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  1. Hey all! I’ve been super busy so I haven’t been active on the forum, just lurking for a while, but I’ve got the time (and a great reason) for a post now. Against all odds, I’ve managed to snag myself a group of 4 captive bred honey blue eyes (pseudomugil mellis), an endangered and very rare blue eye endemic to Australia (for those unaware). I’m picking them up locally once I get back from an overseas trip, so I’ll have another post once that’s all done, but I thought I’d set up this thread so I can ask questions, share findings (particularly for other breeders and aspiring breeders) and simply document my experiences with this fish. The group is 2m2f so I’ll start them off in a cycled 5 gallon, which at the moment is just scaped with sand and some inert natural rocks collected from a river bed, so I’ll be chucking in a bunch of plants and maybe an Indian almond leaf or two in order to give them a cosy little breeding environment. In terms of the actual breeding, I think I’ll be using a couple small mops on one side of the tank (one floating, one sitting), and pulling daily for a week or so, perhaps even just a few days the first time so I can work with a smaller group. I’ll be getting some brine shrimp eggs (what are your recommendations for cheapish eggs that are good quality and have a good hatching rate?) for both the parents and the fry, once the fry are large enough. What are your recommendations for a first food for the fry? So far I’ve still not succeeded once with an infusoria culture, despite following a variety of different methods. Obviously, I’ve been wondering about shrimp as well. Would they eat the eggs? If not, which species would be found in a similar region and would be compatible? It’d be fun to have a little bit of a biotype for these little fellas. If I get shrimp perhaps I could order from Dave at aquagreen and get some cool native plants while I’m at it. The main thing I’m debating is whether to breed them in a tank or give them a go outdoors. Outdoors seems riskier but potentially more fruitful and a tad easier (because it’s natural), whereas the tank seems much much safer but I’m just not sure how easy it’ll be to get them breeding. Anyways, I’ll see how they go in the tank and reassess later on. I’ll be asking plenty of questions when I pick them up as well, so I think it’ll all work out. I’m very excited to be joining the captive breeding conservation effort for this beautiful fish, it’s honestly been a bit of a dream of mine ever since I heard of the species, and I’ll be pulling out all the stops to make sure this opportunity doesn’t go to waste. I look forward to sharing many exciting posts with these cute little honeys. Cheers, Crabs.
  2. Hello. I've written the following based on my own time scouring the internet and then personal experiences with my mud crab Gaston. Mud crab aquarium care. Tank setup: Minumim 4ft aquarium. A 4x2 ft much better. Like with turtles, larger footprint is important. Not so much how tall the tank is. Seriously big crabs. Be open to having a 6ft aquarium if you plan on risking tank mates (other than glass shrimp, snails and tiny fish). Unless your in Western Australia, you'll get Scylla serrata aka Green mud crab (not named green for being green. Can be brown and blue also). They can grow up to 30cms and 2.5kgs with 20cm claws. Have a cycled aquarium with brackish water about 1.006-1.010 SG. Heated 19-25°c. PH around 7 or higher. Harder water is important. Crushed coral can help balance out soft tap water and the use of driftwood. Breaking up some cuttlefish bone in the water column is important. Calcium for shell development. They are from estuaries. So have a great tolerance for temperature and salinity fluctuations. Decent filtration is a must as they are exceptionally messy eaters. I recommend a sump. The crabs are very strong and can snap heaters, damage power cables and move tubing. So a sump for the hygrometer and heater helps, with the benefit of the overflows and returns being secure. Also clamps to hold parts in place. Pvc tubing can be used to protect power cables and keep equipment protected. The lid needs to be very secure. With only small gaps and also weighted down. The crabs are strong and can easily lift glass. Some additional glass pieces on the lid to keep it down is recommended. The crabs will want to get their mouths above the water line periodically. So don't fully fill the aquarium. About 20cm deep. Deeper depending on if you have driftwood or rock climbing areas so it can still reach above water line. Note: ensure all rocks and driftwood are very securely and purposefully positioned. Remember they are very strong and can move unsecured rocks and driftwood. Poorly placed rocks could be moved and break the tank. Using larger rocks and wood is safer than easier to move small pieces. Sand as a substrate is best. 6cm or so deep. Mixed with some crushed coral and aesthetic gravel. They sift through sand for scraps plus it will help fill cracks between rocks n such to secure them even more. They will eat plants. So not a great aesthetic addition. Don't put strong lighting on the tank. The crabs like to hide. Plus they'll grow algae over their carapace under too strong and or long exposure. Glass shrimp will help keep this down. Aquiring: Can be bought from a fish market. Sold as live food. About $50 per kilo. A standard mud crab will be about 0.8-1.4kgs. Google how to pic a healthy mudcrab. You want to select the healthiest male you can get (not the biggest). Note. They'll all be male. Transport in Styrofoam box or esky with a little ice. They'll wrap it in newspaper. When home. Unpack it (keep the claw string on) then move it into a large container or tank with no water for about an hour as they 'defrost'. Remove the claw holding string as you move into their aquarium. Have a friend around to help with lid for safety reasons. Feeding: They are scavengers and eat a wide variety of foods. They will make a big mess when they do, so some glass shrimp, Malaysian trumpet snails and a few tiny fish are beneficial for cleaning up the shower of food particles. My favourite foods to feed are small whole cooked tiger prawns and marinara mix from the deli. Some white fish cut into pieces then frozen. Repashy with added calcium (powdered egg shells or cuttlefish bones). Make big skeets in flat zip lock bags and freeze. Snap off a piece for feeding. Can also feed worms, clams, scollops, crab pieces, garden snails, plant matter (like excess Elodea from another tank). A varied diet is important. But most of all is getting plenty of calcium in their diet. The repashy +calcium or a similar diy mix with agar agar, calcium, seafood and added vegetables is gold. It might not take to eating well initially. I recommend using long planting tweezers. Carefully. Don't want them to grab the tweezers. You can train them onto eating by attaching a piece of meat or prawn to some cotton string. Jerk it around infront of him until he goes for it. Might take a few tries. Don't leave large pieces of uneaten food in the tank to spoil. Be very careful putting hands into the tank. They can go from slow to very fast moving in an instant. Here's my Gaston.
  3. Hey guys, just found an add for this website showcasing a cool-lookin native algae eating shrimp. https://algaeeatingshrimp.com.au/products/australian-algae-eating-shrimp Anyone heard of these before or own any? My interest was peaked by the claim that they eat hair-type algae, as I have some on my crypts and lace fern that I cannot remove. And for a price of $4 ea, and super easy parameters, they sound pretty doable! Tell me more oh great SKFians! ? (or feel free to point me towards an already existing page) post-note: have you/do you keep these grubs? Seems like your sort of thing.
  4. Hey everyone, I was recently (meaning today) given the opportunity to set up a breeding tank for some native inverts (or some harder to breed fish I guess, but I want to go for shrimp) in a fishroom I help out in. I've been trying to decide what native shrimp I want to try breeding, but then I remembered that it's not as simple as exotics. Can I get some input from the 'experts' (@Grubs, @NoGi, @Baccus, @fishmosy, @jayc of course, I know most of you aren't very active anymore, but I would appreciate your help if you see this message) on what native invert you guys think is easiest to breed (for a semi-noob who hasn't kept natives before). I can set it up as brackish I think, we have an archer fish tank there and are setting up a saltwater as well so should have access to those tools and materials. Cheers!
