sterling18
WMAS and HVReef Member
Amazing this thread is still up and running and not just an FAQ.
Microfood culture: phytoplanktons, Rotifers, ciliates, Artemia, and copepods
- Thread starter FMarini
- Start date
WaffleWalffle22
Zoa Extreemist
I feed my rotifers 3 times each day and keep the water the color of pea soup. Between feedings, the water becomes lighter green. Are the rotifers eating the food or is something wrong? :mixed:
What are you feeding?
Just remember, too much feed, and the uneaten food will decay and also cause a crash. It will def foul the water quickly.
I think one of my batches (or two) have come to this.
I need to change water!!!
Curious, if the batch of rotifers turns a bit cloudy, it is bad?
It doesnt smell funky, but it is cloudy and I have not experienced this before.
Also, the rots are not a high density...has dropped to almost nothing in a few days.
I have only been feeding daily and not harvesting.
It doesnt smell funky, but it is cloudy and I have not experienced this before.
Also, the rots are not a high density...has dropped to almost nothing in a few days.
I have only been feeding daily and not harvesting.
Zooid
New member
sounds like bacteria may have taken over.
do a 100% water change fast. You can still save it.
It's always best to harvest each day. If you are just feeding, then the larger rotifers that no longer produce eggs may
be eating up all the food that could be used by fertile rotifers, starving the egg holding rotifers.
do a 100% water change fast. You can still save it.
It's always best to harvest each day. If you are just feeding, then the larger rotifers that no longer produce eggs may
be eating up all the food that could be used by fertile rotifers, starving the egg holding rotifers.
Bud's Reef
New member
This may have been asked and discussed but I haven't been able to find it. Is there a difference between San Fransico brine shrimp eggs and Great Salt Lake eggs?
landlord
New member
Except from one of GreshamH's posts
Current SFB Artemia are rated @ 80%
The average nauplii length is approximately 425 microns.
Guaranteed Analysis: Protein — 60%, Fat — 24%, Ash — 4.4%, Moisture — 8.5%
Nauplii per gram @ 80% = 280,000
Known for their high lipid levels or HUFA’s, these cysts are 100% Artemia franciscana harvested from the San Francisco Bay salt ponds. The processing technology, using fluidized-bed dryers, results in a shell-free product with excellent separation.
GSL Artemia are rated @ 90% (from Artemia International)
Average nauplii size at hatching is 440 microns.
Guaranteed Analysis: Protein - 60%, Fat - 24%, Ash - 4.4%, Moisture - 8.5%
Nauplii per gram @ 90% = 250,000
Artemia cysts (brine shrimp) are certified virus free by the University of Arizona Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory
HTH
Current SFB Artemia are rated @ 80%
The average nauplii length is approximately 425 microns.
Guaranteed Analysis: Protein — 60%, Fat — 24%, Ash — 4.4%, Moisture — 8.5%
Nauplii per gram @ 80% = 280,000
Known for their high lipid levels or HUFA’s, these cysts are 100% Artemia franciscana harvested from the San Francisco Bay salt ponds. The processing technology, using fluidized-bed dryers, results in a shell-free product with excellent separation.
GSL Artemia are rated @ 90% (from Artemia International)
Average nauplii size at hatching is 440 microns.
Guaranteed Analysis: Protein - 60%, Fat - 24%, Ash - 4.4%, Moisture - 8.5%
Nauplii per gram @ 90% = 250,000
Artemia cysts (brine shrimp) are certified virus free by the University of Arizona Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory
HTH
usctrack
New member
I have read every page of this thread and the links at the beginning and LOVE the information. I have ordered my disks from Florida Aqua Farms but am still waiting.
In the meantime I have also ordered some brine shimp and will give that a try.
My question is when you say a 100% water change, how are you doing that and keeping the nanno and roti? are you filtering? Just curious and havent seen that part explained.
In the meantime I have also ordered some brine shimp and will give that a try.
My question is when you say a 100% water change, how are you doing that and keeping the nanno and roti? are you filtering? Just curious and havent seen that part explained.
Bud's Reef
New member
ME2003
Premium Member
Coepods
There really is not a good reference for hobbyist for growing copepods
This is a good reference for larger scale and general information.
http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/flsgp/flsgph07002.pdf
An issue with copepods is which algae to use. Rhodomonas is difficult to
grow but is the best. T. ISO works and is easier to grow. The article referenced
below has a lot of information on raising copepods.
