Okay so I wasn't really sure where to ask this and figured this might be the best spot.
I am starting research at my university with Tropheus duboisi I know thats a freshwater species but figured maybe someone here could still help me out and give me some ideas. I am taking faecal samples and analyzing the nutrient content. What my issue is is the collection of the waste. There is not much literature out there on faecal collection methods in a small scale experiment, all I have been able to find is at the aquaculture scale with large nets. The other method I have found is called stripping where you physically squeeze the waste out of the fish. This has been proven to give the most accurate results if done properly but the waste can also become contaminated with unwanted fluids such as blood. The other issue I am running into since stripping is out of the question is the nutrients seeping back into the water and not giving great results.
So my question is does anyone have any good ideas on how to collect the waste without physically handling the fish and not have the waste sitting in the water for too long where the nutrients will be lost back into the water?
The best so far I have came up with is just using a turkey baster to target waste and try to get it as it is coming out of the fish, but I really dont think that the most practical way since that would have me in the lab for hours on in looking at six fish tanks waiting for a fish to poop.
Thanks in advance for any ideas and suggestions.
also if some one thinks their is a more appropriate thread please relocate this.
Thanks,
Ryan
I am starting research at my university with Tropheus duboisi I know thats a freshwater species but figured maybe someone here could still help me out and give me some ideas. I am taking faecal samples and analyzing the nutrient content. What my issue is is the collection of the waste. There is not much literature out there on faecal collection methods in a small scale experiment, all I have been able to find is at the aquaculture scale with large nets. The other method I have found is called stripping where you physically squeeze the waste out of the fish. This has been proven to give the most accurate results if done properly but the waste can also become contaminated with unwanted fluids such as blood. The other issue I am running into since stripping is out of the question is the nutrients seeping back into the water and not giving great results.
So my question is does anyone have any good ideas on how to collect the waste without physically handling the fish and not have the waste sitting in the water for too long where the nutrients will be lost back into the water?
The best so far I have came up with is just using a turkey baster to target waste and try to get it as it is coming out of the fish, but I really dont think that the most practical way since that would have me in the lab for hours on in looking at six fish tanks waiting for a fish to poop.
Thanks in advance for any ideas and suggestions.
also if some one thinks their is a more appropriate thread please relocate this.
Thanks,
Ryan
