In vitro culture has great potential for the propagation of freshwater mussels in both commercial and conservation aquaculture. The use of in vitro techniques precludes the need for host fish, thus decreasing costs and increasing efficiency. However, protocols are still lacking for many species that grow substantially during the parasitic stage. In this study, we tested the effects of taurine addition, serum type and source of lipids on the survival rate and increase in length of Margaritifera margaritifera larvae during the initial stage of culture (first 11 days of exposure to media). Our results show that taurine has no significant effect on the early survival rate of glochidia; however, the possible importance of this amino acid in subsequent stages is discussed. The use of an emulsified lipid mixture instead of traditional fish oil showed significantly higher rates of survival. Finally, the addition of serum showed variable effects, with both horse serum and newborn calf serum having higher survival in trials using mussel populations from different sources. These findings can contribute to the invention or improvement of in vitro protocols for species growing during infection and at the same time show the potential that early survival assessments could have for the development of in vitro methods in species with long parasitic stages.