Frequently Asked Questions: General questions Where can I buy Billabong Bugs™? What are Billabong Bugs™? Are Billabong Bugs™ safe for school children? Are they really Dinosaurs? Where do Billabong Bugs™ come from? How long do Billabong Bugs™ live? How big do Billabong Bugs™ get? What is the difference between male and female Billabong Bugs™? Looking after your Bugs Can I put Billabong Bugs™ in with my fish? I started out with lots of Billabong Bugs™ and now there seems to be only one left. What happened? What do Billabong Bug™ eggs look like? I’ve set up my Billabong Bugs™, followed all the instructions, but nothing has happened - what should I do? Can I handle my Billabong Bugs™? What do they eat? Will they reproduce? Why do they need to be near a lamp? What are all these ghostly Billabong Bug™ forms on the bottom of the tank? Do I need a filter? Is an air pump necessary? Can I put rocks, seashells and aquatic plants in with my Billabong Bugs™? What are good mates for Billabong Bugs™? If I’m going away for a weekend how do I feed my Billabong Bugs™? Why should I use Demineralised water? I used water from my local creek instead and none hatched - what went wrong? What is Demineralised water and where can I buy it? What is the difference between demineralised and distilled water? Can I use spring, rain or tank water? Can I put more sand in? What is Bug Moss™? What other things can I feed my Billabong Bugs™? How can I hand feed my Bugs? What do the eggs look like? Is it possible for my Billabong Bugs™ to have babies? Purchase enquiries Can I buy Billabong Bugs™ and their accessories wholesale? Can I purchase replacements? History answers How did they survive when the Dinosaurs died out? Miscellaneous What is a Billabong? Are Billabong Bugs™ the same as other Triops? I’ve found Billabong Bugs™ in the wild!! What is a Bunyip? What do Billabong Bugs™ do in the wild if they don't have rain for a long time? What is Bugditioner™? Answers Where can I buy Billabong Bugs™? Please email us at info@littleaussieproducts.com for further information What are Billabong Bugs™? Billabong Bugs™ are prehistoric crustaceans that come from the Australian outback. The Scientific name is Triops Australiensis but they are also called Dinosaur shrimp, Tadpole shrimp or Shield shrimp. Can I put Billabong Bugs™ in with my fish? NO! Fish will happily eat Billabong Bugs™ for breakfast, lunch and dinner! There is absolutely no room for both in one tank. I started out with lots of Billabong Bugs™ and now there seems to be only one left. What happened? If your Billabong Bugs™ are not fed sufficiently, they may nip at eachother and even attempt to eat eachother. What do Billabong Bug™ eggs look like? Billabong Bugs™ eggs are usually a pinkish colour, and are about the size of the full stop at the end of this sentence. They are “sticky” when laid, and so they often will have dirt, etc. stuck to them, making it REALLY hard to find them in the Billabong Dust! Try using a magnifying glass to look along the edge of the water’s surface when you have set them up and you may find one or two. I’ve set up my Billabong Bugs™, followed all the instructions, but nothing has happened - what should I do? If you have followed all of the instructions carefully and still do not see any baby bugs, wait at least seven more days before discarding the water. Sometimes, for reasons that even scientists can not fully explain, Billabong Bugs™ take longer than usual to hatch. Check the temperature – in cooler conditions they may take longer to hatch. You may need to move the lamp closer to the tank to generate some extra warmth. Are Billabong Bugs™ safe for school children? Yes. Billabong Bugs™ are Non-Toxic and do not bite or sting in any way, so they cannot harm even the smallest child. Can I handle my Billabong Bugs™? Billabong Bugs™ are hardy little creatures. However, it is unwise to attempt to pick up your Bugs as they can easily be crushed when they are removed from the water, especially before or after they have shed their skin. If you insist on taking your Billabong Bugs™ out of their element, then wait until they are adults (4-5 centimetres in length) as they have a harder exoskeleton. They should not be left out of the water for more than a minute or so, as they are aquatic creatures. Where do Billabong Bugs™ come from? Billabong Bugs™ only occur in Australia, but other members of the Triops family exist in temporary ponds all over the world (except for Antarctica). Back To Top What do they eat? Billabong Bugs™ will generally eat anything in the