Scud farm

[jaylach]

@jaylach A five gallon would be a good Scud home ? The guy at Dan’s think so ? Just so happens I have a spare and www.jehmco.com sells under gravel filters .

Yes, Jonny at Dan's said a 5 gallon would be ideal. You don't HAVE to use under gravel filtration but whatever is used should NOT have a lot of suction at the intake. Even putting sponge over a strong intake can trap small scuds against the sponge.

 

[Aqua67]

I thought about adding them to my South American tank… there is a lot of cover, but also a lot of fish… I suspect the tetras, would leave them alone??? But the Angels and dwarf Cichlids, I expect will eat them… I’m wondering about the Cory’s

I think the scuds in my aquarium was one of the reasons that my cories laid eggs. That, and the water change I did right as a thunderstorm was rolling through.

I have Petros in my angelfish aquarium, and the only time they get them is if the angelfish didn’t see them and the sign wasn’t hot on the scud trail. The tetras don’t like to get in between those larger fish and their food.

 

[Back in the fold]

Yes, Jonny at Dan's said a 5 gallon would be ideal. You don't HAVE to use under gravel filtration but whatever is used should NOT have a lot of suction at the intake. Even putting sponge over a strong intake can trap small scuds against the sponge.

I know I don’t have to use under gravel but I’m feeling a little old school these days and I want to do my part in reviving the greatest method of filtration that ever was . With UGF nothing is in the way , air power is cheap and reliable and the aquarium is uncluttered . I like them .

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I thought about adding them to my South American tank… there is a lot of cover, but also a lot of fish… I suspect the tetras, would leave them alone??? But the Angels and dwarf Cichlids, I expect will eat them… I’m wondering about the Cory’s

My rosy tetras eat frozen mysis shrimp like kids in a candy store, so I suspect they'd go for scuds the same way. They wouldn't stand a chance with my angels.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I use sand in my tanks, not gravel, so I suspect that would make it harder for scuds to establish and avoid predators. But once I have a whole bunch of them, I plan to try.

 

[jaylach]

I know I don’t have to use under gravel but I’m feeling a little old school these days and I want to do my part in reviving the greatest method of filtration that ever was . With UGF nothing is in the way , air power is cheap and reliable and the aquarium is uncluttered . I like them .

Just make sure to use gravel, not sand, if you do this. The smaller the gravel the better as long as it won't fit through the slots in the filter plates. If the tank is strictly for the scuds a 2-2.5 inch layer of gravel would probably do well. If the tank were to have a fish population you would want a minimum of 3 inches of gravel.

I use sand in my tanks, not gravel, so I suspect that would make it harder for scuds to establish and avoid predators. But once I have a whole bunch of them, I plan to try.

If the tank the beasties would go in is heavily plated put 'hidden' containers of stone and/or lava rock where they can't be seen. Gives the critters a place to hang out and, as an added bonus, the stone/rock will collect bacteria colonies for helping to cycle new tanks.

 

[Boundava]

Very neat Tom. Have been wanting a colony of scuds as cleanup and food source for a while. I will occasionally find some in my canister filters with the MTS that never seen to disappear. The UGF seems like a good way to encourage a healthy population but you would have to tear it up to harvest unless you get some trapped in a reversed water bottle trap.

 

[jaylach]

Very neat Tom. Have been wanting a colony of scuds as cleanup and food source for a while. I will occasionally find some in my canister filters with the MTS that never seen to disappear. The UGF seems like a good way to encourage a healthy population but you would have to tear it up to harvest unless you get some trapped in a reversed water bottle trap.

Actually harvesting should not be an issue. Just put their food, pumpkin chunks, apple, just about anything, on a fork or skewer. When you want to harvest there will be plenty on the food, just shake them off into another container.

 

[sharkweek178]

I think the scuds in my aquarium was one of the reasons that my cories laid eggs. That, and the water change I did right as a thunderstorm was rolling through.

I have Petros in my angelfish aquarium, and the only time they get them is if the angelfish didn’t see them and the sign wasn’t hot on the scud trail. The tetras don’t like to get in between those larger fish and their food.

Live foods can induce spawning. It's like it signals something in the fish brains that food is plentiful so it's a good time to breed.
Water changes can do it too. Especially if the water is a little cooler after. This simulates the after effect of a rainfall in nature. I don't know if this is why but I think it's because the rain oxygenates the water.

 

[sharkweek178]

Now I'm thinking of culturing daphnia and scuds in the same container.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Now I'm thinking of culturing daphnia and scuds in the same container.

And copepods too! Why not. I wonder if the scuds would predate on the daphnia and copepods. One way to find out, I guess...

 

[gwand]

Now I'm thinking of culturing daphnia and scuds in the same container.

Is it more complicated to culture daphnia compared to culturing brine shrimp?

 

[sharkweek178]

Is it more complicated to culture daphnia compared to culturing brine shrimp?

From what I understand of it, it's easier. I haven't done it myself yet.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Is it more complicated to culture daphnia compared to culturing brine shrimp?

Most of the scuds died (I think I had an early ammonia spike), but the daphnia are pretty easy so far. Care amounts to adding the algae that we scrape out of the other tanks.