michaelg April 14, 2003 Share April 14, 2003 I have 2 vials of rotifer cysts that I want to try to start up to get a culture going. Anyone ever started them from cysts before? There are instruction on the package, and Wilkerson has some discussion in her book about it, but wondering if any quick tips. I will use a sterile petri dish from work to start them in. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yrachmael May 12, 2003 Share May 12, 2003 Try looking at http://www.florida-aqua-farms.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelg May 12, 2003 Author Share May 12, 2003 That is where I got the cysts from and I followed their instructions. I don't think they took on this first attempt, but I will try again this week after I look at a sample of the water to make sure they aren't in there. They did hatch initially, but I think I lost them during the expansion of the culture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yrachmael May 19, 2003 Share May 19, 2003 I hope their instructions work. I also started a culture last Friday. I used their Algai Petri dish, then after 48 hours I transferred what I could to a 500 ml bottle, and added more water and some drops to the dish in case there where more rotifers still there! Their algae culture seems to be booming very well. I started 1 liter but divided it into 2x 250ml and 2x 500 ml bottles which I keep under constant 50/50 lighting and airated. All four culture bottle appear dark green now. I'm attempting to set up continuos cultures of green water, rotifers and brine shrimp (2x 5 gallon tanks of each). What's your setup ? I'm interested in anyone who is as happily dumb as I am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelg May 19, 2003 Author Share May 19, 2003 The brine shrimp I just culture in the 2 liter inverted bottle setup. I like to feed them young right after hatching. Haven't heard of people getting continual cultures of them going. Water quality is an issue with them, for sure. The green water I also culture in 2 liter bottles- 8 to be exact. I split of 2/3 at a time and just add salt water and nutrients when dark. You want to try to get the bottles staggered so they are ready on different days. these I started both from cultures someone gave me and from the petri dishes. Haven't had any problems with them at all, other than sometimes they will crash out for unknown reasons (in my case they turn yellow?). Sometimes I have been able to rescue a bottle by adding more nutrients, sometimes not. Also, I only light the cultures for 12 hrs a day. As I recall there is a dark cycle to photosynthesis, that while I know it doen't need light, I don't recall if it needs darkness. Either way, it keeps the electric usage down some. Currently I am using 3x 20watt home depot plant bulbs. After my seedlings for the garden are planted, I will add 1 more as I have the extra strip light. I made a PCV contraption similar to that over on RC to hold the lights. They are on the bottom and top, and bottles go on the sides. It allows me to fit in more bottles in a limited space this way. Now the rotifers......I am going to give the cysts 1 more try, then if it doesn't work, I will just buy a liquid culture. If I go that route, let me know if you want to split an order as they need to be fedX'd. I just noticed you are like real close to me.....We should hook up some time. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yrachmael May 20, 2003 Share May 20, 2003 Great michael, If my rotifers make it I'll grow out a culture for you. Other wise I go in on the live culture. I'll keep trach and let you know how things are working out. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yrachmael May 29, 2003 Share May 29, 2003 I don't think those Rot(ifers)in cysts took. If they did then I killed them later in the process. If you are still interested I'ld like to place a joint order for the live ones, plus some of the Rotifer food they sell (the large dry package looks best). I found several instruction books on growing continuous brine shrimp cultures. Right now I'm trying to get two 5 gallon jugs going with high concentrations. I'm using some live b.shrimp that I p/u at Steve's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelg May 29, 2003 Author Share May 29, 2003 Yes I am interested in getting a live culture. Look at this site and let me know what you are interested in getting..... http://aquaculturestore.com/swinverts.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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