tank that's smaller than they are - and that includes other Billabong Bugs™ if they are kept really hungry! They are omnivorous and will eat smaller shrimp, algae, insects such as Mosquito larvae and fish food. When you purchase a Billabong Bugs™ Kit, you will receive a packet of “Bug Grub” to feed your Billabong Bugs™ – this includes a completely balanced diet and you will not need to feed them anything else. Are they really Dinosaurs? Actually, Billabong Bugs™ are older than Dinosaurs! Fossilised specimens have been found that indicate that they evolved during the Devonian period, about 350 million years ago. That is about 150 million years before the dinosaurs shook the earth! How did they survive when the Dinosaurs died out? Billabong Bugs™ survived because their eggs exist in a special state of diapause (suspended animation) until they are mixed with water. Scientists think that this is what helped Billabong Bugs™ to survive the extreme temperatures and long droughts that existed at that time. Will they reproduce? Yes. Billabong Bugs™ are capable of sexual reproduction, so if you have male and female bugs, you may be lucky enough to see a second generation of Billabong Bugs™. A female Billabong Bug™ can lay eggs that may hatch once they have been dried out for a sufficient amount of time and are added to water again. Back To Top Why do they need to be near a lamp? There are two reasons why Billabong Bugs™ must be kept near a lamp. Firstly Billabong Bugs™ need light to stimulate their eggs to hatch. They also need to be kept at 22 – 29 Degrees Celsius at all times, and the heat from the lamp makes sure the water is warm enough. They have changed colour! Billabong Bugs™ start life as very small orange specks but as they grow they will change to a reddish coloration. This is due to the haemoglobin in their blood. As they get larger they change to a brown-grey colour, this is due to the development of greenish pigments in their carapace (protective shell). Back To Top What are all these ghostly Billabong Bug™ forms on the bottom of the tank? What you are most likely seeing is the empty skin of one of your Billabong Bugs™ after it has moulted. A Billabong Bug™ is a crustacean, and like all crustaceans it must shed it’s skin in order to grow larger. Because Billabong Bugs™ grow so rapidly, they will shed their skins at least once a day for the first couple of weeks. If you are lucky enough to see this, it is an amazing spectacle to watch. One day you may notice one of your Bugs acting a little quieter than usual. This is usually a sign that it is about to shed. Suddenly the Bug will start to lift its carapace (the shield shaped bit) up and down as though trying to dislodge something from underneath. What it’s actually doing is loosening the outer skin from the inner one before shedding it. Suddenly it will go through all sorts of wriggling contortions as the Bug slides the old skin off, leaving behind a perfectly see-through, but slightly smaller, ghostly rendition of its former self. How long do Billabong Bugs™ live? Depending on the conditions in which they are raised, including temperature and regular feeding, they can survive between 30 – 90 days. This is a fantastically long life span for your pet Bugs, as in the wild they are lucky if they survive one or two weeks (10 -14 days) before their Billabong dries up again. Do I need a filter? No. Billabong Bugs™ do not need their water to be filtered. In fact a filter could do more harm than good, as the delicate Baby Bugs could be sucked into it and die as a result. Is an air pump necessary? No. This kit has been specially developed so that the number of Bugs and food provided is balanced and you do not need to aerate the water. Why should I use demineralised water? Unfortunately tap water can contain many agents that can be harmful to Billabong Bugs™. Some of these include Fluoride, Chlorine, Chloromine, Ammonia, Iron, zinc and Copper oxides, salts and some types of harmful bacteria. Even “Rain Water Tank’ water can contain some of these harmful agents, so we suggest that you only use demineralised water, which is available from many supermarket chains or automotive stores (Used for ironing and toping up car batteries). I used water from my local creek instead and none hatched - what went wrong? The only way to guarantee that your Billabong Bugs™ will hatch is if you use demineralised water. Creek water can be polluted with chemicals or bacteria harmful to Billabong Bugs™. Back To Top Are Billabong Bugs™ the same as other Triops? Yes and No. Billabong