Questions regarding raising Gammarus sp, aka Scuds

[Colin_BC]

When I picked up some triple red cacatuoides from a breeder a few weeks back, he gave me a starter culture of scuds (aka gammarus sp.) to raise as conditioning food for the cac's. Has anyone here had experience at keeping/breeding scuds? From what I've read, they can be kept at low or tropical temperatures and feed primarily on decaying plant matter. I've read some reports saying to keep their water airated, while others that said airation wasn't necesary. The tanks the breeder kept the scuds in had dark green algae-filled water. I didn't think to ask if they were airated or how often he changed the water (if ever)? If anyone can share a bit of knowledge on these, I would greatly appreciate it.

Colin

 

[Colin_BC]

Anyone?

 

[Discomafia]

Can you tell us a bit about your setup for raising them? I've never heard of people breeding them, but I guess I'm just not very informed. I buy Wardley's brand of gammarus, and my newt seems to like them. No info if they'd need airated water or not though, sorry can't be of more help.

 

[Colin_BC]

Most places I've read have said to keep it aerated. The guy who gave me mine gave me about 20 or so. He said he's always had best results in small containers of water green with algae. He said he tried to do a barrel outside once, but had better results in large jars inside. I emailed him the other day and asked about water changes. He said they probably could stand to have water changes, but he just lets the water go down to a couple inches via evapouration and then tops it off. I keep mine under at least 12 hours of light a day in a 2G fishbowl. I have a bit of aeration running. I have a bit of java moss a bit of dead plant in there for them to eat, although now that my water is getting nice and green I shouldn't have to feed them much. You can feed them flake or pellet food so long as you don't overfeed. From what I've read they reproduce about every 3-4 weeks, but are nowhere near as prolific as daphnia. I've only had mine a bit over a month and have really seen any increase in numbers. I'm not feeding any of mine to my fish until the culture has grown to a better and more maintainable size.

I had never even heard of them, let alone people breeding them either. However when I went to the breeder's house to pick up some cacatuoides, he offered them to me and said that they were an excellent breeding conditioner for the cac's.


Colin