Microfood culture: phytoplanktons, Rotifers, ciliates, Artemia, and copepods

[abgg118]

There are a lot of factors to consider. I take it the temerature was allright the whole time. Did you do water changes? A fry grow-out tank gets fouled rather quickly because of the over-abundance of food (you have to add quite a lot of rotifers). Water changes are necessary almost every day or two (depending on food density, of course). It may be that your ammonia built up and that caused their death. The fact that they made it to 3 days means they did eat the rotifers, as the yolk sack would most likely not have carried them that long.

 

[XMASTER]

Thanks for the info abgg118. I will do a 10% water change every day on the next batch and see if that works.

 

[Luis A M]

XMaster,what you call spotted cardinals,pajamas?

 

[jpitts101]

has anyone sucesfully cultured Rhodomonas ( the red phytoplankton ) ???? I have obtained a culture but cant find any helpfull info on cultureing it. i have several cultures started but its not looking good for any of them. thanks for any help in advance.

 

[XMASTER]

Yes Pajama Cardinalfish , also known as Polka-dot Cardinalfish or Spotted Cardinalfish

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10148639#post10148639 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Luis A M
XMaster,what you call spotted cardinals,pajamas?

 

[renogaw]

couple questions: I just emptied my copepod culture station. i started with a bottle of tigger pods in it, and ended up with nothing but adult brine shrimp.

1) why are there brine shrimp in my tigger pods...?
2) i used nannochloropsis in one culture, tetraselmis in the other, and neither produced anything but brine shrimp. something done wrong? (i set it up per the article)

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Did you use any of the bottles, culture stations, or tools and utensils in a Brine Shrimp setup?

 

[renogaw]

nope, was brand new setup, first time doing it. i originally asked question in my reef club about half hr ago, no response so i posted here. i just got a response from someone (who seems they work for the company) that they may not be brine but just their larger copepods.

 

[renogaw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10791503#post10791503 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by renogaw
nope, was brand new setup, first time doing it. i originally asked question in my reef club about half hr ago, no response so i posted here. i just got a response from someone (who seems they work for the company) that they may not be brine but just their larger copepods.

well, no response in half an hour again, so back to here, anyone have any ideas?

the things i scooped out were about 1/4" white bodied brine shrimp look alikes, with a black streak down their spine

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

I think you just might have adult 'pods in there.

Did it look like this?

Or this?
<img src="http://www.wfu.edu/biology/faculty/brownera/artemia.jpg" height=300 width=180>

 

[renogaw]

second picture

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

I don't know what to tell you. If you cultured and used all your tools starting out completely sterile and you sterilized after each use, then there should be no way that you were cross contaminated with Artemia.

 

[renogaw]

so they are brine?

was brand new ten gallon, split it in half with a piece of plexi glass. brand new air line and rigid pipe. i have bred artemia, but it was completely seperate--i have a dual outlet air pump and the artemia was on the other outlet, at the end of my 10 station phyto setup on the last gang valve. plus the pump is 2' above the breeding stations so there's no way water could have gotten up to the pump, through it, and out the other side.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

No, but splashing and tools used to transfer water could cause cross contamination. I couldn't tell you if they are brine or not without a picture of what you're growing. You said yourself that it was the second picture, and that was of Artemia. The first picture is T. californicus (AKA Tigger Pods).

 

[renogaw]

I can't see it being cross contamination, but that second picture is what i took out of the tank. my camera stinks and couldn't get a good enough shot. the ten gallon is on a shelf above the phyto/brine setup (on the floor). i was isnanely careful because that article says brine will eat just about anything it can. they are saying there's no way brine could have come in the jar, but i can't see how i could have cross contaminated it.

oh well, i guess i'll go get another jar, but just stinks that $20 are down the drain. i'd have been ok if it crashed or something, since it's learning curve, but to have nothing but brine shrimp in there stinks.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

You can still use it to feed the tanks, but I agree that would suck if it was all Brine. But, don't count your chickens before they hatch. See if you can find someone local who can look at it under a Microscope. Heck, you can get a decent Pocket Microscope for $9.99 at Radio Shack.

 

[renogaw]

i dumped them in the fuge anyway, cleaned out the tank, and am going to try once i get some more phyto up and running.

my fuge is chock full of amphipods, maybe i'll just try them. my mandarin just doesn't seem to like eating them though.

 

[timrandlerv10]

my nanno cultures are getting darker, heavier, 'sludgelike' deposits on the bottom of the bottles.

i assume that its large clumps of nanno.

is that bad?

is it bad for the culture?
i wasnt sure what to do, so i poured 1/2 the culture into a new bottle, and then washed the sludge out into my fuge.

thoughts?

thanks,

tim

 

[shikhyung]

Newbie here. Instead using an air pump, can you use a small power head to culture copepods? Shin.

 

[FMarini]

I guess you can use a small powerhead, HOWEVER, you got to protect the input from sucking in nauplii.
So IMHO- I would use an airpump and stone