  5. Fully Aquatic Freshwater Crabs Amarinus Laevis. Difficulty: Intermediate Max growth size: 2.5cm across carapace (shell width) Temperament: Peaceful. Safe with other animals that wouldn't attack the crabs (not suitable with large Cichlids or other large aggressive fish). If underfed. Might take advantage of already weak or injured nano fish or shrimp. Only heard of this happen very few times. They are great for eating snails. Don't eat plants, only decaying plant matter. Preferred water parameters; Temperature: 10-28*c can handle colder. Increase air supply in warmer waters. Great for unheated indoor tanks. General harness: medium to moderate. Just like with snails. Soft water isn't healthy for their shells. Harder, calcium rich water is preferred for healthy moults. Crushed coral, shell grit, crushing some cuttlefish bone and/or feeding them snails is recommended. Tank size and notes: If keeping only females. A group of 3 is a minimum. Otherwise they'll be less outgoing. The more in the group the more comfortable and outgoing they are. They have a small bioprint. While we do feed them. They also scavenge and break down food and detritus into easier to be filtered forms. Aiding in a healthy balanced ecosystem. 3-6 female crabs can be kept in a nano tank of 5 gallons (19 litres) given the tank has a filter. A standard 2ft tank (approx 14 gallons or 50 litres) can support up to 20 female crabs. I frequently keep more in less water but only when it's just crabs (plus some shrimp and snails). If you have a male. A larger tank is needed as males can be aggressive. Preferably doubling the above recommendations. For breeding tank details. See breeding guide write up. Planted tanks are preferred. Aiding in filtration, providing climbing areas for the crabs and decaying plant matter is bonus crab food. Reproduction: Difficult. Requires around a dozen adult females, a non aggressive male (rare) and an aged tank. They have a free floating baby stage similar to glass shrimp. The vast majority of this species are female. Males are quiet rare and violent to other males. Often with a harem of numerous dozens of females each. Feeding: Scavengers that love sifting through mulm and poop. Feed sinking omnivores pellets, sometimes algae wafers. Will eat all sorts of foods. Supplementing with live snails is fantastic. Smaller wafers and pellets (I use 1mm sinking pellets) are better than larger ones to reduce the chance of fighting over food. Pellets with added calcium are a bonus to shell health and moulting. Additional comments: A truely unique, uncommon species in the aquarium hobby. Lifespan about 2-3 years. They can survive in low end brackish water. 1.010 SG or less. Making a unique snail eating native that thrives in both fresh and low end brackish. Plant, shrimp and fish safe in general. Doesn't need or use above water area. Recommend using an air stone if not using air powered sponge filtration, to ensure enough dissolved oxygen in the water column for them. Especially in warmer, tropical tanks. Breeding Tank setup information: I have had much success with many types of Substrates and setups. As the crabs are very hardy. My preference due to being cheap and effective is as follows. Breeding these crabs I consider advanced. There are a few important, easy parts to the process that if skipped can lead to failure. Substrate: Back or side 2/3rds of the base plain River rock gravel (any natural gravel you have laying around is fine). Front or other side 1/3rd sand (play sand from bunnings is cheap and effective. Sprinkle of crushed coral over the substrate. Decor: Driftwood. Piles of larger lava rock pieces (Washed. Bunnings or landscape supply store real cheap). Dead coral rock if you have any is beautiful to use. (skip adding crushed coral if using this). Plants are highly recommended. The crabs don't eat plants unless it's decaying matter. Plants help with water quality but also add environmental enrichment for the crabs that love to climb on them and micro-organisms for them to feed off. I now add a tiny bit of marine salt to their breeding tanks as it slightly increases zoae survival rate. The added nutrients and minerals seems beneficial (however not required) for the free floating zoae. Filtration: Sponge filtration is best. It provides oxygenation for the crabs and can't suck up the free floating first form zoas the eggs hatch into. If using other filtration, a cheap sponge covering the inlet is required otherwise all new babies that float in the water column will simply get filtered out. Also if not sponge filtration. Adding an air stone is recommended. Since the crabs are true aquatic. They don't go above water to subliment oxygen if ever there's less than desired in the water. Equipment: A light on a timer is a good idea especially with plants. The algae build up is a food source. The best food source for the young is green water. Which takes some trial and error to get dialed in. A heater is not required. I've had them breed in an outdoor carport over Victorian winters. 5°c nights and under aren't rare. Size: For a breeding pack (1 male and harem of females) a 2ft tank is a minimum. However 3ft is recommended and definitely will be better suited for survivability. A 4ft would be fantastic, in which the male could have a breeding harem of numerous dozens of females. Life cycle: a single male will mate with his harem of females they'll form around 200 eggs when berried. After weeks of fanning and cleaning the eggs. The female will release them into a light water flow as the zoae hatch. These free floating first form young drift about just like glass shrimp zoae. Consuming nutrients, green water and dissolved calcium in the water column until they go through a moult into a fully form micro crab. About 1mm in size. These live amongst the pourus lava rock and in the mulm that should be allowed to build up. Going through numerous moults as they grow in size. Some won't survive moults, some will be eaten by adults (sufficient mulm and suplimentary feeding minimises this). Of one females 100-200ish eggs. Those that survive to adulthood are in the many dozens, not hundreds. The young are a common food source in the wild for micropredators. Of those few that make adulthood. Only 1-3 will be males from my experience. Many of the other males potentially eaten or fought each other at younger ages. When crabs reach about 6-10mm across carapace is when I remove them into grow out tanks. New young males of this size need to be removed to seperate tanks with a dozen same size females, as they will likely fight other males to the death for the right of ownership of a harem. There are rare instances where the lionesses will kill their alpha lion if he isn't sufficient or doesn't continue to prove himself worthy. Similar can rarely happen with the crabs. So having same sized male/females is important. Especially at a younger age when the males are still learning how to be alpha. On the other hand. A large aggressive male with a harem of young females can all of a sudden go crazy and kill them all. A balance between the sexes is important. In the wild. The insufficient male or the weak/young females would simply be kicked off the rock and have to search for another group. To replicate this we would need very large tanks or ponds to avoid constant civil war. I am eager to assist any willing to try and breed these. I would love for them to be far more readily available to the hobby. Demant far outweighs what one can breed themself. 1st pic is a male standing on a ball of females. When moving large groups into grow out tanks, the crabs will form a ball made up of dozens. 2nd pic shows a appropriate mix of Substrates and tank setup. Has all the right components. Illustrating that breeding tanks don't have to be dull and unsightly. 3rd pic. A stunning male. Showing their magnificent claws. Note the messy wood. Mulm is your friend when breeding these. The adults sift through for food, the young live amongst mulm, eating it and biofilm. Breeding glass shrimp of other zoae stage shrimp in the same tank is a perfect match. 4th pic. A close up of the tank in the 2nd pic. Showing a male and some of his harem of females at feeding time. The male eats first and keeps the females in line and waiting for their turn to eat the pellets that fall near him. Waving his claws around at them as they approach. The crabs like to congregate on a single large rock. Especially on the underside of it out of the light when they're not scavenging for food. Porous rock is better so they can grip and for the young crabs to hide in from the adults that might eat them if hungry enough.
  6. ErinF

