# Limnopilos Naiyanetri



## tikiman (Apr 19, 2011)

Another invertebrate that i find really awesome. The *Limnopilos naiyanetri.


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## A.M. Aquatics (Apr 9, 2011)

I want to get some of these, but I've heard by some people that you barley see them. What's neat is that they breed in freshwater.


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## tikiman (Apr 19, 2011)

Yeah i suppose if the tank is heavily planted it might just be a waste lol.


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

I have been keeping them for several years. I mainly keep them in a species tank or with shrimp. If you use moonlights, they are MUCH more visible.


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

I see mine all the time, mostly at night but in the daytime, too. They are amazing little creatures! Highly recommend.

AFAIK they will breed in freshwater but there hasn't been much confirmed success breeding them in aquariums.


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

As for breeding, its not hard to get teh females to carry teh larvae but once the larvae are released its challenging to feed them (green water works well) and they seem to need an orienting overhead light to prevent them from banging into glass (moonlights work for this as well).


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

Have you been successful at breeding them?


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

Hard to say. I always seem to have some but sell more than I import, lol. I have not invested a ton of effort in documentation or time into knowing for sure.


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## A.M. Aquatics (Apr 9, 2011)

I've read that mast of the time people try to breed them, they larvae will live for over a week, and then die from starvation. msjinkzd, have you tried powdered spirulina? You can get it from a local health food store, and to me, looking at it makes me think it just might be the success to raising them. That and some small squirts of green water. Maybe some porous cylinders with bacteria growing in them would work. 
I really want to get some of these in my RCS/CRS tank. I have so many ideas for sucessfully breeding them! Does anyone know if LFS's can do specieal orders for these? Or are they still too uncommon in the hobby?


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

I use mainly green water, paramecium, and infusoria to feed such small critters. I do have spirulilna powder as well. I can order them should you want them. I will probably get more in soon as I am down to a handful. LFS may be able to, but they are not big sellers in stores as they are pretty tiny and don't do well mixed with most other species found in stores.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

I have a bunch in my 50 gallon tank, i see them once in a while. I'm going to try breeding outdoors this year, I have a few 30 gallon rubbermaid ponds going for moina and daphnia, so I'm going to toss a few dozen into one of the tanks and see what perspires


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## A.M. Aquatics (Apr 9, 2011)

these crabs, apparently live in bunches of floating vegetation in rivers of thailand. I would guess that their larvae would develop among dense bundles of vegetation with lots of micro organsims, algae and green water. The methods you all use seem to be pretty good methods. Have any of you tried keeping the batches of fry in guppy breeding boxes with plant cuttings, green water, spirulina, creek water, dead leaves, etc?


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

msjinkzd said:


> Hard to say. I always seem to have some but sell more than I import, lol. I have not invested a ton of effort in documentation or time into knowing for sure.


Actually I have a similar effect. I put 12 into my tank, and I keep thinking they've died off because I'll just see one or two over a period of weeks. Then suddenly, they are everywhere crawling around day and night and fighting with shrimp for bits of food. Amazing little guys.



A.M. Aquatics said:


> these crabs, apparently live in bunches of floating vegetation in rivers of thailand. I would guess that their larvae would develop among dense bundles of vegetation with lots of micro organsims, algae and green water. The methods you all use seem to be pretty good methods. Have any of you tried keeping the batches of fry in guppy breeding boxes with plant cuttings, green water, spirulina, creek water, dead leaves, etc?


I met an exporter who deals in aquarium stock last time I was in Thailand - he lives about 100km from us and says he gets everything locally (wild and bred but mostly wild). I wonder if he knows about these. I'll check with him when I'm out there next month.


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

I easily import them, I just have been using a new distributor teh past few weeks but am due to go back to my other source as I also need to get a few other things.


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

How much do those little guys go for?


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

Anywhere from $4-6 a piece, typically. What I sell them depends on how much they cost me. I have to import them in groups of a few hundred, so it gets pricey fast!


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## A.M. Aquatics (Apr 9, 2011)

What is your website, msjinkzd? I will probably end up getting some later on, probably this summer or fall if possible, but I want to get my tiger shrimp first.

