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kaiseri larvae problem season II

markusA

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I would like to know if any of you breeders did notice a strange dying of kaiseri larvae in the first days after hatching.
The problem I desrcibed in detail here: http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=53674

This year my kaiseri girls laid a lot of eggs but the survival quota for larvae is as bad as last year, around 30% are not affected and survive the critical first 2 weeks.
After that they grow and feed without problems.

An addition to my observation last year:
1. adding a medicine (EsHa 2000, methyl orange) 50% of larvae survive
2. adding nothing, just changing with clean water all 2 days: 10-20% survive
3. putting the eggs before hatching into a well planted small aquarium with a lot of tiny food and microbes: 50-75% survive

Does it happen only in N. kaiseri or in other Neurergus species as well?
Did anybody observe this phenomenon with his/her N. kaiseri?

Markus
 

craig

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Hi Markus,

I could be wrong but I think I've heard somewhere that the eggs and larvae benefit from having fairly strong aeration and water circulation.
 

Jennewt

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I have seen this problem with several species (particularly Notophthalmus). I would say that most species have the best possibility of survival if the eggs or hatchlings are put into a cycled tank with plenty of plants. Some can tolerate a bare "clean" container, some cannot.

I have raised one batch of kaiseri eggs. Shortly after they hatched, I put them into a large cycled (well-established) container. I cannot remember if it had plants or not. 100% survived.

What kind of container are you using? What kind of cleaning or filtration?
 

markusA

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I use platic boxes (ice cream box, Ikea boxes ...) to get the eggs hatched and for larvae.
I think it is not a problem with the boxes as I reared several other species in such boxes as well.
I do not aerate the water but change it all 2 days (except that of my "control group").
Larvae hatch and develop in the parental tank without health problems. This water is filtered and moving like a slow stream.

I observed yesterday in my "control group" that a lot of big well feeding larvae (21mm, 4 weeks old) were floating at the water surface with gas bubbles in their bellys. This group I never treated with medicine and until yesterday they did well. I decided to add the eSHa 2000 to the water and today in the morning I found all of them sitting on the ground or in plants and did not see any bubbles in their bellys!
So I guess it must be some kind of bacteria causing this.
 

salvoz

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I'm experiencing virtually 100% survival of my kaiseri eggs, including both those that were left in the parent tank and those that were removed and placed into a tank with shallow water, lots of java moss and gentle aeration. Good luck to you!

Sal
 

chamena

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Hi!
I breed Neurergus kaiseri this year too. I use a pump and change the water 1/3 every two weeks. Before I put the larves into the glas-aquarium I let the pump work for three weeks. I cover the suction nozzle with a sock. It is important to use the water from the adult neurergus. Doing this, every larve grows up in my breed.
Jürgen
 

markusA

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I found several larvae in the tank of the parents and never dead larvae.
I fear the polluted water is not ok for the larvae if I take it to raise all of them in it.
I do not use filtration but change water every 4 days during breeding season.
But I will try next season with "old parental water".
news of my 09 breeding:
All survivors of the critical first 4-6 weeks are ok and grow.
I lost 75% of larvae. I never observed the phenomenon with my T. karelini or Salamandra.
 

salvoz

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Sorry to hear you are losing this many larvae. How many larvae are you rearing in what volume of water?
 

markusA

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0-4 weeks old larvae I raise in small plastic cups 5x10cm, appr. 0,3 liter of water, 10 animals in each
5-10 weeks in plastic boxes 20x30cm or glas aquariums 20cm in diameter, appr. 2 liter, 10 pcs.
older ones in big plastic boxes, 40x60cm, 10 liter, 25 pcs. until metamorphosis

I exchange the water every second day and use tap water, in my area tap water has very low chlorine level
 

craig

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Markus,

My baby kaiseri are almost three inches long now and are eating really well and doing great. I have them all in a ten gallon tank without substrate or plants and only a sponge filter. I used aged, dechlorinated water and change about a third or a quarter of the water every week. More than this seems to shock the babies somewhat. I have had 100% success rate so far. Every egg hatched and every baby is growing well. I hope this information helps.
 
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