Rotifer Help

[tjp]

I just got me a batch of rotifers and would like to put them in something, what size of a container would you recommend?
I’m thinking of splitting this batch so I have two of them going at a time, so if one crashes…

I’m thinking like two 5 gallon glass tanks but only starting out only filling them half full then with each daily water change adding a little bit more water over a week’s time tell I have both tanks at the 5 gallon mark.

The water I’m thinking of using will be coming from my reef tank ran threw a coffee filter from the weekly water changes and stored in a 35g drum with an air stone and pumped up to the 2 rotifer tanks with an Aqua Lifter pump as needed.

Anybody see anything wrong or could improve this idea?

The rotifers are needed to feed Clownfish fry.

Thanks for the help in advance.

Terry

It would also help to see pic's of your Rotifer setup.

 

[billsreef]

The 5 gallon tanks will be fine for culturing rots. For reusing tank water from your reef, I would either micron filter it or sterilize it with bleach followed by dechlorination first. The coffee filter won't be fine enough to prevent contamination

 

[tjp]

Will fresh saltwater (IO) work better if I use ro/di water?
And am I right by building them up slowly?
Day 1 start with 1g in each tank
Day 2 drain off 1qt and add 1.5qt back with fresh saltwater.
Day 3 drain off 1.25qt and add 2qt back

And so on tell I have 5g?

 

[billsreef]

Fresh SW, aged a couple of days, will work fine. Yes, you do want to ramp up slowly. Though you probably don't need to do the daily water change, just ramp up the volume How are you feeding them, live phyto, algae paste?

 

[tjp]

Rotifer Diet for now, whats the algae paste and will it be cheaper?

 

[billsreef]

Reed's Rotifer Diet?

 

[tjp]

it came with the starter kit i got.

http://www.reed-store.com/?category=58&subcategory=30&productid=RSK-BASIC

 

[tjp]

should I use this stuff?
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/Nannochloropsis-Algae-Paste-Greenwater-c34.html

Thanks

 

[billsreef]

Both those items are essentially the same, they are concentrated Nanochloropsis phytoplankton produced by Reed. So the Rotifer Diet you already have is quite fine

 

[tjp]

cool, thanks for all your help,, looks like I'm set for now.

 

[rkelman]

For what its worth. I re use the water I change out of the larvae / growout tanks to change the water in my Rot cultures. They seem to do better on the "dirty" water.

 

[MYDRAAL]

Isn't the one from reed Nannochlopsis? Not Nannochloropsis. Are they the excact same thing?

 

[billsreef]

Nannochlopsis is either a somewhat common misspelling or an older former name for Nannochloropsis.

 

[MYDRAAL]

Thank you

 

[dazed]

tjp; glad to see the thread got started. Here is a picture of my current setup for the cultures. Rot's are on the bottom in the 2 5g tanks.

[/IMG]