    Mysterious deaths

    Hi! I know this has probably been asked a million times before but my shrimp keep dying and it's truely a mystery and being very new to shrimp keeping I'm hoping someone can help. Sorry this is long, tia! I cycled my 21L tank for 2 months with plants (anubias on driftwood and hair grass with some floating rotala) I use Seachem Prime and Stability. I tested everything and all was fine (we keep fish so I'm not new to water parameters just shrimp) I put in 3 large natives (pictured) and a pack of 10 glass shrimp I ordered from livefish. All of the glass died within the week but the natives (transferred over from my housemates tank) are still thriving and have even shed the other week and grew a little. I feed algae wafers every 3 days and Hikari shrimp cuisine every second. Did a small water change last week (10-15%) and on the weekend put in 2 cherries and 3 glass from an aquarium shop in. One of the cherries is dead and the others except 2 are hiding and I havnt seen them since the first day. I've noticed a few detritus worms on my glass, could it be an oxygen issue? Temp is at 23°c same as housemates tank but the aquarium shop didn't seem to have a heater and livefish sent the glass in bags that arrived cold I floated the bags and let a little of my water in for about 40 mins before setting them free.
  7. revolutionhope

    Prohibited species and caring for our environment

    It is important that we as a community are responsible as hobbyists. Recent threats include the white spot virus that has been found in prawns in Queensland and the possibility that the crayfish plague has been introduced to our country via exotic crays from North America that might host this fungus and that have immunity to it. For example entire crayfish populations in Europe have been decimated by this disease because only the North American crays have immunity. It is well known that many in Australia keep and breed exotic shrimps and other creatures and in most cases this is not problematic but there are exceptions and so it is necessary that we have a handy resource on the forum that discusses this topic and provides relevant links. Australia has very strict quarantine laws; although we are allowed to keep and breed a number of different shrimps in Australia the importation of shrimp species not in the "suitable specimens for import" is extremely illegal and if you are caught you will almost certainly be handed a jail sentence. Local fish shops will often freely take any unwanted animals (even sick ones) and there are always plenty of other hobbyists who will jump at the chance to take them as well. Below are some simple rules that are universally applicable - ? Do not release any fish or invertebrate from your aquarium to nature regardless of whether it is native to the area or came from that exact place; this is because they may have acquired a disease or parasite in your aquarium/pond and you could do much more harm than good. ? Do not allow any of your aquarium water or other contents to enter stormwater drains or go anywhere that might find its' way into a body of water e.g. creek or lake etc. The Australian government advice is to dispose of your water down the sink/toilet. ? Do not bring exotic animals into the country unless they are on the approved specimens list (link is below). ? Do not collect wild specimens unless you have checked first that you are allowed to do so. ? Do humanely euthanise your animals if/when necessary. (link is at the end of the article). ? Do enjoy keeping aquariums and treat your animals and our natural environment with the respect they deserve. Below are links to lists of noxious species and guides at a state and national level as well as links to RSPCA instructions for humane euthanisation Instructions for safe disposal of aquarium contents and animals and general guide to aquatic diseases - http://www.agriculture.gov.au/pests-diseases-weeds/aquatic/disease_watch_aquatic_animal_health_awareness/other_aquatic_biosecurity_materials National Guidelines for management of exotic fish trade including list of specimens suitable for import - http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/exotics/exotic-fish-trade A.C.T. ???????? NSW Guide / Intro: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/pests-diseases/freshwater-pests/ornamental-fish Full list of noxious species: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/pests-diseases/noxious-fish-and-marine-vegetation N.T. Guide / Intro: https://nt.gov.au/marine/for-all-harbour-and-boat-users/aquatic-pests-marine-and-freshwater/about-aquatic-pests-and-biosecurity List of aquatic pests: https://nt.gov.au/marine/for-all-harbour-and-boat-users/aquatic-pests-marine-and-freshwater/list-of-aquatic-pests SA Guide / Intro: http://pir.sa.gov.au/biosecurity/aquatics/aquatic_pests Full list of noxious species: http://pir.sa.gov.au/biosecurity/aquatics/aquatic_pests/noxious_fish_list TAS Tasmania has especially strict requirements regarding importation of live animals. The three links below contain lots of relevant information (Thanks to @jayc for finding these) http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/biosecurity-tasmania/biosecurity/importing-animals/animals-that-can-be-imported-with-entry-requirements/freshwater-aquarium-fish http://soer.justice.tas.gov.au/2009/indicator/84/index.php https://www.ifs.tas.gov.au/about-us/fishery-management/environment-and-conservation/prohibited-activities VIC Guide and list of noxious aquatic species: http://delwp.vic.gov.au/fishing-and-hunting/fisheries/marine-pests-and-diseases/noxious-aquatic-species-in-victoria QLD Guide / Intro: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/fisheries/pest-fish/noxious-fish Full list of aquatic pests(refer to schedule 1 part 4 through 6): https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/B/BiosecurityA14.pdf WA Guide / Intro: http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Sustainability-and-Environment/Aquatic-Biosecurity/Translocations-Moving-Live-Fish/Pages/Noxious-Banned-Fish.aspx Full list of noxious species and proposed additions list can be found here: http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Sustainability-and-Environment/Aquatic-Biosecurity/Translocations-Moving-Live-Fish/Pages/Noxious-Banned-Fish.aspx News article reporting on an incident of illegal shrimp importation: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/taiwanese-student-jailed-for-illegally-importing-crystal-red-shrimps/news-story/f735730cdafd30cfb23f319bbe29215d?sv=d06fddccb50ab7281cfc7e74da630b8f Euthanisation Key Points / Summary: Not everyone can bring themselves to end the lives of their own animals but regardless; if you deem it necessary to end the life of any tank inhabitants and they are not a highly illegal specimen then please dp ask your local retailer first if they might be willing to try to save them for you. If this is not an option then please see below links. Humane euthanisation of fish: http://kb.rspca.org.au/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanase-aquarium-fish_403.html Humane euthanisation of crustaceans: http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-is-the-most-humane-way-to-kill-crustaceans-for-human-consumption_625.html disease-watch-brochure.pdf
