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I'm baacckkkk!

Wow, your friend is pretty lucky! Sadly none of my local stores (there are quite a few) sell live food, but I have found some mosquito larvae in a pot in the backyard! It must have collected water the last time it rained, so I think I’m going to tip some of that water into my bucket with the larvae. Otherwise it could just stay there I guess, and I could use the bucket for water changes again. Now I just need a small shrimp net to catch them.

Ahhhh, I’m following. To be fair, winter here has only had ,”Winter like” wrath for a few day’s. Been around 60-79 degrees F. I’ve also tried a new food, it’s called Rephashy Super Green. The shrimp love it, and you can make homemade shrimp lolli sticks by using bbq skewers!

They stop breeding in winter here, though that was compounded by the fact they probably only reached maturity just as winter started, D'OH! I now have to play the annoying waiting game, and probably won't get baby shrimp until April! I just hope I can keep these adults alive until then, otherwise a shopping spree may be in order - desperately holding off from doing that too early................ I am really pleased yours is working so well now though! Simon

Still pretty tiny. I can see patterns, barely, but even that is hard to see. No colors yet. Really? I wonder why your shrimp aren’t breeding?

Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!

You don't want to breed mozzies, so harvest regularly. Add some leaf litter into your bucket and eventually bloodworms can be found too.

Great t have an update and you have a lot going on there, good luck with it and hopefully you will get baby guppies in a few days. I can't offer any advise unfortunately (no experience with that) but hopefully someone else can, but I look forward to seeing the photos you took. Simon

Realised I haven't updated too recently on this tank and felt the need, and also am looking for some advice. So the tank has increased in stocking - I now have 4 new endlers (2 half guppy mutt males and a pair of japan blue that I plan to line-breed) as well as a pair that I'm holding for someone else, 2 new mature BNs (one male albino who has successfully reproduced for someone else and a common longfin who I cannot sex yet), and a beautiful pair of Pseudomugil Luminatus, who will hopefully be moving to another tank in the near future. My two female endlers are heavily pregnant, and are being housed in a breeding box together (I only have one so they're getting a bit grumpy) until they pop. Suspecting/hoping to see fry within the week! The addition of the 2 large BN seems to have reduced the aggression of my male apisto, which is fantastic! He's been checking the longfin out constantly, going "No fair! I was the largest!", but he has been much more passive. He is still one my favourite fish I've owned, with such fascinating behaviour and intelligence. I plan to breed the BNs all together, to get some albino longfins and calico longfins. I really hope to find some super reds and make a longfin variety of that, because that would be fantastic! PM me if you know a source in Aus. In terms of the Pseudomugil Luminatus, I was checking out a local store the other day who are closing in Feb, and stumbled upon these guys. The store actually had 3 pseudo species - Gertrudae (Spotted blue-eye), Furcatus (forktail), and the Luminatus, Neon Red Blue-Eye - and I knew I had to get one of them. I settled for the luminatus because they were looking the best, and they're smaller than the furcatus. I've researched them previously so I knew what I was getting into, I just didn't expect to find a local shop that sold them! Speaking of which, the place is called Subscape Aquarium in Abbotsford, and it's worth a visit before you shut if you're in the area. Anyway, I'm hoping to breed the luminatus in my 5 gal, or even keep them in there if I can, as I got a single pair and they only live for 1-2 years. Now I know they're meant to be kept in shoals or schools, but they were selling for $32 a pair, and I just don't have the budget for more than 2 pairs (but I may get another pair if mine are doing well, and if I could fit all 4 in my 5 gal). The fish are doing very well, and colouring up beautifully. I took some nice photos of them with my canon earlier today, so will share as soon as I can. If anyone has experience keeping or breeding these I would appreciate any advice at all that you can give me. @Baccus I know you've kept gertrudae in the past, have you tried these? Or have any breeding advice that might translate? As mentioned previously I did a photoshoot of the tank and some specimens today, so will post pics and maybe put some up in the gallery. As always help and advice is highly appreciated. ?

Well, got all the levels back in check, thanks for the help. Now to the update. Baby. Shrimp. Everywhere. I counted 25 last night, hardly bigger than a pencil lead, all over the place. Looks like multiple females may have dropped at the same time!

I feed my betta with daphnia that originates from a lake we have at the house (so private property, non flowing). So that I don't have to keep going to the lake I keep some in a small container - I don't need many for 1 fish anyway and it is fairly easy to keep, though I can't keep it alive indoors in the summer, but then it is plentiful in the lake(s) anyway here? I doubt daphnia or similar do well with moving water (like a river) though! It would be worth trying with a fine net to see if there are any there though! Don't use tap water though, use water from an existing tank or collect rain water, river water etc. You may be lucky enough in Australia that you can culture in a bucket outside all year round though your problem is more likely too be heat than cold, daphnia don't like it too warm! Algae should be easy enough to produce in a bucket in a shaded area I would think and you could keep the daphnia in the same bucket, probably all year if it doesn't get too cold enough to where water may freeze? I feed my daphnia a mix of spirulina (algae) and yeast! Here is an old general video on daphnia, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbfc30nw1PQ and a video on keeping daphnia, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4h6kx5GlSk I don't know whether it is legal in Australia if taking from a river/pond on public land but if you aren't too greedy and taking some for setting up your own breeding culture I doubt there could be many people that would mind that? But you need to find out first if there is any in there anyway? You will need a very fine net though! Simon

Have a great time @jayc!

Thanks guys. If only I could bring back shrimp.