# Interesting arthropod



## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

I have a large number of these things in one of my tanks. 

They look like a cross between a flea and a shrimp. I find them drowned in film canisters and tad deposition cups - so I don't know how good they are in water. On land - they can really jump.

Unfortunately - it is a Retic tank - so given their respective sizes - I don't know if they would actually be a good frog food or not (although they seem too chitinous).

Size reference to standard ball point pen tip


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## xm41907 (Nov 26, 2007)

In a way you are right about them being a cross between a flea and a shrimp. They are a crustacean called a sand flea. The feed on organic debris, so it should be fine in your viv. Roughly how many have you found? I would be interested in obtaining live ones from you if possible.

James


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

I find lots of drowned ones, so I am guessing the population of live ones is pretty substantial.

If I get the chance I will set some "traps" and see what I can get.

Any ideas on setting up culture conditions?


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## xm41907 (Nov 26, 2007)

I don't know a lot about them, but what I'd try is a sandy substrate and put some of your viv substrate in a pile near the corner, thena tube with and a cotton plug for moisture. From what I can gather they like to bury themselves in the sand and get their foods from washed up debris.


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## markbudde (Jan 4, 2008)

Pretty Cool! I seeded my tank with amphipods (their formal name) from the soil in Florida and they are all over my tank as well. But your look a little bigger than mine. I haven't tried culturing them out of the tank (their life cycle is similar to isopods), but they are my imitators favorite microfauna. The fastest that I've ever seen my imis move is chasing an amphipod. I never found any great sources of info on terrestrial amphipods, but here is an introduction.


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## donstr (Jun 21, 2007)

Wow, those pictures are great! I have some in a few of my vivs. I've been culturing them, too. They seem to enjoy digging into wood so I put some sticks in dirt and mist them every now and then and they seem to be fine as far as culturing goes. 
I first noticed them in my Gargoyle Gecko tank. Every night they'd come out of the wood work (har) and be clustered around gecko poop. They make a great little cleaning crew. I don't have a lot of them, yet but I may in the future. You can also search "lawn shrimp" or "terrestial amphipod" (this last common name being what they are.) I've seen the name "sand fleas" applied to quite a few different arthropods ranging from biting midges to aquatic crustaceans.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Donn, I think you may have just lost the monopoly on "Donn's Magical Lawn Shrimp". :lol: 

Think you can bring some to the meeting at Josh's? I'd like to try and experiment with culturing methods.


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