I watched one of my BLHC switch shells this evening and when it did I noticed what appeared to be a bunch of eggs hanging on the soft part that sticks into the shell. The eggs(?) were olive green, round, and they encircled it fully. Anyone know if it was eggs? I'm not planning on doing anything for the eggs or with the crab since the fish in the tank would more than likely eat all the larva just like they did when the peppermint shrimp eggs hatched. I'm just curious if anyone else had any previous experience?
Blue Leg Hermit Crabs...
- Thread starter Stephen
- Start date
i've been reading a lot of articles and books on breeding fish, and I would assume that I would have come across atleast something about breeding inverts in that time, but I've really seen next to nothing about it.
I am interested in hearing what happens though. Keep me posted.
I am interested in hearing what happens though. Keep me posted.
Most crustaceans go through a planktonic stage at the beginning, and I don't think hermits are different. Other anomurans, like porcelain crabs, certainly do. I can look it up when I get home. Anyway, what this means is that the likelihood of any larvae surviving is about nil, because they will be chewed up by your pumps and eaten by your other livestock.
A lot of people (myself included) have lysmata shrimp, like peppermints and cleaners, breeding in the tank all the time. It adds a little high-quality zooplankton to the tank.
If you want to rear them, you might try to do it like the shrimp breeders do. One resource is a cute little book called "How to Raise and Train Your Peppermint Shrimp ." It's a little amateurish, but an easy read and outlines the basics.
There are also posts about rearing crustaceans on the Breeders Registry, but the site seems to have had a stroke. It opens, but very poorly. If it starts working better, try a search on lysmata.
Ruppert and Barnes' Invertebrate Zoology is an excellent reference for general crustacean biology, has a bit to say about hermits, and covers crustacean reproduction quite well. It's expensive, but most libraries will have a copy.
Edit:
Just did a little hunting around, and found a site that says that hermits indeed have a planktonic stage.
A lot of people (myself included) have lysmata shrimp, like peppermints and cleaners, breeding in the tank all the time. It adds a little high-quality zooplankton to the tank.
If you want to rear them, you might try to do it like the shrimp breeders do. One resource is a cute little book called "How to Raise and Train Your Peppermint Shrimp ." It's a little amateurish, but an easy read and outlines the basics.
There are also posts about rearing crustaceans on the Breeders Registry, but the site seems to have had a stroke. It opens, but very poorly. If it starts working better, try a search on lysmata.
Ruppert and Barnes' Invertebrate Zoology is an excellent reference for general crustacean biology, has a bit to say about hermits, and covers crustacean reproduction quite well. It's expensive, but most libraries will have a copy.
Edit:
Just did a little hunting around, and found a site that says that hermits indeed have a planktonic stage.
Last edited:
Thanks Guy and Mog. I'm going to get those books. Any others you recommend? I think I'd like to try and breed something, besides freshwater species. All of my tanks are slowly getting turned into marine except the 90, and recently I got some used tanks with various lighting. I've really became bored with freshwater at the moment. I have plenty of room and hopefully one day I'll get my "fishroom" filled instead of having tanks in various parts of the house. I've read a little bit on breeding and raising peppermint shrimp and know it will probably be less expensive to just buy the things. I'd like to try my hand at them though, and maybe if I have any sucess after reading the book and getting things set up I'll try the hermit crabs and move on to fish or some other marine creature just for personal stasifaction.
Based on reading, not personal experience, I get the impression that clownfish are easier to raise than shrimp. It can take months for shrimp to settle.
I really will have to try rearing some of the eggs the guys keep laying. Unfortunately, my wife won't let me quit my day job.
If you are looking for other books about rearing marine species, I think Frank Hoff's "Conditioning, Spawning and Rearing of Fish With Emphasis on Marine Clownfish" is quite good. There's a ton of information in there, which is applicable to rearing a lot of species.
I really will have to try rearing some of the eggs the guys keep laying. Unfortunately, my wife won't let me quit my day job.
If you are looking for other books about rearing marine species, I think Frank Hoff's "Conditioning, Spawning and Rearing of Fish With Emphasis on Marine Clownfish" is quite good. There's a ton of information in there, which is applicable to rearing a lot of species.
Clownfishes by Joyce Wilkerson is really good for breeding Clowns. I've learned a lot from it.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=sr_8_1/102-6439309-2395315?v=glance&n=507846
Breeding the Orchid Dottyback, Pseudochromis Fridmani: An Aquarist's Journal by Martin Moe is supposed to be the best for Orchid Dottybacks.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_9/102-6439309-2395315?v=glance&s=books
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=sr_8_1/102-6439309-2395315?v=glance&n=507846
Breeding the Orchid Dottyback, Pseudochromis Fridmani: An Aquarist's Journal by Martin Moe is supposed to be the best for Orchid Dottybacks.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_9/102-6439309-2395315?v=glance&s=books
