How does one "scoop" rotifers?

[thegoaliestaxi]

Please forgive what might seem a silly question.

I have some problems with my eyesight and I can't tell for sure if I can actually see my rotifers or not. I see some brown dots at the top of the water and there is a bit of junk at the bottom. (Boy that sounds silly - but it's true.) My son tells me he can see them and that my rotifer tanks look good. I alternate feeding them DT's and Phytoplex about every other day -- not letting the water get clear - just lighter. So logic says -- I have rotifers.

Anyway -- a few days ago I had a hatch of gold stripe maroon eggs. I managed to rescue one fry (yes one) and he is remarkable! So -- since then, several times a day, I have been adding about equal parts of water from my rotifer tanks and my parent tank to the fry tank - along with a tiny bit of DT's or Phyto. I don't stir my rotifer water - so I don't get stuff from the bottom. This seems to keep the fry tank right around 1.020/1.021, the water just the tiniest bit green, and a little silver belly on my fry.

Here's the real meat of the question -- is there a better way to do this? How can I be sure that my rotifer density is adequate?

Also -- I have the clownfish bible by Joyce Wilkerson (I'll rescue more fry next time ) and it's awesome, but it doesn't seem to be able to tell me how to be sure about this rotifer bit

Many thanks in advance!

 

[billsreef]

Best way is to siphon from the rotifer tank into a 50 micron sieve to concentrate the rots and leave behind the culture water. You can get rotifer sieves from Florida Aqua Farms or Aquatic Ecosystems. For checking the density, get a good magnifying glass and use that the count how many rotifers you get in a teaspoon of tank water. Another good book to have is Hoff's Plankton Culture Manual, all the good stuff on how to raise the food for your babies

 

[FMarini]

like Bill mentions you'll need a rotifer sieve, thats gonna be the easist way.

However for my continous cultures, I usually end up removing about 1/3 of the rotifer culture each harvest (w/ a siphon), and replace it w/ new fresh SW (clean sides and bottom esp if your using cyropastes and not live phyto). This way you remove a portion of the rotifers, yet leave enough rotifers behind to continue the process.
Of course add sufficient phyto to th enew culture to ensure it is getting fed

if you want to read up on more details like this feel free to read up here
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/breeder.htm

 

[Lifes A Beach]

I use water from the parent tank for my fry tank but I would not use the water from the rotifer culture as I don't think it's very clean. You should sieve the rotifers from the culture and return or replace the culture water depending on the quality. You can also use a coffee filter to sieve the rotifers.

 

[thegoaliestaxi]

Hey - Thanks y'all! Working up my order right now Might as well get some Roti-Rich too huh - for that well rounded rotifer. haha Thanks again!

 

[thegoaliestaxi]

Many thanks Pride. I have used the coffee filter method when doing water changes. I always make a mess lol Good point about the culture water being maybe not so clean tho. Thanks again! I'm looking forward to seeing my UPS dude in a couple days

 

[ReidiLoverLinds]

You have to enrich the rots or they are pretty much useless. They act as a nutrient transporter but are nutritionless before being enriched. this website has everything you will need for rots including the rots www.seahorsesource.com the best thing to feed them is the nanno paste and enrich them with the t. iso paste. Just give them a call they are really helpful. HTH

 

[GreshamH]

Enriching rotifers depends on the larvae being fed. While T-Iso makes a good enrichment it may not be the best for the animal you seek to feed. It all boils down to the fatty acid profile of the enrichment and the fatty acid needs of the larvae.

 

[Lifes A Beach]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11989833#post11989833 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GreshamH
Enriching rotifers depends on the larvae being fed. While T-Iso makes a good enrichment it may not be the best for the animal you seek to feed. It all boils down to the fatty acid profile of the enrichment and the fatty acid needs of the larvae.

What enrichment would you recommend? Is Instant Algae a good one?

 

[GreshamH]

For what animal? Any answer I give about IA would be biased, I work for RMI

 

[Lifes A Beach]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11990312#post11990312 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GreshamH
For what animal?

For ocellaris clown fry. It's good to get info directly from the source!!

 

[ReidiLoverLinds]

haha yeah i am pretty partial to seahorses, they are all i have ever enriched to feed out.

 

[billsreef]

T-Iso works very well for clown fry, either grow your own or use IA.

 

[Atticus]

I may have read your first post incorrectly, but it seemed you were adding water from your rotifer culture directly to your fry tank. For future referance and for others reading this, that practice is not recommended as you are transfering high ammonia water into a fry tank with a typically low biological filtration. High ammonia levels can kill or damage the quality of your resultant fry.

 

[ReidiLoverLinds]

You should really order your stuff from seahorse source. You can get nanno paste to feed the rots, t. iso paste to enrich, and they sell some kickin seives from florida aqua farms. Im sure you could find some really useful items on there for what you are trying to do. good luck!

 

[BIGSKY]

You can also buy micron material at small parts .com and build your own sieves out of the small tang(not the fish) containers.
They sell a kit that comes with 3"x6" micron material from 1000 to 37 microns if you need more then one size sieve this is a cheaper way of doing it.

 

[Hendersonracing]

I use the 53 mircon seive for my rotifers...Im having issues with alot of stuff on the bottom of my rotifer tank? whats the best way to siphon it out?

 

[ReidiLoverLinds]

Let the contents settle and dump the clean rotifer water into a clean bowl. You are just letting the junk settle. Dump the dirty water and clean the green film from the container that forms. Replace rotifers. wash, rinse, repeat haha. I clean mine every other day or so.