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Pets Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [invertebrates]

Any animal lacking a backbone or spinal column. The most common invertebrates which are kept as pets are crustaceans, snails, arachnids and insects.

19 questions
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1 answer

How can I help hermit crabs survive their first molt?

I have tried to keep hermit crabs as pets at various times in my life, and each time the poor things have died during their first molting process. I know that they are incredibly vulnerable during this time - what can I do to help them get through…
user53
14
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2 answers

How to prepare a pond for crayfish?

We received some crayfish as a gift shortly after our new pond was finished. Sadly we had no idea under which conditions they had to be kept and as the only hiding place was the covering shield above the tube that leads to the pump… well, we had…
Baarn
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Aquaponics: lobsters, clams, oysters and tilapia all in the same tank?

I've really been getting into gardening over the past year and have just started looking at aquaponics. I hope to one day build my own homestead, and want a big greenhouse with a central aquaponics "pond" for raising fish and shellfish. After…
AndrewG
10
votes
1 answer

How To Safely Remove a Sea Cucumber?

I've had a tiger tail cucumber getting along quite well in my tank for about six months. One unfortunate night, my wife decided to [quite amateurishly] rearrange the tank and drastically spiked the parameters. If that wasn't bad enough, it stressed…
Gary
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9
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1 answer

Caterpillar has stopped eating - what can be done?

I need some help with my caterpillar. I have two young caterpillars which hatched a while ago and I have one big one that doesn’t want to eat. He/she stopped eating 5-6 days ago which I know because I always take the bad leaves out and put the new…
user12391
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2 answers

Could I use mussels to filter a fish tank?

Mussels are referred to as nature's filters, because of how they siphon water to eat, and take the particles out of the water. I have a native tank set up, and I was thinking that maybe I could do away with the mechanical filters, and put in a…
Spidercat
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How can I raise some red earthworms for my turtle?

I've recently attained a culture of about 20-50 red earthworms, and I'm planning to use them to feed my turtle. I'm currently leaving them in a 14 inch * 5 inch * 5 inch deep planting pot, with soil of about an inch deep. The soil I'm using is some…
Mozein
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What is this alien in my shrimp tank?

The tank is set up since nearly two months now. The shrimp have been in it for around four weeks. One small algae eating fish and one big and accidentally some small snails are living there too. But this strange alien I cannot connect with any of…
Allerleirauh
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4
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Why is my hermit crab more active after passing away of his fellow crab?

I started with two hermit crabs, and they would run through the normal hermit crab cycle of not being out much during the day and being more active at night. Recently, one of my hermit crabs died and, as unfortunate as that is, I have begun to see a…
madjean99
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2 answers

Can I keep crayfish and guppy fish together in a tank?

I have an aquarium and keep peaceful fish together like: angelfish; guppy; shark; Hypostomus plecostomus. These are pictures of my fish in aquarium: My fish are living together peacefully, but I intend to buy a type of shrimp and keep it with my…
BattleTested_закалённый в бою
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Effect of KH on Neocaridina shrimp

It is my understanding that, in the aquarium, KH (carbonate hardness) raises the pH slightly, but primarily acts as a "buffer", preventing large pH swings. For Neocaridina shrimp (I keep red cherries, but I suppose for any Neocaridinas) I have seen…
Matt
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Is it possible to breed nightcrawlers (Lumbricus terrestris)?

I'm looking at trying to breed earthworms, specifically Nightcrawlers (Lumbricus terrestris) also called dew worms. Part of the reason I'm specifically interested in keeping nightcrawlers as opposed to the smaller species of earthworms called red…
Spidercat
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What is the least painful way to kill a shrimp

I have read this question about how to euthanize a fish but I wonder what is the least painful way to kill shrimp? Since invertebrates are different than fish I wonder if there is another way.
Rémi
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Considerations before getting mussels (or other bivalve)

I'm looking for alternative natural filters for my tank to combat algae. I've read that a mussel can filter up to 100 gallons/day, consuming algae and detritus. My concerns are: I grow copepods and other microorganisms. Will this filter feeder…
Gary
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New enviroment introduction for termites

How would I introduce termites that I capture to their new environment (a farm that I am building) without causing too much stress to them?
Joseph Casey
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