I went to a presentation by Dr. Andrew Rhyne ,who raises a lot of copepods
for queen triggerfish, and he uses T. ISO. I have also tried growing Rhodomonas
and it is not easy.
Development of an optimal microalgal diet for the culture of the
calanoid copepod Acartia sinjiensis: Effect of algal species and
feed concentration on copepod development
R.M. Knuckey et al. / Aquaculture 249 (2005) 339"“351
There really is not a good reference for hobbyist for growing copepods
This is a good reference for larger scale and general information.
http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/flsgp/flsgph07002.pdf
An issue with copepods is which algae to use. Rhodomonas is difficult to
grow but is the best. T. ISO works and is easier to grow. The article referenced
below has a lot of information on raising copepods.
I went to a presentation by Dr. Andrew Rhyne ,who raises a lot of copepods
for queen triggerfish, and he uses T. ISO. I have also tried growing Rhodomonas
and it is not easy.
Development of an optimal microalgal diet for the culture of the
calanoid copepod Acartia sinjiensis: Effect of algal species and
feed concentration on copepod development
R.M. Knuckey et al. / Aquaculture 249 (2005) 339"“351
ME2003
Premium Member
For people living near the ocean in New England, We have been collecting a lot
of mysids lately. They are larger mysids but the juvenile shrimp are small and
do well in a tank. They are an good food for the newly hatch cuttlefish we are
raising. Amphipods can also be collected which is also a good food for newly
hatched cuttlefish
of mysids lately. They are larger mysids but the juvenile shrimp are small and
do well in a tank. They are an good food for the newly hatch cuttlefish we are
raising. Amphipods can also be collected which is also a good food for newly
hatched cuttlefish
herring_fish
Crazy Designer
Sustainable Artemia Culture
Sustainable Artemia Culture
I want to grow artemia but I want to learn how to grow it using powdered phytoplankton. To that end,
(Version 1) I got about a quart of the critters from someone that grows it and put it in a 10 gallon tank in the garage, filled with about 8 gallons of freshly mixed salt water. I bubbled air into the tank through a tube with no stone. I added powder twice a day. I added a few pinches, enough to return the water lightly green but adding enough so that it does not run clear before the next feeding. The culture appeared to do well, multiplying nicely, until the fourth day when it crashed all of a sudden. I knew that it would happen but I thought that it would take longer for the powder to foul the water.
(Version 2) I got another quart, put it in a new clean empty tank and added powder that night. Once again, it was aerated. The next day, I added 2 gallons of clean salt water. I continued to feed the culture twice a day and added 2 more gallons of clean salt water each day. Never the less, the culture crashed last night. Again, it was the fourth day.
I thought that adding 2 gallons per day would keep the water parameters reasonably good until I could start cycling 2 gallons of water from the main tank and back again per day, at a rate of one quart every 3 hours. I would do this using a timer and a controller based powder feeder.
I tested the water after the crash and the nitrates were very low. The test kit hardly changed color at all so it was less than 10 mg/l. I would guess that it was 1 or 2. The phosphates, on the other hand, were a 0.8 mg/l.
In the past, I kept a 55 gallon tank of brine shrimp in the basement with only an air stone and some coral sand on the bottom. I added eggs from time to time and powdered food several times a week. The tank never fouled and the critters simply dove to the bottom and fed off of the surface of the sand.
I thought that if I could dial the artemia culture in properly, I could keep a sustainable culture using powdered food. It seams that artemia is much more finicky than I thought that it would be.
Can anyone give me some advice to help me out on Version 3?
Sustainable Artemia Culture
I want to grow artemia but I want to learn how to grow it using powdered phytoplankton. To that end,
(Version 1) I got about a quart of the critters from someone that grows it and put it in a 10 gallon tank in the garage, filled with about 8 gallons of freshly mixed salt water. I bubbled air into the tank through a tube with no stone. I added powder twice a day. I added a few pinches, enough to return the water lightly green but adding enough so that it does not run clear before the next feeding. The culture appeared to do well, multiplying nicely, until the fourth day when it crashed all of a sudden. I knew that it would happen but I thought that it would take longer for the powder to foul the water.
(Version 2) I got another quart, put it in a new clean empty tank and added powder that night. Once again, it was aerated. The next day, I added 2 gallons of clean salt water. I continued to feed the culture twice a day and added 2 more gallons of clean salt water each day. Never the less, the culture crashed last night. Again, it was the fourth day.