  8. It is important that we as a community are responsible as hobbyists. Recent threats include the white spot virus that has been found in prawns in Queensland and the possibility that the crayfish plague has been introduced to our country via exotic crays from North America that might host this fungus and that have immunity to it. For example entire crayfish populations in Europe have been decimated by this disease because only the North American crays have immunity. It is well known that many in Australia keep and breed exotic shrimps and other creatures and in most cases this is not problematic but there are exceptions and so it is necessary that we have a handy resource on the forum that discusses this topic and provides relevant links. Australia has very strict quarantine laws; although we are allowed to keep and breed a number of different shrimps in Australia the importation of shrimp species not in the "suitable specimens for import" is extremely illegal and if you are caught you will almost certainly be handed a jail sentence. Local fish shops will often freely take any unwanted animals (even sick ones) and there are always plenty of other hobbyists who will jump at the chance to take them as well. Below are some simple rules that are universally applicable - ? Do not release any fish or invertebrate from your aquarium to nature regardless of whether it is native to the area or came from that exact place; this is because they may have acquired a disease or parasite in your aquarium/pond and you could do much more harm than good. ? Do not allow any of your aquarium water or other contents to enter stormwater drains or go anywhere that might find its' way into a body of water e.g. creek or lake etc. The Australian government advice is to dispose of your water down the sink/toilet. ? Do not bring exotic animals into the country unless they are on the approved specimens list (link is below). ? Do not collect wild specimens unless you have checked first that you are allowed to do so. ? Do humanely euthanise your animals if/when necessary. (link is at the end of the article). ? Do enjoy keeping aquariums and treat your animals and our natural environment with the respect they deserve. Below are links to lists of noxious species and guides at a state and national level as well as links to RSPCA instructions for humane euthanisation Instructions for safe disposal of aquarium contents and animals and general guide to aquatic diseases - http://www.agriculture.gov.au/pests-diseases-weeds/aquatic/disease_watch_aquatic_animal_health_awareness/other_aquatic_biosecurity_materials National Guidelines for management of exotic fish trade including list of specimens suitable for import - http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/exotics/exotic-fish-trade A.C.T. ???????? NSW Guide / Intro: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/pests-diseases/freshwater-pests/ornamental-fish Full list of noxious species: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/pests-diseases/noxious-fish-and-marine-vegetation N.T. Guide / Intro: https://nt.gov.au/marine/for-all-harbour-and-boat-users/aquatic-pests-marine-and-freshwater/about-aquatic-pests-and-biosecurity List of aquatic pests: https://nt.gov.au/marine/for-all-harbour-and-boat-users/aquatic-pests-marine-and-freshwater/list-of-aquatic-pests SA Guide / Intro: http://pir.sa.gov.au/biosecurity/aquatics/aquatic_pests Full list of noxious species: http://pir.sa.gov.au/biosecurity/aquatics/aquatic_pests/noxious_fish_list TAS Tasmania has especially strict requirements regarding importation of live animals. The three links below contain lots of relevant information (Thanks to @jayc for finding these) http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/biosecurity-tasmania/biosecurity/importing-animals/animals-that-can-be-imported-with-entry-requirements/freshwater-aquarium-fish http://soer.justice.tas.gov.au/2009/indicator/84/index.php https://www.ifs.tas.gov.au/about-us/fishery-management/environment-and-conservation/prohibited-activities VIC Guide and list of noxious aquatic species: http://delwp.vic.gov.au/fishing-and-hunting/fisheries/marine-pests-and-diseases/noxious-aquatic-species-in-victoria QLD Guide / Intro: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/fisheries/pest-fish/noxious-fish Full list of aquatic pests(refer to schedule 1 part 4 through 6): https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/B/BiosecurityA14.pdf WA Guide / Intro: http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Sustainability-and-Environment/Aquatic-Biosecurity/Translocations-Moving-Live-Fish/Pages/Noxious-Banned-Fish.aspx Full list of noxious species and proposed additions list can be found here: http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Sustainability-and-Environment/Aquatic-Biosecurity/Translocations-Moving-Live-Fish/Pages/Noxious-Banned-Fish.aspx News article reporting on an incident of illegal shrimp importation: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/taiwanese-student-jailed-for-illegally-importing-crystal-red-shrimps/news-story/f735730cdafd30cfb23f319bbe29215d?sv=d06fddccb50ab7281cfc7e74da630b8f Euthanisation Key Points / Summary: Not everyone can bring themselves to end the lives of their own animals but regardless; if you deem it necessary to end the life of any tank inhabitants and they are not a highly illegal specimen then please dp ask your local retailer first if they might be willing to try to save them for you. If this is not an option then please see below links. Humane euthanisation of fish: http://kb.rspca.org.au/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanase-aquarium-fish_403.html Humane euthanisation of crustaceans: http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-is-the-most-humane-way-to-kill-crustaceans-for-human-consumption_625.html disease-watch-brochure.pdf View full article
  9. GotCrabs