Bugs™ are an Australian Native Crustacean called Triops Australiensis. They occur nowhere else in the world, but there are different species of Triops in other countries. How big do Billabong Bugs™ get? The largest recorded Billabong Bug™ was 9 cm long from nose tip to tail, not including the two antennae at the back. However the average size will be approximately 5-6 centimeters, depending on the conditions they are kept in. What is a Billabong? A Billabong is a waterhole (some people call them clay pans) that usually dries up outside of the rainy season. If it’s a Billabong that does not dry up, you’re not likely to find any Billabong Bugs™ in there. This is because there’s a very good chance that there will be fish in there instead, or a maybe even a Bunyip! Billabong Bugs™ make good fishy tucker, so the two are never found together. This is why they usually only occur out in the middle of the Outback, where it’s very dry and it rains only occasionally, and fish are few and far between. Back To Top Can I buy Billabong Bugs™ and their accessories wholesale? Yes, if you are a registered business and your business resides within Australia. If you are interested in purchasing please email us at info@littleaussieproducts.com or go to our contact page Can I purchase replacements? Yes! If you go to our products page you can view a list of replacements that you can purchase online. Can I put rocks, seashells and aquatic plants in with my Billabong Bugs™? Yes, you can. But patience is required. It is first very important to allow your baby bugs to grow from the tiny dots that they are when they first hatch to at least one centimetre, which only takes approximately one week. Once they are big enough not to get stuck under rocks and plants then you can very carefully put rocks that have been purchased from an aquarium store, very clean seashells free from sea salt and aquarium plants in your Mini-pond bug viewer. However, these things are not necessary for the well being or happiness of your Billabong Bugs™, although ornaments can improve the overall look of their tank. What are good mates for Billabong Bugs™? There are very few animals that Billabong Bugs™ are safe with. Fish, axolotls and turtles will all eat Billabong Bugs™. However there is a perfect tank mate for Billabong Bugs™, aquatic snails. All snails are safe with Billabong Bugs™, including apple or mystery snails, pond snails and ramshorn snails. Snails perform a wonderful cleaning role in the Billabong Bug™ tank eating algae and leftover food that Billabong Bugs™ miss. If I’m going away for a weekend how do I feed my Billabong Bugs™? It is best to setup Billabong Bugs™ during a time that someone is always there to feed them. Unfortunately, like with tadpoles and fish, if Billabong Bugs™ are starving, they may eat their brethren as a way of surviving. During growth their need for daily feeding is very important. If you must leave them for more than a day without food you can place a piece of fresh, well-washed lettuce and a frozen pea to provide nutrition for up to a couple of days. Also be aware that if you are away for a few days the temperatures where your bugs are set could become either too hot or too cold which can lead to reduced numbers or even death. Be careful! Can I put more sand in? Yes. The sand provided with you bugs is a specially formulated mixture that keeps the water in a state that is the healthiest for your bugs. If you do choose to add more sand we strongly recommend that you use some very clean, well washed sand from the beach. This sand contains a similar chemistry to the sand provided with your Billabong Bugs™ kit. What is Bug Moss™? Bug Moss™ is an aquatic floral species specially harvested for Billabong Bugs™. Bug Moss™ will grow and multiply within the confines of your bug tank, providing the bugs with additional food and occasional privacy. Moreover, the vibrant green colour of the Bug Moss™ will bring added attractiveness to your Bug Tank. Bug Moss™ has the amazing ability to remain alive but dormant for up to four months. What other things can I feed my Billabong Bugs™? For special treats Billabong Bugs™ love to eat a variety of different vegetable items. Remember what you put in should be removed if not eaten within a several hours to prevent pollution. This is list of things that Billabong Bugs™ love to eat. • Lettuce • Small pieces of carrot • A single piece of corn • A single frozen pea • Aquarium plants such as Elodea How can I hand feed my Bugs? One of the really enjoyable things with keeping Billabong