dwarf foods and other Q's

[kingsnar]

do you guys have any pics of o.mercatoris? I don't know how large they grow, can you use something such as a freshwater apple-snail as a comparison of size?

What types of foods should adults eat? Is it possible to convert adults or even juveniles to fry fozen? How often should they eat?

What temperature range should I keep the dwarf in?

PS- I know dwarves will live only a few weeks after buying them, I plan on rearing the eggs which I have been told by someone on RC (who has and is successfully rearing the eggs) is very easy.

 

[Animal Mother]

I haven't gotten a positive ID on my little one yet, but I believe he could be O. Mercatoris. He is from a Carribean supplier, and a dwarf for sure. I haven't tried feeding it frozen, but the guys at the store where I bought it said it wouldn't eat any. Einy likes fiddler crabs and hermits a lot though! I would say he is pretty much the same size as the fiddler crabs. His head's about the size of a peanut. I have no idea how old he is though.

I've read the same thing, that the fry are large enough to have a decent chance of maturing. No planktonic stage. So if "he" turns out to be a "she" I plan on having a lot of fun with that.

I read a great thread about an attempt to raise the Mercatoris fry. I believe the members name that was doing it is Akyu. You might do a search in the threads for "Mercatoris" and see what you come up with.

 

[kingsnar]

Thank you! Thanks for the size comparison as well, I had no idea whether it was the size of a penny or a softball LOL.

 

[cthulhu77]

do you guys have any pics of o.mercatoris? I don't know how large they grow, can you use something such as a freshwater apple-snail as a comparison of size?
I guess that would depend on the size of the apple snail. dwarfs typically get to be about six inches in spread as adults, but like all things, the variety is huge. Pardon the pun.

What types of foods should adults eat? Is it possible to convert adults or even juveniles to fry fozen? How often should they eat?
Small crabs make up the bulk of the diet, hermit and fiddlers are very easy to obtain. I have only had one dwarf that liked frozen/thawed food, but each one is different. I find it easier just to feed them the live stuff, about two to three times per week.

What temperature range should I keep the dwarf in?
That really depends on the species, though most do quite well in 78-80 degree F. water...there is some talk that keeping them in cooler water may extend the lifecycle somewhat, but I doubt that is true.

PS- I know dwarves will live only a few weeks after buying them, I plan on rearing the eggs which I have been told by someone on RC (who has and is successfully rearing the eggs) is very easy.

Never heard of rearing eggs as being "very easy", but it can be done with a lot of patience and equipment. The biggest problem is raising them for the first growth period. Make sure you have a refugium or seperate tank well stocked with little food items!