    Native Fish/Shrimp Set Up

    Scored myself an Aqua One Horizon 60 on Thursday, nice tank, 69l, 60cm x 32cm x 36cm, I saw it in the LFS and thought I'd grab it before the 'Useless' store owners decided to change the price of it like they do with other products, this is the same store that didn't know what kH, gH were and also charge $40.05 for an Aqua One Maxi 101f which I've seen elsewhere for $15.00 to $20.00 and also $20.00 for the smallest bottle of API Tap Water Conditioner... Paid $70.00 for it which I thought wasn't bad. So it's sitting here looking at me, the other tank I have which is doing a DSM is going well, I'll leave it for probably another month or two, probably two, so I was thinking I'd do this tank to keep me busy in the mean time, give me something to do. I'm going to go down the native tank path, thinking Spotted Blue Eyes, Riffle Shrimp, North Australian Chameleon Shrimp, Darwin Algae Shrimp, Darwin Red Nose Shrimp once the tank is planted and running well, plant wise I'm thinking Glossostigma elatinoides, Hydrocotyle tripartita, Lilaeopsis brisbanica, Vallisneria nana, but not sure what else, want to keep it some what simple, but appealing, not crowded, heavily planted with Glosso though, have a rough image in mind, will also use the left over Seiryu Stone I have, even though yes I know it isn't really native Australian lay out material, but might as well use it though. Thinking I'll use ADA Amazonia like I have in the other tank, also going to grab another Ista 60cm White LED when they come back in stock at The Tech Den, be nice to hear back from them. Thanks to @Baccus for the help with the Spotted Blue Eye and native shrimp questions also.
  10. Hi, does anyone have any information on Australian Zebra Shrimp? I got a free one in a fish order and don't know anything about their care or size or anything! ? It'd an awesome looking shrimp. I have popped her in with my cherry shrimp, hope that's ok?!
  11. fishmosy

