mwp
In Memoriam
A couple folks asked me to post more details about my attempts to utilize a greenwater technique with SS-Strain Rotifers and assorted copepods as a way to potentially rear more difficult species (such as Mandarins, smaller Gobies, Pelagic Cardinalfish etc...).
Let me start off with the "base" cultures. All are cultured at room temperature, which ranges from approximately 68F to 73F. All cultures are kept at roughly full strength saltwater, SG of 1.023 to 1.025 or so. Photoperiod is roughly 16 light / 8 dark. ALL cultures are lit with 4 48" 40 watt daylight flourescents from above..roughly 18" overhead and to one side. The phytoplankton cultures have an additional 48" shop light shining in from the side....currently only 1 bulb is burning, a 50/50 I believe. The basic culture station is actually an orchid growing rack. My phyto is on the top shelf, my zooplankton is on the bottom shelf. Tetra luft pumps run the things!
For Phytoplankton, I'm currently culturing Nannochloropsis, Tetraselmis and T-Iso (Tahitian Isocrysis). I finally obtained a Nannochloris starter disk and will be restarting Nannochloris in the next week or so. Up until this point in the 'experiment', I've just been utilizing the first 3 algae types. All phyto is cultured with the "traditional" F2 media in 2L bottles. I've recently switched from microwave sterlization to 12 drops of bleach per 2L of new culture water for the phyto...dechlored with 15 drops Novaqua Plus...seems to be working well. For Phyto culture starter sources:
Nannochloropsis and Tetraslemis - www.florida-aqua-farms.com
T-Iso - www.seahorsesource.com
I'm working with SS-Strian Rotifers I procured from another site member. I don't believe he's selling them, but I know starter cysts of B. rotundiformis can be purchased from www.seahorsesource.com. I run 3 2L bottle cultures of SS-Strain Rots...at any given moment one of the 3 is usually in some state of collapse....they're a bit more finicky than regular L-Strain rots. The SS Rots get fed roughly 3 oz of stored phytoplankton, a mix of all 3 types on hand, whatever happens to be in surplus and has been stored in the fridge (usually only sits around a few days before being fed).
I have 3 copepods in culture. The first is the Tiggerpod, the largest of the 3. Tiggerpods can be obtained through many LFS's and are a Reed product - www.reed-mariculture.com. Tigriops californicus I believe is the scientific name. I found out that this species of copepod, while bulky, big, and spiny, has "juveniles" that are actually free swimming...if this is true, that means that the nauplii and copepodites are actually up in the water column, available as food (provided they're not too large or spikey). My tiggerpod cultures are mixed with L-Strain rotifers...they actually kinda 'move around' between my 5 L-Strain cultures, always blooming in one or another. I do them in gallon milk jugs (shhh ED!) and have found they do better when the jug is not filled to the top, but rather filled anywhere as long as it has the largest surface area possible (lower 2/3 of the bottle max). These cultures are also fed a mixture of all 3 phyto species, roughly 3 fl. oz.
The 2nd copepod is a benthic type that likely "infested" my L-Strain cultures coming from the reef tank. They are small copepods, most of them are not much larger than big rotifers. The appear white and like to sit on the glass of my tanks. They get the same treatment as the Tiggerpods. Basically, we probably ALL have these little copepods in our reef tanks, so getting some off the glass at night is probably all it would take to start up your own culture.
The last cultures are Acartia tonsa. Luis was very helpful in getting my cultures going. One of Luis's biggest suggestions was to culture them at 1.010, and only feed T-Iso. Apparently, this calanoid copepod (always swimming in the water column) is actually a temperate species as well. In any case, I've gradually adjusted these guys to full strenght saltwater and they're blossoming. I feed again, 3 oz. of phyto daily to the 2 2L cultures I have going. The difference is that they do NOT get any Nannochloropsis. Luis says it can kill them, and I've heard other similar reports about Nannochloropsis negatively impacting some copepods. Tetraselmis hasn't been a problem however, so both Tet and T-Iso get fed to the Acartia tonsa cultures. Acartia tonsa starter cultures are listed as available (pricey but probably worth it) at www.seahorsesource.com. I gotta say, these are REALLY cool pods...slightly larger than baby brine shrimp as adults. Probably much more beneficial to late stage larvae, and the nauplii of A. tonsa would probably be great for the tiniest of larvae.
