I wish I had some concrete answers for you we just don't have other successes to draw from.
The two animals that survived were in separate primary tanks (60+ gallons). ONLY one animal per tank survived and I believe that will be the case in all instances trying to raise this species. Several grew to be 5 weeks or older (five I think). Both that survived spent time in the filter sock (concentraed runnoff of pods and Cyclop-eeze with fast running water).
Here is my note on what I initially fed all hatchlings (brine shrimp are not satisfactory food and were used to encourage eating -- stopped using early on. If used at all, use very little and only new hatched). Paul (Sachs) also has a small critters (amphipods, copepods, rotifers and mysid -- mysid will not survive purchased in advance but you might throw one batch in ASAP after hatching) you can order to help with something close to a plankton tow for the first couple of weeks. My mercs were raised on hand fed frozen Cyclop-eeze (not currently available) and shore shrimp. The mercs (one tank raised, the other tank bred and raised) lived together but I am quite sure the briareus cannot. A couple of times we have discussed that cannibalism may have allowed one to survive by providing nutrition and right sized food but I never actually saw them feeding on each other. I hand fed each animal I could find nightly, initially squirting Cyclop-eeze with a pipette and later with small shore shrimp impaled.
None of the hatchlings in the smaller environments survived but they did provide observation not available with the larger tanks. They seemed to be negatively impacted most during water changes. I would try a environments (two to 5 gallons, not the tiny v-shaped tanks) again but only use the water from the larger tanks for water changes. I also want to try placing a few in filter socks that receive drainage from the main tank and leaving them there for a month.
The two animals that survived were in separate primary tanks (60+ gallons). ONLY one animal per tank survived and I believe that will be the case in all instances trying to raise this species. Several grew to be 5 weeks or older (five I think). Both that survived spent time in the filter sock (concentraed runnoff of pods and Cyclop-eeze with fast running water).
Here is my note on what I initially fed all hatchlings (brine shrimp are not satisfactory food and were used to encourage eating -- stopped using early on. If used at all, use very little and only new hatched). Paul (Sachs) also has a small critters (amphipods, copepods, rotifers and mysid -- mysid will not survive purchased in advance but you might throw one batch in ASAP after hatching) you can order to help with something close to a plankton tow for the first couple of weeks. My mercs were raised on hand fed frozen Cyclop-eeze (not currently available) and shore shrimp. The mercs (one tank raised, the other tank bred and raised) lived together but I am quite sure the briareus cannot. A couple of times we have discussed that cannibalism may have allowed one to survive by providing nutrition and right sized food but I never actually saw them feeding on each other. I hand fed each animal I could find nightly, initially squirting Cyclop-eeze with a pipette and later with small shore shrimp impaled.
None of the hatchlings in the smaller environments survived but they did provide observation not available with the larger tanks. They seemed to be negatively impacted most during water changes. I would try a environments (two to 5 gallons, not the tiny v-shaped tanks) again but only use the water from the larger tanks for water changes. I also want to try placing a few in filter socks that receive drainage from the main tank and leaving them there for a month.
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