What to do with all these Eleodes Larva!?!?

[jreidsma]

Hi everyone.

My original plan was to put all my Eleodes larva into plastic sterilite totes of substrate with carrots burried in it. The larva in those set ups are still tiny and there doesn't seem to be as many as I remembered. But the younger larva in with the adults are already an inch long or longer and are huge and healthy conpared to the ones in the totes.

So I am guessing there is not enough air flow in those totes. Or the do better with adults and other things to climb on or something.

So what should I do? Should I mess with separating the larva into their own containers or just leave them in with the adults and take them out as they come to the surface (to pupate), become prepupa or are close to it, or I sell them.

I was thinking that the bigger larva may eat the smaller larva and newly laid eggs if left in with the adults, or the adults may stop laying eggs because of the overpopulation of larva.

I have about three or more inches of substrate in each tank now with the adults, if everyone thinks it would be better to leave the larva in with the adults then I can add more.

 

[Jordan]

I don't know much about Eleodes but my guess would be to try to mimic the conditions and set up that you have in the adults tank. See it with the same setup the larvae do better or if they are truely benefiting from the adults some how. I would also use multiple containers just to be safe.

Jordan

 

[jreidsma]

I went through all the adult tanks and only the acuticauda had large larva. So I just left them all alone for now (except I took out all the large larva).

Maybe I could just take out the larva as they come up to the top? I noticed that as they get larger they go to the top more.

If I had more room I would put the larva in their own fie gallon tanks, but I don't have that much room.