    Thiara amarula - Spiny Marsh Snail

    Spiny Marsh Snail The Spiny Marsh Snail is an Australian native that is rarely found in the trade. This is a shame as it has an interesting shell shape and is well suited to aquarium life, providing a few simple conditions are met. The Spiny Marsh Snail was first described by Linneaus in 1758 as Helix amarula, with a subsequent remaining of the genus to Melania in 1822, and finally to Thiara in around 1943. It is found from the east coast of Africa, through Madagascar, north to the Philippines, through the Solomon and other Pacific Islands, and along the north-eastern coast of Australia (See Schutt & Glaubrecht, 1999 for a global distribution map). Given this widespread distribution, it is surprising that its distribution in Australia is limited. It is found from the Bloomfield River (south of Cooktown) to approximately 100km south of Cairns. Thus it is limited to around 6 major tributaries. The Spiny Marsh Snail is found in the lower freshwater sections of rivers, generally just above the tidal range. It is probably tolerant to low levels of salt as it would be exposed to brackish conditions in drought years, and therefore may be suitable for brackish aquaria. This requires further investigation. In its natural habitat, the Spiny Marsh Snail is found amongst rocks and pebbles, but also sandy areas, which is where I found them in the Johnstone River. In aquaria, they regularly bury themselves, especially when exposed to bright light. However in low light, or if the tank is densely planted or shaded, they are happy to move on top of the substrate and even climb the walls. This makes them useful for removing dead spots in substrates, but may mean they could dislodge plants in heavily planted aquaria, but I have not kept them under these conditions – something to watch for. I have noticed they are particularly active at night and may graze algae from the glass during this time. I've seen no indication that it eats plants, and indeed plants are generally absent from its natural habitat, other than Vallisneria or Aponogetons. They happily eat prepared foods (shrimp/fish food) as well as some greens (cucumber/zucchini). However, they seem to spend most of their time grazing. The Spiny Marsh Snail grows to a maximum size of approximately 50mm, perhaps slightly larger. From what I've seen, they are fairly slow growing and long lived. This makes them excellent candidates for aquaria, because unlike other pest snails, it makes it easier to control their numbers. Indeed breeding in aquaria is unlikely because it is thought the Spiny Marsh Snail releases planktonic larvae that move into the brackish/salty areas of rivers before migrating back up the river to settle. However, the true breeding habits of this snail are still unknown and present a challenge for aquarists. Nevertheless, these characteristics make it unlikely that the Spiny Marsh Snail would ever be a pest in aquaria. One condition that seems to be an absolute must for this snail is that pH needs to be 6.5 or above. In acidic conditions (pH < 6.0), the shell dissolves and the snails refuse to come out of their shells. If your snails are not active, check your pH. That said, this doesn't mean that they require lots of dissolved minerals (e.g. calcium carbonate). The TDS of the Johnson River where I found these was only 28 ppm at the time, so Spiny Marsh Snails may be the perfect tankmates for Neocaridina shrimp (cherries) and Australian native shrimp, but less so for Caridina (crystals, bees, etc.). So if you are after a snail that is good looking, hardy, a good algae eater, turns over the substrate, easy to feed, won't bloom into a pest population, is native and presents a breeding challenge, I highly encourage you to track down some Spiny Marsh Snails. Why not try a biotope tank with Vallisneria or Aponogetons and Caridina gracilirostris? Some additional material worth reading. Field trip to Johnson River, Queensland Australia with habitat description and pictures. http://www.naturkund...brecht_1999.pdf Atlas of Living Australia – shows the collection points of Thiara amarula in Australia. http://bie.ala.org.a...e-f394430ec676#
  12. Thiara amarula Spiny Marsh Snail The Spiny Marsh Snail is an Australian native that is rarely found in the trade. This is a shame as it has an interesting shell shape and is well suited to aquarium life, providing a few simple conditions are met. The Spiny Marsh Snail was first described by Linneaus in 1758 as Helix amarula, with a subsequent remaining of the genus to Melania in 1822, and finally to Thiara in around 1943. It is found from the east coast of Africa, through Madagascar, north to the Philippines, through the Solomon and other Pacific Islands, and along the north-eastern coast of Australia (See Schutt & Glaubrecht, 1999 for a global distribution map). Given this widespread distribution, it is surprising that its distribution in Australia is limited. It is found from the Bloomfield River (south of Cooktown) to approximately 100km south of Cairns. Thus it is limited to around 6 major tributaries. The Spiny Marsh Snail is found in the lower freshwater sections of rivers, generally just above the tidal range. It is probably tolerant to low levels of salt as it would be exposed to brackish conditions in drought years, and therefore may be suitable for brackish aquaria. This requires further investigation. In its natural habitat, the Spiny Marsh Snail is found amongst rocks and pebbles, but also sandy areas, which is where I found them in the Johnstone River. In aquaria, they regularly bury themselves, especially when exposed to bright light. However in low light, or if the tank is densely planted or shaded, they are happy to move on top of the substrate and even climb the walls. This makes them useful for removing dead spots in substrates, but may mean they could dislodge plants in heavily planted aquaria, but I have not kept them under these conditions – something to watch for. I have noticed they are particularly active at night and may graze algae from the glass during this time. I've seen no indication that it eats plants, and indeed plants are generally absent from its natural habitat, other than Vallisneria or Aponogetons. They happily eat prepared foods (shrimp/fish food) as well as some greens (cucumber/zucchini). However, they seem to spend most of their time grazing. The Spiny Marsh Snail grows to a maximum size of approximately 50mm, perhaps slightly larger. From what I've seen, they are fairly slow growing and long lived. This makes them excellent candidates for aquaria, because unlike other pest snails, it makes it easier to control their numbers. Indeed breeding in aquaria is unlikely because it is thought the Spiny Marsh Snail releases planktonic larvae that move into the brackish/salty areas of rivers before migrating back up the river to settle. However, the true breeding habits of this snail are still unknown and present a challenge for aquarists. Nevertheless, these characteristics make it unlikely that the Spiny Marsh Snail would ever be a pest in aquaria. One condition that seems to be an absolute must for this snail is that pH needs to be 6.5 or above. In acidic conditions (pH < 6.0), the shell dissolves and the snails refuse to come out of their shells. If your snails are not active, check your pH. That said, this doesn't mean that they require lots of dissolved minerals (e.g. calcium carbonate). The TDS of the Johnson River where I found these was only 28 ppm at the time, so Spiny Marsh Snails may be the perfect tankmates for Neocaridina shrimp (cherries) and Australian native shrimp, but less so for Caridina (crystals, bees, etc.). So if you are after a snail that is good looking, hardy, a good algae eater, turns over the substrate, easy to feed, won't bloom into a pest population, is native and presents a breeding challenge, I highly encourage you to track down some Spiny Marsh Snails. Why not try a biotope tank with Vallisneria or Aponogetons and Caridina gracilirostris? Some additional material worth reading. Field trip to Johnson River, Queensland Australia with habitat description and pictures. http://www.naturkund...brecht_1999.pdf Atlas of Living Australia – shows the collection points of Thiara amarula in Australia. http://bie.ala.org.a...e-f394430ec676# View full article
  13. Well the tank I call my "Native Tank" is now I think officially full. The little spotted blue eyes have been doing their thing and I recently just spied another 2 newborn fry and a slightly older one. I am hoping to eventually end up with a really decent sized self maintaining school of them. Sharing the tank are Blackmore River Shrimp which seem to go through phases of heaps and lots of babies down to a few, back up to a population explosion as it warms up again. The tank is heated of course other wise they would freeze in winter, but they still seem to decline or slow in breeding during winter. Then there are the Northern Australian Chameleon Shrimp also in the tank, I don't often get to see them but when I do they are always a pleasure. The tank is now also home to a group of Darwin Algae Shrimp, and most recently some Darwin Red Nose Shrimp. In all honesty I think instead of simply calling this tank my native tank I need to call it my NT tank. But then there is the snails that are sharing the tank with all the NT beauties. Slowly but steadily I have increased the notopala snails up to now 8 which has taken many hours of regular searching in a local stretch of river watching all the time for crocs. With the notopala snails I have also found some other gems, namely a HUGE type of long black snail along the lines of MTS, but these black ones are a LOT bigger and have pretty yellow spots on their bodies. The other snail of interest is a smaller snail again similar in shape to MTS and roughly around the same size but it has very defined blunt spikes on its rather chunky shell. Some of the spotted blue eyes The huge black snail The chunky little spiky snail And my Notopala species
  14. Hi guys, Can you please ID the first two photos - are they native (chameleon) shrimps? Or they are just cherry? I just notice they are a bit bigger than usual, with different eyes and visible strips on their spine area. What are distinguish features of native shrimp say chameleon and darwin algae? When I compared eggs shown in the Aquagreen website, they are black colour - is native shrimps have black colour eggs? Mine (ones I suspect native shrimps) have milky/white colour colour egg. http://postimg.org/image/plzg6iup5/ http://postimg.org/image/yh20nx8t5/ Lastly, I want to showcase the carbon rili I recently bought from Gbang through auction last week - they just arrived and they look fantastic. Nice colour though. http://postimg.org/image/mcw0f0lp9/
  15. Hi everyone, I'd love to get some Caridina sp WA 4 - North Australian Chameleon shrimp for my aquarium but I'm having trouble finding people who sell them in WA. I have spoken to fisheries and they are happy for people to keep them as they are WA natives. Does anyone have any ideas where I might be able to get some? Cheers
  16. As alluded to here: Bob and I found a few varieties of fern that may be suitable for use in aquaria. Here is the one we found in Little Mulgrave. In addition to the one pictured above, I have another two which are similar to java fern. This is the first of the two: The rhizome on this one is really thick, about as thick as my thumb. The centre leaf has grown since the plant has been underwater. So far growth has been really slow. Bob gave me this one to look after as it was sitting in one of his tanks. I don't know where he got it or what habitat it came from, so hopefully Bob will enlighten us. This one is currently in my Sunkist tank with typical cherry water parameters - TDS 200, ect ect. can't resist showing off my sunkists. thanks again @‌Bluebolts
  17. kizshrimp