Bugs™ is that you can hand feed them. When Billabong Bugs™ are particularly hungry they will tell you this by swimming at the surface upside down. When your bugs are in this position it is very easy to take a single pellet of their favourite Bug Grub and with care place it on their belly. The bug will take the pellet and slowly drift back down upside down to the bottom. Very cute! You can tell your friends that you’ve trained your Billabong Bugs™ to eat from your hands. What is a Bunyip? A Bunyip is a mythical creature of aboriginal origin which was adopted by the Europeans who later came to Australia and is commonly referred to in many stories and songs surrounding billabongs. A Bunyip is also a rascally Billabong Bug™ who eats his friends. What is the difference between male and female Billabong Bugs™? There is not a lot of difference between the sexes aside from a pair of obvious pouches that the females carry their eggs in What do the eggs look like? The eggs are very tiny. They are the size of the dot at the end of this sentence. They are also a reddish brown colour, very similar to the sand they are mixed in with so they are hard to see. When they are in the pouch of the female before they are laid you can see them quite easily as the pouches are transparent. When the pouches are filled with eggs they look similar to the pollen pouch that honey bees carry. Click here to view a photograph of this egg pouch on a real Billabong Bug™. Is it possible for my Billabong Bugs™ to have babies? Yes. Here is the easiest way to produce a second generation of Billabong Bugs™ : When the last Bug has completed its life cycle it will have left behind some eggs in the sand. Instead of drying the sand out, which takes time, the best thing to do is to place the container in a dark, cool spot for at least two weeks. And then place the container in a warm area next to lamp, following the instructions for when you first set your bugs up. We have had many customers who have told us this has worked for them and some are now on their fourth generation. However, we cannot guarantee that there will always be the promise of successive hatchlings. I’ve found Billabong Bugs™ in the wild! We’d love to hear form you if you’ve found Billabong Bugs™ in the wild. Scientists are very interested in understanding the total geographic distribution of these amazing critters. What is Demineralised water and where can I buy it? Demineralised water is manufactured by a special filtration process to remove all minerals. Billabong Bugs™ require very pure water in order to hatch successfully. This is why only Demineralised water is recommended. Demineralised is commonly used for topping up car batteries and appliances like steam irons to prevent scale build up. Therefore it is sold in most supermarkets in the laundry or car section in two to five litre containers and is usually cheaper than drinking water. What is the difference between demineralised and distilled water? Distilled water is processed using heat to trap pure water and is expensive compared to the filtration methods used to produce demineralised water. This is why we recommend demineralised over distilled water as it can cost anywhere up to three times the price. Can I use spring, rain or tank water? The problems with these waters are that they usually contain levels of bacteria and minerals that are harmful to baby Billabong Bugs™. They are very susceptible to fungal and bacteria infections and because boiling water doesn’t remove minerals (only bacteria) doing so wont help. What do Billabong Bugs™ do in the wild if they don't have rain for a long time? Billabong Bugs™ have special eggs that are very much like plant seeds. If there is no rain, such as during a drought where rain may not come for two or three years, the eggs remain in the soil completely dry but still alive through an amazing process called Cryptobiosis, which is Latin for “hidden life”. After the rains come, Billabong Bugs™ hatch out in as little as twelve hours to continue the next generation. What is Bugditioner™? Bugditioner™ is a specially formulated recipe for stabilising the new water added to your Mini-Pond bug viewer during weekly water changes. Bugditioner™ is not a normal fish water conditioner and does not contain de-chlorinators. Fish water conditioners will not work for Billabong Bugs™ and could even harm them. When doing water changes, only use Bugditioner™ in combination with demineralised water to be sure your Billabong Bugs™ are safe. |
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