Has anyone kept Giant water bugs?

[Mr. Mordax]

That would work well after I leave my studio -- the only room I have for them now is in a tub on top of a vertical terrarium.

 

[dtknow]

Yeah. I have java moss and several other kinds of plants that would probably work.

Keep us updated.

 

[Stylopidae]

Elodea usually works pretty well

 

[dtknow]

Depends. Lots of pet store elodea has been through some pretty tough shipping and ends up falling apart after a few weeks if it even grows at all. I could never get it to survive until a ponder gave me a bucketful of it from her pond. This stuff survives, filled my pond, and works well in tanks.

 

[Wade]

I use pothos vine extensively in my tanks. Although it's normally thought of as a terrestrial plant, it grows quite well in shallow water without soil. The roots provide ample perching opportunities, and the emergent leaves insure that the bugs always have access to the surface.

Plants in general help maintain water quality, especially those that thrive in an ammonia-rich environment.

Wade

 

[Mr. Mordax]

Hmm . . . I have a pothos in my apartment I've dubbed the Dreaded Attack Plant. I never thought of using its demon-spawn for aquarium plants.

 

[Stylopidae]

Plants in general help maintain water quality, especially those that thrive in an ammonia-rich environment.

Wade

What plants thrive in an ammonia rich environment?

Do the plants that happen to be able to survive in the ammonia rich environment do anything to break down the ammonia?

 

[dtknow]

Yep, plants take in ammonia and also nitrates which explains the health of planted aquariums.

 

[Stylopidae]

OK...I'm now feeling a bit better about trying this out for myself.

One last question...what can I use to maintain water clarity?

 

[funnylori]

Tetra makes a water clarifying fluid that you add with each water change, along with the dechlorinators. I find that it keeps the water fairly clear considering the mess my 4 tetras make in my 10 gal aquarium. But, I do suggest siphoning out excrement that collects at the bottom of the tank once a week, just to keep the smell down. So far this seems to work with my fish, I am not sure how the chemical will affect the water bugs. I will test this on a small portion of the population once Mike's nymphs hatch.
To tell you the truth, I dont think it will harm the bugs, it is safe for fish and aquarium plants, and tetra is known for making good quality stuff. I checked out their web site and they have a few new chemicals for the aquarium that seem very promising, including an ammonia detox addititive. I have used their black water extract, and flora pride which works well to keep plants healthy so I am not worried.

 

[dtknow]

The water clarifiers will work, but if you need them their is something else wrong with your water(especially an aquarium). They work by coagulating small particles until they turn into bigger globs and thus sink. Not exactly good for fish as this stuff can then get caught in their gills(hear tell), but I doubt water bugs would mind. Honestly, save your money and simply change out dirty water.

 

[Mr. Mordax]

In mine the water is still enough that it doesn't cloud . . . I just siphon off the debris at the bottom every week or so. But I don't have mine in an aquarium per se. They're just in the plastic tub that the grad student gave them to me in with some perching rocks.

 

[funnylori]

There usually is something wrong with an aquarium when you have to pack it all up and move it 100 miles every 3 months...

As for the water bugs, their habitat is constantly drying up all summer long and by the end of it they are left in unmoving tiny little pools of water where many lifeforms end up clustered together. The amount of waste in one of those pools is likely to be huge, so I don't think the bugs will mind at all. The bugs are equiped with air tubes, and can even capture a bubble of air to supply them on longer dives. Cleaning the tubs and using water clarifiers is purely for asthetic reasons (so your appartment doesn't smell like a farm).

 

[Wade]

I use filters in the tanks for my adult bugs, small submersables (duetto is the brand name). I collect the bugs often from streams, so they do not mind the movement. I've also used undergravel filters in the past which work well, but now I like to keep the tank bottoms bare so it's easier to siphon out the trash when I do a change. With the filtered tanks, I do water changes every few weeks. In the individual cups where I rear the nymphs, I change the water completely at least once a week, but more often if I can get to it.

Java moss and Java fern both thrive in an ammonia rich enviroment and help break it down. They also do well in low light conditions.

Wade

 

[dtknow]

Wade: For nymphs, have you ever considered creating an overflow system? Maybe a larger sweater box with a pump in it and then little cups made of window screen(or whatever design you can think of that allows water through) put in the box? Water changes would be easy and take only a few seconds for dozens of nymphs. I'm sure their is some problem I am overlooking though.

 

[Wade]

Actually, I have considered that very idea! The problem is trying to figure out a way to effectively house a whole batch of offspring. I think it might improve the survival rate of nymphs. Worth trying!

Wade

 

[dtknow]

I'd imagine if you used one of the $6 wallyworld or wherever big sweater boxes or sterilite containers you could fit a few dozen cups at least...depending on the size of the cups. And you could allow any excess nymphs to wander around outside also.

 

[Mr. Mordax]

They started hatching last night, but several had already cannibalized their siblings by the time I got home. As of this morning, I had seven separated (but only two were the cool stripe morph ). More updates to follow.

 

[Mr. Mordax]

I have around nine nymphs out now. Here's a few pictures of what's been going on.

Here's an adult with eggs. You can see the eyes of the embryos that are almost ready to hatch.

This is the stripe morph that already had a bunch hatch (and die ). It looks like there's another one trying to get out.

Here's one nymph in the process of hatching. It finally made it out 45 minutes or so after I took these pictures.

You can see the eyes of other embryos really well in that last one.

This last one is another nymph that had already hatched but before I separated it. It seems like sort of a "mommy and me" picture.

It's exoskeleton darkened over the next hour or so, but wasn't completely dark when I last looked.

 

[dtknow]

Cute! Good luck with the rest!