I thought that adding 2 gallons per day would keep the water parameters reasonably good until I could start cycling 2 gallons of water from the main tank and back again per day, at a rate of one quart every 3 hours. I would do this using a timer and a controller based powder feeder.
I tested the water after the crash and the nitrates were very low. The test kit hardly changed color at all so it was less than 10 mg/l. I would guess that it was 1 or 2. The phosphates, on the other hand, were a 0.8 mg/l.
In the past, I kept a 55 gallon tank of brine shrimp in the basement with only an air stone and some coral sand on the bottom. I added eggs from time to time and powdered food several times a week. The tank never fouled and the critters simply dove to the bottom and fed off of the surface of the sand.
I thought that if I could dial the artemia culture in properly, I could keep a sustainable culture using powdered food. It seams that artemia is much more finicky than I thought that it would be.
Can anyone give me some advice to help me out on Version 3?
herring_fish
Crazy Designer
Devolved Oxygen? Good thought. I guess that it is too late to do that. Version 2 was in a 6 foot tall tube that was only 6 inches in diameter. I had a good sized air pump that drove air through a smaller tube, to the bottom of the tube with no air stone. The bubbles traveled back up the whole 6 feet and were pretty energetic. I actually thought about clamping it down a bet because the bubbles were concentrated in the 6 inch column. Of course, if a bacteria bloom is big enough, there may not be enough air in the world to feed it.
Last edited:
herring_fish
Crazy Designer
I had the end of the air tube placed at the bottom of the funnel in the tube. I am going to move it up to the half way point so that the solids can settle to the bottom. I am also going to suck out a little of the water from the funnel with a dosing pump every 3 hours so that I can get rid of those solids .
I hope that I don't have to go with pure oxygen. That would be an added complication and expense. My first step would be to install an algae scrubber because I am very comfortable with them. An algae scrubber would bring the dissolved oxygen up but that would entail a lift or a higher volume dosing pump. I already have one of those but I really want to keep this as simple as possible.
My hope is that by getting rid of as much of the un-dissolved powder as possible, I can keep the bacteria at a lower level. Then when the tube is full and running, I plan to turn over of a quarter of the water per day. Hopefully, the bacteria count will be low enough for the artemia to survive despite using powder.
Maybe I can find the key while keeping things simple and inexpensive as possible.
I hope that I don't have to go with pure oxygen. That would be an added complication and expense. My first step would be to install an algae scrubber because I am very comfortable with them. An algae scrubber would bring the dissolved oxygen up but that would entail a lift or a higher volume dosing pump. I already have one of those but I really want to keep this as simple as possible.
My hope is that by getting rid of as much of the un-dissolved powder as possible, I can keep the bacteria at a lower level. Then when the tube is full and running, I plan to turn over of a quarter of the water per day. Hopefully, the bacteria count will be low enough for the artemia to survive despite using powder.
Maybe I can find the key while keeping things simple and inexpensive as possible.
herring_fish
Crazy Designer
Rotifer=Artemia?(not)
Rotifer=Artemia?(not)
Now I have to apologize. I am embarrassed to say that I have confused myself. I thought that artemia and rotifers were two names for the same thing or a generic name for both rotifers and brine shrimp. Rotifers are what I am actually trying to grow. Sorry
I have to re-visit a lot of my research and advice because I have conflated a lot of information into one confusing pile. I was getting information to go cleaner and to go dirtier.
A friend sent me to this site for continuous culturing.
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/Raising-Rotifers-or-CopepodsThe-Method-is-the-Same-c199.html
Now I have to figure how I can dove tail this into my design for feeding the tank. I still don't know if I can use powdered food for the rotifers.
Rotifer=Artemia?(not)
Now I have to apologize. I am embarrassed to say that I have confused myself. I thought that artemia and rotifers were two names for the same thing or a generic name for both rotifers and brine shrimp. Rotifers are what I am actually trying to grow. Sorry
I have to re-visit a lot of my research and advice because I have conflated a lot of information into one confusing pile. I was getting information to go cleaner and to go dirtier.
A friend sent me to this site for continuous culturing.
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/Raising-Rotifers-or-CopepodsThe-Method-is-the-Same-c199.html
Now I have to figure how I can dove tail this into my design for feeding the tank. I still don't know if I can use powdered food for the rotifers.
ocfishaddicts
New member
thank you so much for taking the time to provide such an informative thread - exactly what i need right now... will take more time to read through tomorrow --- eggs are going to hatch soon, have someone going growing the food at the moment. want to do it going forward. hopefully all will go well... =)
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