    Caridina zebra pics

    I was one of the lucky people who set up a tank for our amazing native zebra shrimp recently, thanks to our forum hero Northboy who made some available. These are an amazing little shrimp that look very different to a CBS, despite the conflicting perception often voiced by those who haven't seen one yet. They have a reputation for being very difficult to keep going in captivity. Like anyone, I spent a great deal of time reading about the habitat and water parameters, previous experiences of those who have kept them and so on. Unfortunately there's little to read and no long-term success stories. You just have to hope for the best really. The tank was running for some time before I added the shrimp so had a healthy biofilm going and plenty of brown diatoms. I added some leaves from an outdoor container which had collected rainwater and autumn leaves over the last few months. I added a mixture of rainwater and tapwater which is pretty normal for me, both are processed through a carbon filter before reaching my tanks anyway. The tank has a thin layer, perhaps 3mm of fine white silica sand as a substrate and decaying leaves as the only real structure. I have one inert river rock in the tank, positioned to break the return from a HOB filter. Probably my least favorite style of filter yet I'm running 2 on this tank plus an air stone. The temperature is 22 +/- 1 degree C, pH essentially neutral, GH an KH undetectable, EC around 60uS (about 30ppm TDS). I have never felt any need to use RO water for any shrimp I keep, including Taiwan/Shadow Bees. However for these shrimp, it is just impossible to keep the TDS that low. I've already grabbed 20L of RO from a mate (thanks shrimply!) because the EC had gotten to around mid 70s (uS) and I felt that the shrimp were less happy then. I'll be buying an RO unit, the ability to remineralise with correct salts from virtually 0 will be a real advantage with these - as Fishmosy is already doing with his. The zebras are constantly picking away at the biofilm layer but do not seem to take any offered food. This is in contrast to what others have reported - snowflake, Boss Shrimp Crack, Mulberry leaves and Dandelion leaves have all been completely ignored in my tank. I can't explain this as yet - do they prefer biofilm and only accept other food when it's in short supply? Perhaps snails are taking the food in other tanks and actually nobody's zebras take prepared foods? There's surely other alternative explanations that haven't occurred to me yet. One thing is certain, mine are doing ok with just biofilm - the female in the pic above is clearly developing a saddle. In the shot of 2 shrimp above you can clearly see a hydra too, so it seems like they're doing ok without added food too. BTW I have been removing the leaves just before they really start to disintegrate to help keep the water clean. When the shrimp were sent down there was a couple of berried females as well as some small shrimp. These are growing well but the nice surprise was to find a new one the other day. I would say it's about a week or so old, definitely from one of the berried females and born in my tank: I don't know if there's more that made it - I saw this shrimp one day for about an hour and then it was gone. I perform a daily head count on the tank and while they're mostly out and I count to within 10% of the known population, there's plenty of places to hide in the leaves. They're also quite well camouflaged even on a plain white sand.
  18. kizshrimp

