Shipping rotifers? Or what else to do with them?

[RCS]

Okay guys, my first batch of rotifers this far has been what I'd call a success. The first 4-5 days was a nice deepening of the Nanno in the tank they're in, followed by the last 3 days to today where the Nanno is almost gone! I hate to simply pull most of them out of there and dump them, but I've got not much else to do with them. I will be setting up another small tank, but there will still be lots of extras.

Anyone shipped rotifers in cold weather? I'm guessing they're not "worth" it to ship overnight, but 2-day or Priority mail may work. I've got 40 hours heat packs sitting around doing nothing right now...so if anyone needs rotifers and is willing to try them out (or wants to pay overnight!) I'm willing to send some out for postage and the cost of supplies. I'm thinking I'll send them out in Breather Bags and can ship a full one or two for probably 1-2 lbs. worth of postage. Total cost shouldn't be any more than $8-10 delivered.

Otherwise, if anyone has any alternate-use suggestions, I'm all ears. They're well-fed on Nanno right now....should I get myself an ice cube tray and freeze some? I'm thinking if I condense them, I can thaw a cube and feed corals or have backup frozen rots down the road just in case. I'll likely feed some of the live ones to corals anyway, but that's about the extent of my use for them.

Thanks!

 

[Kathy55g]

Hi Fred,
You can filter out most of the water, and freeze them and use them someday when you don't have so many live ones.

Congrats, mine have crashed. I don't usually have this trouble....

I live near a university that grows 'em, so I can get a refill for free on Monday.

 

[tanglovers]

Kathy,

When you freeze your excess rots, do you freeze just then, not in any water or anything? What do you typically freeze them in...ziplocs or what? I have been dumping them down the drain but I think freezing some would be an excellent idea.

 

[mwp]

FWIW, when I short-term freeze rotifers (i.e. 5 minutes) and they thaw out, they're still alive. So I bet that they could actually handle low shipping temps fairly well, besides, it takes a lot more to freeze saltwater.

Matt

 

[Kmiec123]

Cool, Idea..I trade for Frags. Freezing good idea. I have hears its not too good on filtration centers for go down the drain with them, better to sive out the pitch in the trash, not that I haven't done it on occasion. Just some thoughts...Carl

 

[Kathy55g]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9032177#post9032177 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tanglovers
Kathy,

When you freeze your excess rots, do you freeze just then, not in any water or anything? What do you typically freeze them in...ziplocs or what? I have been dumping them down the drain but I think freezing some would be an excellent idea.

I just started doing this, so I don't really have a method. I don't really think it matters how much water they have when you freeze them. Just make sure they have eaten a good meal of phyto before you harvest them for freezing. They are only as nutritious as their last meal.

 

[Dman]

Contact your local Aquarium society or message board and start making some money.

 

[Peter Schmiedel]

You would also be amazed how many fish like this small food. My goby collection loves to eat them