1 ml per day. When
they are fully grown, they will need up to 3 mls daily.

@mwdragondk
your supplier suggest they eat algae. Where did the information to feed them with yeast come from?

I will order some shrimp when I am back from my holidays and will try to grow them on. Discus feed on shrimp in nature and if this worked out I would be a very happy camper.

there are is a lot of info out there. they use them a lot in american schools like they use sea monkeys here. just do a search some fairly interesting stuff

Off to Florida on Friday. See if I can get a packet of eggs over there