I'm getting REALLY interested now. So, what's a good setup for these guys? I have a 10 gallon with some shrimp which has a lot of moss, java ferns, and driftwood. CRS are living in it, so I guess I won't have to worry about parameters unless I have a problem with the CRS. I also have an empty 5g and I have plenty of moss and rocks I can add to it to make an ideal habitat. I'm guessing not too well planted, because, as it was said, it would just be a waste.


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

In my tank, they hide deep in caves in small groups most of the time. They generally come out at night, but if I look closely I frequently find one cruising around during the day. The are almost always on the substrate, on the wood, or near the bottom. Not much climbing around.


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## A.M. Aquatics (Apr 9, 2011)

so, what exaclty is a "moon light" a couple of people saying will increase the chances of seeing them?


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

A.M. Aquatics said:


> What is your website, msjinkzd? I will probably end up getting some later on, probably this summer or fall if possible, but I want to get my tiger shrimp first.
> 
> I'm getting REALLY interested now. So, what's a good setup for these guys? I have a 10 gallon with some shrimp which has a lot of moss, java ferns, and driftwood. CRS are living in it, so I guess I won't have to worry about parameters unless I have a problem with the CRS. I also have an empty 5g and I have plenty of moss and rocks I can add to it to make an ideal habitat. I'm guessing not too well planted, because, as it was said, it would just be a waste.



I keep my list here more current than I do my website, embarassingly enough, as I have the shipping option off on my website due to inaccurate shipping calculator issues. The website is msjinkzd.com, but I run specials through the different sites where I vend.

I keep them in a 10g wiht a lot of low light plants and sponge filtration. They LOVE hanging out on the sponge filter, at the base of plants, and in crevices. They are a shy creature, probably because they are pretty low man on the totem pole as far as predation. I prefer not having a super densely planted tank, but use ferns attached to wood.

In my fishroom, I rarely use substrate as it just gets destroyed when I net. I have kept themin unheated and heated tanks as well as high pH and more neutral. They seem to do well in a wide range of parameters.


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## mysticalnet (Dec 2, 2007)

Do you think these will hunt shrimp down? In other words, can they co-habit together?


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

OH, they absolutely do not hunt shrimp down. They are smaller, about pencil eraser diameter and not at all aggressive.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

if anything the shrimp bug the crabs more!

their claws are so tiny I doubt they'd even be able to nab a baby shrimp.


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

Honestly, I won't even use nets to catch them as their claws and legs are so fragile. I HAND catch every single crab.


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## jasonpatterson (Apr 15, 2011)

A.M. Aquatics said:


> so, what exaclty is a "moon light" a couple of people saying will increase the chances of seeing them?


A dim light, usually blue, that you keep on whenever you don't have the main tank lights on. Basic idea is to simulate moonlight.


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## A.M. Aquatics (Apr 9, 2011)

msjinkzd said:


> OH, they absolutely do not hunt shrimp down. They are smaller, about pencil eraser diameter and not at all aggressive.


pencil eraser!? Dang! That's tiny! And my father thought my shrimp were 'microscopic' lol!


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

the bodies are 1cm max! They are very tiny


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## A.M. Aquatics (Apr 9, 2011)

may have to rethink this plan!


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## DrEd (May 13, 2009)

Now I want to have some as well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk


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## tikiman (Apr 19, 2011)

I don't think il buy them for now. Here in Hong Kong they go for Hkd280 EACH. X_X.

$35USD EACH. Il have to reconfirm. Maybe its 280 for a pile.


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## tikiman (Apr 19, 2011)

Okay its 35USD Each. WTF????


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

wow, 35 usd? You need to find a new shop to buy from!


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## tikiman (Apr 19, 2011)

Yeah man. What hurts is the *EACH*


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## ldk59 (Jan 30, 2009)

I paid $15 (us) each for mine a few years ago... very interesting little creatures indeed.

Two lived ~16 months, last one just passed a month or so ago.

I will be getting more in the future!


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