Bee/Bumblebee/New Bee ?

[Newjohn]

I also have the PH and TDS meter from Hanna.
They work great as long as you keep them calibrated.

Alot better and easier than the strips.

My Tap water is 7.8 with a TDS of 300.

Good Luck
John

[Mustafa]

Those are some great bumblebees! This is the "original bumblebee" that was introduced into the hobby a while ago. What some people call "new bee" (a name that I find very confusing as these guys are not closely related to the bee shrimp) has a white head. The second picture in the bumblebee species description on this website is such a shrimp.

As for ph and conductivity/TDS meters...the ph meters need frequent calibrating with a current calibration solution. The solution stays "fresh" only a few months after opening the bottle and should not be used afterward. Also, the tip of the ph meter needs replacement every 10 months or so. The conductivity meter needs to be calibrated only once in my experience and seems to last at least a year or two without calibration. Due to the high maintenance requirements for the ph meter I have actually switched back to liquid tests for ph measurements. They seem accurate enough for the ranges I am measuring. A Kh liquid test should also be in everyone's tool box.

[Neonshrimp]

I have also gone through the experiences of using a pH meter and have stopped using it also. I now use the liquid test I used before and have not had any issues with it since. I will probably try the conductivity meter since it is easy to maintain relative to the pH meter.

[adimeatatime]

Those are some great bumblebees! This is the "original bumblebee" that was introduced into the hobby a while ago.

Thanks Mustafa. I think they are pretty shrimp and enjoy watching them. They seem to be doing well right now.

I had been looking at TDS meters, but haven't ordered one yet.

Thanks for the feedback Newjohn and Neonshrimp. I always appreciate hearing from you guys.

I saw my first bumblebee baby tonight. It came out to eat and is so cute. I hope there are a few more hiding somewhere. I know I have read that keeping them alive can be a challenge. Only time will tell now. I am being faithful with my maintenance and being careful not to overfeed. So we will see.

[Neonshrimp]

You are doing something right to have the babies in the first place;) Do they look just like mini versions of the adults with little stripes?

[adimeatatime]

Hi Neonshrimp,

The white on the babies is really striking like the white on the 3rd shrimp in the varieties section on Bumblebees. They look like little brown/white candy canes scooting around. I will try to get a decent picture. Last night there were 2 of them out looking for food. The adults are still looking good, so I am real hopeful that I will be able to get a colony established.

[Neonshrimp]

That is good to hear. Hope the colony keeps getting bigger when it's established. Great job with the photos in your gallery

[adimeatatime]

Thanks Neonshrimp!! I really enjoy watching my shrimp and getting pictures of them. I placed a couple of pictures of the baby bumblebees in my gallery. Thought it would be good to keep them all together.

[adimeatatime]

Update on the baby bumblebees. There are about 12 that I can count at any given time. There is moss and other places for them to hide so maybe there will be more coming out of hiding. Not a lot compared to some of the other shrimp, but I am happy to be seeing any of them.

[Neonshrimp]

Are the babies more slow to grow compared to other shrimp? Thanks for the update

[adimeatatime]

Are the babies more slow to grow compared to other shrimp? Thanks for the update

They seem to grow about like the tiger babies I have. One thing I have noticed though is they seem to hide longer and more often than the tiger babies do. I wonder if that has anything to do with their color? They are easier to spot when they are out than the tiger babies are. There are a couple that I was surprised how big they are now. I'm not positive if they are some that I have been watching all along or some that were hiding and just came out. I have several different sizes now.

[southerndesert]

Update Please.....

Thank you, Bill

[adimeatatime]

Hi Bill,

The bumble bee babies are doing really well. There are quite a few different ages in the tank now. I am using a mixture of well water and ro water when I do water changes. They are the cutest little guys that show up really well on the dark substrate.

Thanks for asking about them.