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Breeder box use/setup questions


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I have a couple Ziss BL-2 internal breeder boxes that I'd like to start using to selectively breed (not raise shrimplets).  I have a some questions I was hoping that people with experience using Ziss boxes, other internal breeder boxes, or external breeder boxes might be able to answer.  

  • How long do you let your breeder boxes "mature" before transferring shrimp into them?
  • What do you have in your breeder boxes?  (substrate bed, scattered loose substrate, moss, wood, cholla, etc)
  • In the context of Caridina shrimp, how can you tell when opaque shrimp are berried and ready to mate? (how to know when to put females in the box)
  • Are breeder boxes less healthy than the rest of the tank?  
  • Should I be concerned about anything special while they are in the box?  
  • Should I be lightly feeding in the box since there could be less biofilm and substrate goodies?
  • Is there a maximum amount of time I should leave a shrimp in the breeder box before they should be taken out and allowed to roam the rest of the aquarium?
  • I'm planning on using them my with rimmed 40 breeder, and thus have to use the suction cups to mount the boxes internally.  I know you can't picture this without a photo, but if there is enough lateral flow (from my canister) through the 2 screens and through the BL-2, is airstone/oxygen even necessary? (There is already adequate oxygenation in the tank).  

I have several mature fems that I'd really love not only be berried, but also be able to choose the fathers.  If anyone that selectively breeds with boxes can share some insight, specifically on the question regarding how to identify when females should be put in the box, I would greatly appreciate it. 

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I just leave a breeder box hanging on the back of one of my shrimp tanks all the time.

 

I have a thin layer of substrate (I feel like having a clear bottom would make them feel exposed and stressed), some moss, and a piece of cholla wood in there.

When I add bacter AE to my tank, I add a teeny tiny bit to the box to keep bio film up in there.

 

When I need to use it, It's already well matured and ready to go.   If I want to do 2 dif sets of shrimp, I put the lil divider in it. 

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