phyto and rotifer cultures

[Mihai]

I'm considering trying to raise some clownfish. Where can I buy starter cultures for phytoplankton and for rotifers? Can I do without the phytoplankton culture (i.e., feed DT to the rotifer culture only)? Also, is there an alternative to the rotifer culture for a start (e.g., eggs)? I'm asking as I heard that it's quite easy to mess up and I'd like to be able to restart if this happens. Also, can I use DT for starter culture for phyto?


Thanks,
Mihai

 

[Anonymous]

You should check out Reed Mariculture at http://www.reed-mariculture.com/
they have rotifer cultures as well as concentrated phytoplankton pastes. I think it is becoming more common to use these pastes to raise rotifers, enabling breeders to save time, money, and space over raising their own greenwater. DT's to raise rotifers will be very expensive - you're better off either culturing your own greenwater or using an algae paste (IMO of course).

jayo

 

[Anonymous]

Agreed

 

[Anonymous]

What they said. My only advice here is be sure to keep your cultures "clean"-don't allow cross contamination between the rotifers and your greenwater. I did a dumb thing and somehow got baby brine in my 15 gallon greenwater culture, wiped the whole thing out. Couldn't see the $&%^ brine shrimp in the culture because of the color of the culture until they had eaten it out to where the water cleared up. Dumb, really dumb.

On the upside, I did get some really fat adult BS out of the deal :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

There is a company in Florida that will sell pure cultures of different species of phytoplankton, called Algagen. I really found it hard to raise rotifers using pastes, it just seems like they crash more frequently? But, I like growing phyto so I might be biased...

I do think using one of the pastes is a great way to gut load the rotifers so you can get the different benefits of different algae species. I haven't tried Reeds but a local company in our state sells them as a blend and also has a few species that are single pastes. It is called Brine Shrimp Direct.

I have a plankton and zooplankton page on my website....(Growing cultures for blondes?)

Good luck with your fry!

 

[Anonymous]

Yep florida aqua farms also offers live/dry cultures.

And yes, you can start a phyto culture from DT's. I would really only bother with their regular "reef blend" though as their "premium" contains a variety of micros which, if you run the culture for a while, nannochlorpois usually comes out on top anyway.

For me, obtaining live rotifers to start a culture from was the most expensive and difficult part of the process. - No one around me carries them.. - Well, except one shop that now carries my excesses..

Check with your local reef club.. - Someone may know someone who knows someone that you can get a small amount of really fresh live ones to start from. - Definitely a lot cheaper than if you have to pay next day shipping charges.

 

[Anonymous]

There is a company in Florida that will sell pure cultures of different species of phytoplankton, called Algagen. I really found it hard to raise rotifers using pastes, it just seems like they crash more frequently? But, I like growing phyto so I might be biased...

I do think using one of the pastes is a great way to gut load the rotifers so you can get the different benefits of different algae species. I haven't tried Reeds but a local company in our state sells them as a blend and also has a few species that are single pastes. It is called Brine Shrimp Direct.

I have a plankton and zooplankton page on my website....(Growing cultures for blondes?)

Good luck with your fry!

BSD sells a cryo preserved paste, source from Reed. They add another ingedient to it, which seems to not do so well with roti cultures. I sell well over a billion a week, zero crashes, at ~5000+ per ml with 40% - 60% eggs. I'd love to see anyone achieve those numbers on live algae

Florida Aqua Farms is another esxcellent source for live cultures.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, I guess for me, in a hobbyist setting, it could be OK?

I usually feed out after I gut load mine, so maybe that is the difference. They live long enough to get eaten, I think...

Florida Aquafarms has a few species, but I found the more unusual ones at Algagen. Plus, he has this really sexy salesman.....

I think growing live phytoplankton is easy and fun. I have room so why not?

How many billions of Rots would be in 5 gallon culture? I think I've grown at least a few million....

 

[Anonymous]

You'd have to take a count to figure out that one

No harm in growing your own, it can be very rewarding at times How do you approach the F2 media issue, ie. do you mind the extra nutrients in the culture media when you dose into your tank? Or do you just grow it for the rots?

 

[Anonymous]

Actually, I use extra F2 and figure I'm dosing my sexy algae, too!


I buy it by the gallon!

 

[Mihai]

I read somewhere that there are rotifer eggs available. Any idea where? Is this a bad idea (trying to avoid the overnight and the consequences of a crash).

Also, I'm eyeballing my 20gal in-line refugium for a growout tank. It's a 20gal long, with 2x green BTA and 1 X hammerhead coral (also some mat gorgonians). It has no pumps (water comes directly from the sump and drains in the main tank). It is lighted by 1x65W 10000K and 1xactinic. Also has some LR and LS.
Anything wrong with using it to grow the fry? I figure that it will ensure constant temperature and clean water (total system size at this time is 160gal soon to be 220).

M.

 

[Anonymous]

You ought to hit Guy up with a PM, he has had a ton of experience raising fry of all types and is great about answering questions.

 

[Anonymous]

I read somewhere that there are rotifer eggs available. Any idea where? Is this a bad idea (trying to avoid the overnight and the consequences of a crash).

Also, I'm eyeballing my 20gal in-line refugium for a growout tank. It's a 20gal long, with 2x green BTA and 1 X hammerhead coral (also some mat gorgonians). It has no pumps (water comes directly from the sump and drains in the main tank). It is lighted by 1x65W 10000K and 1xactinic. Also has some LR and LS.
Anything wrong with using it to grow the fry? I figure that it will ensure constant temperature and clean water (total system size at this time is 160gal soon to be 220).

M.

Those would be resting cysts. It's harder IME to get a stable culture rolling with resting cysts. Much easier, and far more stable to simply get a culture from some one. We ship our lives ones all around the world with very little problems.

 

[Mihai]

Hi there, thanks for jumping in.

We ship our lives ones [...]

Who are "we"?

Thanks,
Mihai

 

[Anonymous]

www.Reed-Mariculture.com

 

[Anonymous]

Actually, I use extra F2 and figure I'm dosing my sexy algae, too!


I buy it by the gallon!

You buy it in liquid form? Get a kilo of powder, it'll go much further, on less $$$

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks!