# Amphipods!



## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

Amphipods, lawn shrimp, whatever you want to call them, has anyone had any luck culturing Arcitalitrus sylvaticus? I recall there being some intrest a while back, but most that I know of lost their cultures due to them needing higher humidity. Has anyone tried again? I know that dead scuds often turn orange due to carotenoids. Do cultured terrestial amphipods have this quality as well? 

And lastly, what is the range of these guys in the US? I know they are introduced to California and Florida, but I don't know the rest of their range. I think they could be a very promising food source for our frogs!

John


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

Huh, I'm surprised no one has commented yet. I would really love to see these guys in the hobby.

John


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## Styx (Oct 25, 2008)

They do sound really interesting and I know I'd like to have some as well.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

A link of interest 
amphipods - (Crustacea: Amphipoda)


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## Jake H. (Mar 23, 2010)

I bought a small culture about 7 months ago from Kyle over at RoachCrossing. I keep them on a peat and soil mixture and in 24 oz containers. They can be a bit slow going. But if you provide ample heat (77-80F), keep the substrate moist, and feed (I personally prefer bug burger) once a week they will reproduce pretty quickly. You also need to be careful when opening the lids because the adults can jump pretty high!


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

Thanks for the link Ed, there is some good information there.

Very interesting Jake! I'm glad to hear some feedback from someone who has actually cultured them. Your experiences seem to be consistant with what I've read about them. I think I will be ordering some from roach crossing in the near future to try culturing these myself. 

Have you attempted to feed any out yet? If so how did the frogs respond to them?

John


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## Jake H. (Mar 23, 2010)

I have been waiting to feed them out until I have a few cultures established. But I'm sure as soon as you put them in the viv they'd just burrow, I am interested though to see if they will forage for them.


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## medusa (Oct 30, 2011)

John, to answer your question about pigments...
The terrestrial amphipods do turn orange/red when they die, similar to aquatic ones, apparently suggesting carotenoid presence.


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

medusa said:


> John, to answer your question about pigments...
> The terrestrial amphipods do turn orange/red when they die, similar to aquatic ones, apparently suggesting carotenoid presence.


Thank you, I expected this to be the case. Is this still true with cultured individuals, or is it due to diet? 

John


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## medusa (Oct 30, 2011)

Crustacean carotenoid content is heavily, if not completely dependent on diet. Therefore I would assume that captive terrestrial amphipods would be greatly influenced depending on the diet provided.


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## a hill (Aug 4, 2007)

Any updates?


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## Jake H. (Mar 23, 2010)

I had a big problem with mites but a dry out period without food took care of it and now they're going nuts. 

I found that they appreciate a deep moist substrate and and a little heat. I have half of each culture container sitting on heat tape so the shrimp are free move between different moisture levels and temperatures. They also make use of cardboard paper which makes it much easier to feed them out.


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## Polypodium (Jan 3, 2011)

I have a producing colony of an aquatic Amphipod in my E. anthonyi water feature. I think they came in with some Java Moss from or Crypts.

I am not a fan of them as they seem to multiply rather quickly. They share the water feature with a breeding colony of Cherry Shrimp as well as the deposited tads and one dwarf Cory Catfish. Beside being a bit unsightly due to the population size they do not seem to effect the water feature in a negative way. Perhaps they are helping to keep it clean. Unfortunately there is not a predator to take care of them and leave the other residents alone. My only remedy is to use a baster and spot treat every other week or as needed.


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## Veneer (Nov 13, 2012)

Jake H. said:


> I had a big problem with mites but a dry out period without food took care of it and now they're going nuts.
> 
> I found that they appreciate a deep moist substrate and and a little heat. I have half of each culture container sitting on heat tape so the shrimp are free move between different moisture levels and temperatures. They also make use of cardboard paper which makes it much easier to feed them out.


Any photos? Are you aware of any other species being cultured?


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## Jake H. (Mar 23, 2010)

I do not personally have any pictures of them.

But see Roach Crossing for a picture. 

I believe there are a few species of fully terrestrial arthropods native or found in North America but I'm not an entomologist. As far as I know this the only commonly kept terrestrial species seen in culture.


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