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BTW... My basement is unheated...and it allows me to keep cultures going REAL slow down there. If I go away, on business or vacation, I take all my cultures from upstairs and put them in the basement. I also have 5 gallon buckets with rots and phyto cultures down there 'in hibernation' all the time.
If you are ever going to get into breeding, whether it be Rob's clownfish or my Seahorses, you will need access to rotifers, greenwater, brine shrimp etc. on a constant basis. Rob's set up is A LOT like mine. Actually, I ditched the 2L bottles after talking with Rob and I now use larger opening containers.
I have the books "PLANKTON CULTURE MANUAL and CONDITIONING, SPAWNING & REARING FISH WITH EMPHASIS ON MARINE CLOWNFISH" from them. Lots of very good information.
In mention of using Miracle Gro or any land plant based fertilizer….A media called f-media was developed by a scientist named Guillard and was a general formula for culturing marine phytoplankton. Terrestrial ferts such as micracle gro have a similar ratio(Redfield) of N:P as the f/2, f-media but an area of concern for me would be the levels of trace metals in the terrestrial v. the marine media. Trace metals are critical for healthy growth of both land and aquatic plants/algae but there are many corals that are sensitive to them.
There are off-the-shelf f/2 formulas available but they vary in quality so we make our own from food grade macro-nutrients and reduced metals. When not available we use Fritz’s and have had great success even with finicky species of microalgae.
Species…many people use nannochloropsis that is very rich in a fatty acid called EPA. However, many organisms need another fatty acid called DHA, found in T.iso, pavlova, rhodomonas (amongst others). In our discussions with professional breeders they claim that they have a greater egg production and overall health when fed rotifers that have been fed on T.iso. DHA and the proper ratio of DHA:EPA is responsible for the proper melanization, eye development, and reduced deformities in fish. Actually DHA is being added to human infant formula because of studies illustrating better brain development in infants when supplemented with DHA. Some species of marine organisms are known to synthesize EPA from DHA but not the other way around. These more nutritious species are usually more finicky to culture….a warning or challenge.
Finally, not all algae plates or discs are clean. Ciliates can live and grow on these plates. Some ciliates can take an entire culture down within hours. There are sources for very clean liquid cultures that can expedite the entire process. In my opinion it is worth obtaining clean culture as this will increase the chances of success and longevity. Eventhough success can be obtained from using a ready made mix of phytoplankton it is best to buy a culture with one species in it, that is fresh and specifically for that purpose.
We (AlgaGen) offer starter cultures, and media…so does Aquafarms, CCMP, UTEX, Aquatic Eco-Systems..in addition to others.
I know you guys addressed temperature earlier, but I have to ask...
I live in Southeast Texas, where the temperature swings are quick and extreme. I would like to house my culture in my garage, but the temperature in there can go from 40 F in the dead of winter (winter lasts about 45 minutes here) to 90 F in the summer (summer lasts about 11.99 months). I can live with the change in growth rate of the culture, but I don't want to lose the culture altogether. What are your experiences here? Can the phyto and rotifers handle these temperature extremes without crashing?
I would be worried about swings in temp. A constant environment is usually best. Regarding temperature, many hatcheries use colder temps to give the algae an edge over bacterial growth (or so I have been told). I know at higher temps many microalgae become inefficient in one or another cellular process and leak organics into the surrounding water which can become food for bacteria. There are not too many species (except thermophilic species) of microalgae that prefer 90F (32-33C) in many cases that is approaching lethal.
Regarding rotifers, temperature varies with strain and influences reproductive rate. Each strain has its optimum (S strain 28-35C, L types 18-25C; in general temps should be between 20-30C (68-86F) Hoff and Snell 4th ed. Plankton Culture Manual.
If possible I would recommend renovating closet space into a plankton production area or some other place where temps can be controlled somewhat...just a thought.
My new phyto setup has been running for a week now and my first batch is almost ready to split. I started with 2 - 2 quart containers and I seeded them with a couple of tablespoons of DT's phytoplankton and they are well on their way to a dark emerald green. It is growing faster than I expected since the basement is cool. I will be starting my rotifers after my first phyto split.
Is it nesessary to aeriate and light the rotifers? I was thinking of keeping them in a closet upstairs where it is warmer.
Great inputs. Thanks for your support! We really do hope you continue to chime in, and pass along your wealth of knowledge in those areas where we are deficient. I, for one, am one of those "Can't understand what you can't see with the naked eye" kind of guys. I'm sure you will help me to become a better, well rounded, hobbyist.
bband,
I have two rotifer cultures. One is in a clear, 5 gallon jug that receives ambient light from the basement window. The second is a 5 gallon bucket that gets little to no light. The only difference I've seen is that the dark container tends to need phyto boosts more often than the lit counterpart. I can tell you that the density of the cultures is not that far off from one to the next. I really think that the little light that the one culture gets helps to keep the phyto in a state of reproduction while the dark container is limited in activity. Both of my cultures are aerated using a length of rigid tubing, flexible tubing, a valve and small pump. I use a bubble rate of about 1 bubble per second. This helps to keep the sludge from forming at the bottom.
Rob,
I too have found that after 3 splits of my cultures (using DTs) that I have a major crash. I've even gone as far as premature splitting to see if I could "head off" whatever is causing the crash. From what I am hypothesizing (and it is truly just my guess) I can only assume that the different phyto species in commercial products, end up competing with each other (larger taking over smaller micron sized cells) and cause the crash. When I culture from fellow hobbyists cultures (typically single strained..more often nanno) I never have a crash that I didn't personally cause or figure in. Here is one of those areas where Erik may be able to chime in and provide some of his own theories.
I really think that the little light that the one culture gets helps to keep the phyto in a state of reproduction while the dark container is limited in activity.
Dave, I agree.
you guys have seen my setup, my rotifers are well lit, and i find that i dont have to add the green water "as" aften as i would with a non-lit setup.
technically, the rotifers to not need light, but their food does. so with the culture vessel lit, the phyto can continue to reproduce in the rotifer vessel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JustDavidP
I too have found that after 3 splits of my cultures (using DTs) that I have a major crash.
this is exactly what i hear from others that have tried using DT's, after 2-4 splits, it crashes..
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