    Caridina sp. Malanda

    Recently I was lucky to get some specimens of an undescribed species of Australian native Caridina from "Northboy" Bob. Thanks Bob for the opportunity. I don't think many people are keeping these at this point but I hope that will change as they settle into captivity over the hopeful coming generations. Anyone with these shrimp is most welcome to post their pics or experiences here if they wish. This Malanda species is quite a heavily pigmented shrimp with a tendency for some individuals to have orange-red colours and others blue-greens. It seems that large females are at the blue end but I have a smaller, saddled individual that is currently orange so the difference seems not to be strictly sexual. Bob sent down a couple of berried females and from these I have juvies in the tank. The're all quite orange. Sorry for the poor quality, it's a tight crop and the best I could get at the time. Here's a couple more where you can see a bit of the bluish colour on the females. A hint of the pale bands on the abdominal segments are also visible in these and the first shot. It's quite a lovely species of shrimp with some nice potential to colour up much more.
  19. kizshrimp

    My new Riffles

    Years ago we had some riffle shrimp in a display tank at a shop I worked at - this was long before crystal reds or cherry shrimp had hit the scene. We used locally collected Paratya as algae grazers and Takashi Amano was using Caridina the same way. The riffles were amazing shrimp back then, something different to the glass clear Paratya we could collect. So much has changed since then, there was no "shrimp hobby" yet and no beautiful coloured shrimp to keep. I just got some Riffle Shrimp down from Fishmosy and they are just as beautiful and amazing as ever. All the competition from exotics has not diluted their charm one bit. Thanks for the lovely shrimp mate... They were a bit timid at first and especially shy when the lights were on. Now I've placed some driftwood right in the high current zone and they're very happy to sit there all day, every day - doing the "jazz hands" as they eat. There's some great photos of this species here on SKF and I'm afraid mine cannot compete. However if I can clean the glass sufficiently to get some better shots I will post them.
  20. Naraic

    Caridina serratirostris

    Commonly known as the 'Ninja Shrimp', Caridina serratirostris has recently been reclassified as two independent but related shrimp by Dr Tim Page of Griffith University. “The final factor in the separation of the Ninja shrimp from serratirostris is based on the length of the stylocerite according to De Man’s works. This element varies depending on the populations of Caridina serratirostris and of Caridina celebensis, the distinction between the two species was questioned more than once.†Preferred conditions: Mean conditions from two collection sites (Northern Territory, Aus): pH ranges from 6.5 to 8 depending on rainfall and time of year. GH: 6 to 25 KH: Not detectable at either collection site. Temperature: 24 to 27°C, some areas get as warm as 29°C. Size: 1.8 - 2.4cm Males tend to be smaller like most Caridina species. Description: As the name suggests these guys are characterised by the Caridina typical body shape but with a “serra†serrati or rough/serrated “rostris†rostrum. “19 to 26 spikes from which a long segment that comprises 6 to 8 spikes behind the orbitsâ€. The colouration of the carapace is extremely variable and can range from red/orange through to red, brown and black in some specimens with areas of white or cream colouration on darker coloured specimens. Activity: Best in larger groups. They prefer a lower lit hardscape aquarium, or well shaded by plants, as this emulates their natural habitat more closely than a well lit manicured one. They generally seek hides or at least nooks during times of higher light. They are best observed under wide leafed or well grouped plants. Caridina serratirostris can be found in areas of higher water flow rates and their stocky build and short periopods and antennae are testament to this feature. Life span: Around 18 months. Similar to most other freshwater crustaceans of this size. Feeding: Omnivorous and opportunistic, with a strong vegetarian aspect. Dimorphism: The females are generally larger than the males showing better colouration. Holes in the inside of the third pair of pleopods can be noted with some serious inspection. This species uses an indirect type of reproduction that comprises larval stages in salt/brackish water, however successful reproduction entirely in freshwater regularly occurs.
  21. Commonly known as the 'Ninja Shrimp', Caridina serratirostris has recently been reclassified as two independent but related shrimp by Dr Tim Page of Griffith University. “The final factor in the separation of the Ninja shrimp from serratirostris is based on the length of the stylocerite according to De Man’s works. This element varies depending on the populations of Caridina serratirostris and of Caridina celebensis, the distinction between the two species was questioned more than once.†Preferred conditions: Mean conditions from two collection sites (Northern Territory, Aus): pH ranges from 6.5 to 8 depending on rainfall and time of year. GH: 6 to 25 KH: Not detectable at either collection site. Temperature: 24 to 27°C, some areas get as warm as 29°C. Size: 1.8 - 2.4cm Males tend to be smaller like most Caridina species. Description: As the name suggests these guys are characterised by the Caridina typical body shape but with a “serra†serrati or rough/serrated “rostris†rostrum. “19 to 26 spikes from which a long segment that comprises 6 to 8 spikes behind the orbitsâ€. The colouration of the carapace is extremely variable and can range from red/orange through to red, brown and black in some specimens with areas of white or cream colouration on darker coloured specimens. Activity: Best in larger groups. They prefer a lower lit hardscape aquarium, or well shaded by plants, as this emulates their natural habitat more closely than a well lit manicured one. They generally seek hides or at least nooks during times of higher light. They are best observed under wide leafed or well grouped plants. Caridina serratirostris can be found in areas of higher water flow rates and their stocky build and short periopods and antennae are testament to this feature. Life span: Around 18 months. Similar to most other freshwater crustaceans of this size. Feeding: Omnivorous and opportunistic, with a strong vegetarian aspect. Dimorphism: The females are generally larger than the males showing better colouration. Holes in the inside of the third pair of pleopods can be noted with some serious inspection. This species uses an indirect type of reproduction that comprises larval stages in salt/brackish water, however successful reproduction entirely in freshwater regularly occurs. Click here to view the article
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