So that's what I have roaming around here at the moment. Next post - the experimental "technique".
Matt
Let me start off with the "base" cultures. All are cultured at room temperature, which ranges from approximately 68F to 73F. All cultures are kept at roughly full strength saltwater, SG of 1.023 to 1.025 or so. Photoperiod is roughly 16 light / 8 dark. ALL cultures are lit with 4 48" 40 watt daylight flourescents from above..roughly 18" overhead and to one side. The phytoplankton cultures have an additional 48" shop light shining in from the side....currently only 1 bulb is burning, a 50/50 I believe. The basic culture station is actually an orchid growing rack. My phyto is on the top shelf, my zooplankton is on the bottom shelf. Tetra luft pumps run the things!
For Phytoplankton, I'm currently culturing Nannochloropsis, Tetraselmis and T-Iso (Tahitian Isocrysis). I finally obtained a Nannochloris starter disk and will be restarting Nannochloris in the next week or so. Up until this point in the 'experiment', I've just been utilizing the first 3 algae types. All phyto is cultured with the "traditional" F2 media in 2L bottles. I've recently switched from microwave sterlization to 12 drops of bleach per 2L of new culture water for the phyto...dechlored with 15 drops Novaqua Plus...seems to be working well. For Phyto culture starter sources:
Nannochloropsis and Tetraslemis - www.florida-aqua-farms.com
T-Iso - www.seahorsesource.com
I'm working with SS-Strian Rotifers I procured from another site member. I don't believe he's selling them, but I know starter cysts of B. rotundiformis can be purchased from www.seahorsesource.com. I run 3 2L bottle cultures of SS-Strain Rots...at any given moment one of the 3 is usually in some state of collapse....they're a bit more finicky than regular L-Strain rots. The SS Rots get fed roughly 3 oz of stored phytoplankton, a mix of all 3 types on hand, whatever happens to be in surplus and has been stored in the fridge (usually only sits around a few days before being fed).
I have 3 copepods in culture. The first is the Tiggerpod, the largest of the 3. Tiggerpods can be obtained through many LFS's and are a Reed product - www.reed-mariculture.com. Tigriops californicus I believe is the scientific name. I found out that this species of copepod, while bulky, big, and spiny, has "juveniles" that are actually free swimming...if this is true, that means that the nauplii and copepodites are actually up in the water column, available as food (provided they're not too large or spikey). My tiggerpod cultures are mixed with L-Strain rotifers...they actually kinda 'move around' between my 5 L-Strain cultures, always blooming in one or another. I do them in gallon milk jugs (shhh ED!) and have found they do better when the jug is not filled to the top, but rather filled anywhere as long as it has the largest surface area possible (lower 2/3 of the bottle max). These cultures are also fed a mixture of all 3 phyto species, roughly 3 fl. oz.
The 2nd copepod is a benthic type that likely "infested" my L-Strain cultures coming from the reef tank. They are small copepods, most of them are not much larger than big rotifers. The appear white and like to sit on the glass of my tanks. They get the same treatment as the Tiggerpods. Basically, we probably ALL have these little copepods in our reef tanks, so getting some off the glass at night is probably all it would take to start up your own culture.
The last cultures are Acartia tonsa. Luis was very helpful in getting my cultures going. One of Luis's biggest suggestions was to culture them at 1.010, and only feed T-Iso. Apparently, this calanoid copepod (always swimming in the water column) is actually a temperate species as well. In any case, I've gradually adjusted these guys to full strenght saltwater and they're blossoming. I feed again, 3 oz. of phyto daily to the 2 2L cultures I have going. The difference is that they do NOT get any Nannochloropsis. Luis says it can kill them, and I've heard other similar reports about Nannochloropsis negatively impacting some copepods. Tetraselmis hasn't been a problem however, so both Tet and T-Iso get fed to the Acartia tonsa cultures. Acartia tonsa starter cultures are listed as available (pricey but probably worth it) at www.seahorsesource.com. I gotta say, these are REALLY cool pods...slightly larger than baby brine shrimp as adults. Probably much more beneficial to late stage larvae, and the nauplii of A. tonsa would probably be great for the tiniest of larvae.
So that's what I have roaming around here at the moment. Next post - the experimental "technique".
Matt
You won't need any of the pods for clowns as I mentioned earlier...although I don't *think* they'll hurt!
