Mysis Culture

[sillycupid]

I was wondering if any experienced mysis breeders could post their setups and husbandry techniques on this thread. I am ordering 100 for my refugium soon and am going to see if I can breed them solely on live brine shrimp since I do not have access to a steady supply of phytoplankton. Any hints or tips would be lovely

[tam]

Why not start a phyto culture as well? Phyto seems like a lot less work than hatching brine ship every day. http://www.melevsreef.com/phytoplankton.html

[altolamprologus]

I attempted to culture mysis once. Let me tell you, it's a real pain. Mysid shrimp are cannibalistic and the adults will eat all babies they can catch. They will also eat other adults if the density rises above a few mysids per gallon. I read a great write up on mysid culture explaining a setup that helps separate adults from babies. You might be able to find that if you google search long enough.

[sillycupid]

I have to hatch brine shrimp throughout the week for my dwarf seahorse. Yes, only one, tragic story. I have considered growing phytoplankton, but can not think of anything to use it for (me=newb). Since finals are done and I have a month before the summer session starts I think I will try this by purchasing the MICRO ALGAE GROW™ and either MICRO ALGAE DISKS™ (Isocrysis) or Nanno One Phytoplankton by H2O Life since I can pick this up at my local fish store.

 

After google searching "mysis culture" I confirmed that I could maintain a mysis population by hatching brine shrimp. My current set up consists of a ten gallon refugium and a 2 gallon display tank. Both are level with each other so I have a siphon going between them. The pump is in the 2 gallon so water is pushed into the display from the refugium. My plan is to place a mesh over the tubing connecting the two tanks so that only baby mysis can reach the display tank to be devoured by my dwarf seahorse.

 

Currently, the pump is creating too strong of a current for the 2 gallon. At the rate it is going, it would suck out a days supply of brine shrimp in a mater of seconds. Tomorrow I am going to Home Depot to buy a tee and ball valve in order to deflect some of the water being pumped out back into the display tank. Follow this link and CTRL+F "avoid too much flow" for a better explanation.

 

Right now I am seriously considering taking my canister filter off my system. Brine shrimp are not good swimmers, and are notorious for being sucked into filters and dieing causing pollution. If the canister filter remains on my refugium, the brine shrimp will be sucked out of the water column and the mysis will turn cannibalistic.

 

If I take my canister filter off I intend to fill the tank to the brim with dry rock. I will replace the loss of flow by adding multiple air lines at the bottom of the tank. If I were to only use live rock and sand for filtration growing phytoplankton would be reasonable as the live brine shrimp would be able to continuously eat this in the water column and maintain nutritional value after enrichment.

 

Edit: Btw, thank you for responding so promptly and sorry for keeping you waiting for a reply. I did not expect such a quick response.

[jeff@zina.com]

The problem with mysis isn't breeding/raising them, it's the constant sorting you need to do to keep the production up. Takes a number of tanks and some work. Take a look at:

 

http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/m...Culturing.shtml

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/9/breeder

 

I saw a technique described with a 20L tank split down the middle with window screening. Overflow on one end, return on the other, hatchlings were carried through the screen, away from the cannibalistic adults, by the current. Not perfect, but simple.

 

Or just buy them.

 

Jeff