Unpacking and General Information

Thank you for supporting Inland Aquatics with the purchase of cultured Detritivore Kit(s). As with all of our Cultured Critter Kits, all the Detritivores were reared at our facility in Terre Haute.

*** There is no rush to add the Detritivores to your tank. They are packed to survive for 48 hours. Taking time to follow these acclimation tips will insure your success****

Please note: If there are fish, or other predators, in your tank feed them heavily a time or two after your shipment arrives. Immerse the tank in total darkness for a couple of hours before adding the kit (while the bags float in the tank). Add some sinking food (Spirulina Wafers and Brine Shrimp Pellets) after adding the kit and leave the tank completely dark for 24 hours.

Continued Feeding: Keep an eye on the food you placed in the tank. Replace the sinking food(s) the evening after it is completely gone. Continue to replace the food each evening after it disappears. Eventually, it will need to be replaced each evening. The amount of food used may now be increased. Also, feed Beta Meal as directed in the literature. By keeping food available at the substrate, you ensure that the critter population is not nutrient limited. As a result, feeding in this fashion can actually lead to a net decrease in the load on your filtration system.

We guarantee live arrival of our animals and your satisfaction; however, we cannot guarantee the health of the animals after they are removed from the shipping containers. Please take the time to catalog the creatures in your shipping bags BEFORE adding them to your culture system or aquarium. There will be a lot of debris in the bags, so be sure to observe them AFTER ALL THE PARTICULATE MATTER HAS SETTLED.

Holding the bags up to a bright light, look through all sides of the bag. Many of the creatures included in your kit, such as Mysis Shrimp, Gammarus, other Amphipods and copepods are very small. They comprise the majority of the small specks that can be seen moving after all the particulate has settled out. Look carefully at detritus and/or macroalgae for any hiding critters, such as Gammarus Shrimp. Using a hand lens can be very helpful also.

The majority of the creatures should be marked on the side of your bag. Please make note of any discrepancies or deceased critters. Also note if the water temperature seems too warm or cool.

Float the bags for 10 to 15 minutes. Next, open the bags and add one cup of system water to each bag every five minutes for the next fifteen minutes. Release the animals after adding the fourth cup of system water.

If possible, add the kit to a tank with nothing but live rock and live sand and minimal traumatic water flow. Feed the tank for a week to ten days before adding fish, to allow the critters to get established and begin to multiply. If you already have fish in the system, adding the kit to a Refugium will greatly enhance the effectiveness of the kit.

Again, thank you for your business. Please let us know if you have any questions, or if we may be of further service. If you have any problems, please call (812) 235-7235 immediately.