Hi, I have some questions about rotifer culture, that are not usually covered in posts or articles.
I had read, that some people spend much less time on their rotifer culture. But I still have my doubts:
1. Will cultures of the both - L and SS type of rotifers - doing good at temperatures below 70F, down to 10C?
2. I'm keeping 2x2L bottles of each kind, plus backup in refrigerator, just in case of possible crash. Easy keepers say that this is completely unnecessary. One tank or plastic container - it's all.
3. I'm cleaning bottles every 2nd day, when they become look dirty - as opposed to no cleaning at all.
4. I'm keeping rotifers at SG 1.015-1.017, they use the same saltwater as in the main tank, possibly even old water from the tank.
5. I have to harvest rotifers every day, half of the culture (SS type), otherwise culture becoming too dense. They are not doing this, maybe even once a week - I don't know.
6. My procedure is following:
- prepare low salinity water from usual 1.026 new water;
- remove half of bottle content into just clean container - it will be returned in the original bottle after cleaning, with addition of new water and nannochloropsis;
- place the second half of the bottle content in the enrichment vessel, add Shellfish Diet of Selcon for 1+ hr;
- filter enriched SS rotifers through the paper coffee filter (as an alternative to 53 microns sieve), wash every portion in one of the tanks, hoping, that rotifers will be washed off from filter just by dunking and swishing back and forth. It takes maybe 10 min.
- wash: bottles, enrichment vessel, holding vessel, plastic coffee filter (that held paper filters), funnel. Make place for their drying and storage.
- rotifers are fed morning and evening.
They say, that rotifer culture is easy: just few seconds to add phytoplankton and few seconds to swish the mesh in tank. Unfortunately, my questions were left unanswered.
I don't like to do totally unnecessary work, occupy more place that is absolutely necessary and be on clock: every day, no matter what, go and repeat same all over again, day after day.
If some procedures can be excluded and rotifer culturing be simplified, I would like to know the essential steps and will additional steps give some benefits or not. Advice, please.
3 more questions:
1. How are you cleaning rigid air tubes, when they became green?
2. I see that the photos of rotifers culturing vessels show transparent tan color, not constant light green as recommended. Having all algae consumed wasn't recommended.
3. I'm using frozen algae paste, few pieces are placed in the small algae storage bottle until dark green color is achieved. This bottle is stored on the top shelf of refrigerator. Maybe tablespoon is added morning and evening for a feeding in the rotifer culture bottles. Very cold - in the 29C water. Heating food sill be additional hassle I would like to avoid.
Thanks.
I had read, that some people spend much less time on their rotifer culture. But I still have my doubts:
1. Will cultures of the both - L and SS type of rotifers - doing good at temperatures below 70F, down to 10C?
2. I'm keeping 2x2L bottles of each kind, plus backup in refrigerator, just in case of possible crash. Easy keepers say that this is completely unnecessary. One tank or plastic container - it's all.
3. I'm cleaning bottles every 2nd day, when they become look dirty - as opposed to no cleaning at all.
4. I'm keeping rotifers at SG 1.015-1.017, they use the same saltwater as in the main tank, possibly even old water from the tank.
5. I have to harvest rotifers every day, half of the culture (SS type), otherwise culture becoming too dense. They are not doing this, maybe even once a week - I don't know.
6. My procedure is following:
- prepare low salinity water from usual 1.026 new water;
- remove half of bottle content into just clean container - it will be returned in the original bottle after cleaning, with addition of new water and nannochloropsis;
- place the second half of the bottle content in the enrichment vessel, add Shellfish Diet of Selcon for 1+ hr;
- filter enriched SS rotifers through the paper coffee filter (as an alternative to 53 microns sieve), wash every portion in one of the tanks, hoping, that rotifers will be washed off from filter just by dunking and swishing back and forth. It takes maybe 10 min.
- wash: bottles, enrichment vessel, holding vessel, plastic coffee filter (that held paper filters), funnel. Make place for their drying and storage.
- rotifers are fed morning and evening.
They say, that rotifer culture is easy: just few seconds to add phytoplankton and few seconds to swish the mesh in tank. Unfortunately, my questions were left unanswered.
I don't like to do totally unnecessary work, occupy more place that is absolutely necessary and be on clock: every day, no matter what, go and repeat same all over again, day after day.
If some procedures can be excluded and rotifer culturing be simplified, I would like to know the essential steps and will additional steps give some benefits or not. Advice, please.
3 more questions:
1. How are you cleaning rigid air tubes, when they became green?
2. I see that the photos of rotifers culturing vessels show transparent tan color, not constant light green as recommended. Having all algae consumed wasn't recommended.
3. I'm using frozen algae paste, few pieces are placed in the small algae storage bottle until dark green color is achieved. This bottle is stored on the top shelf of refrigerator. Maybe tablespoon is added morning and evening for a feeding in the rotifer culture bottles. Very cold - in the 29C water. Heating food sill be additional hassle I would like to avoid.
Thanks.
