Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

Vermis · Last edited by Vermis on Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:34 am; edited 1 time in total

A suggestion about keeping aquatic inverts on another forum got me thinking. Ever since primary school trips to local nature reserves I've been impressed by the great diving beetle, Dysticus marginalis, and it's suddenly occurred to me that it might be feasible to keep them.

But is it?

Google doesn't turn up much on captive care. Is there a chance anyone here has kept them, or knows of someone?
Is there more to it than a standard coldwater aquarium (with plants, filtration, etc.)?
Can more than one be kept together, or won't they be safe from each other? What about potential breeding pairs?
Would they take standard livefood? It seems to me they'd have no problems with it. Are the larvae instantly predatory upon hatching? What would they take?

Lastly, are all my questions moot because it could turn out to be a protected species?

HerpCrazy!!! · Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:53 pm Post subject:

I have kept great diving beetle larvae for a long while but always released them when the get too big and scary!

They call them water tigers I think, and they really deserve the title. I fed them on guppies while they were small and as they grew (to just over 2"!!!) they were taking down and eating 3"+ golden orfe! The bite is ridiculously painful and the teeth are visibly massive. Sorry I can't give you any more info but if I can get some more tigers this spring I'll give it a go and see how they pupate. Smile

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Licking this cane toad was the worst flippin idea you.............whoa man that penguin just put something in your pocket.

Vermis · Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:28 am Post subject:

Thanks!

I might go pond-dipping myself, this year.

I also found a bit of info myself, in the Reader's Digest 'The Living Countryside' book The World of Still Water. Some (hopefully) relevant stuff:

HerpCrazy!!! · Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 7:48 pm Post subject:

I've always kept the tigers in small plastic containers but they seem to like attaching themselves to something for support so i usually put a small twig or reed stem in for them Smile

I'll try and pupate a few this year then Smile

_________________
Licking this cane toad was the worst flippin idea you.............whoa man that penguin just put something in your pocket.

Rob Byatt · Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:44 am Post subject:

Hi,

I bred D. marginalis for a number of years (90'-95), so I can help here Wink

You will have no problem keeping them together, just don't try to keep anything else with them, not even large crayfish Embarassed

The females require submergent plant stems to lay their eggs in. I found that they liked to lay in a plant common in pet shops - its leaves are strap like and very long (almost like daffodil leaves) - but I can't remember the name !

The larvae hatch in around 2 weeks and are highly predatory within a day.

They must be kept singularly !

They will feed happily on bloodworms, gammarus, mosquito larvae etc. They will also take insect trapped in the water film - they spend a lot of time hanging by their spiracles at the surface.

Larger larvae will attack anything that moves, including fingers.

The larvae will require a mud bank to climb out of the water and a stone to pupate under.

Sorry this is a bit rushed, I'm really busy !

Rob.
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I only sell mantids that I have bred myself. I do not 'buy and sell'.

Keep species newly available in the UK in culture - send them to breeders. It's not about money !

Vermis · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 3:33 pm Post subject:

Thanks Herpcrazy, and thanks Rob. Smile

Can I pick your brains about the mud bank (composition, gradient, water level, possible substitutes etc.) when you have more time?

Rob Byatt · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:26 am Post subject:

Bohan · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:58 am Post subject:

Rob Byatt · Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:03 am Post subject: