How to tell if rotifer culture is alive?

[zoom2zoom]

I started my first batch of rotifers doing the procedures as needed, this is the forth day and I cant tell if the rotifers are alive?

 

When I scoop a cup into clear glass, I see lots white dots, but they only move by the water movement, are you suppose to see them swim in different directions? Once water stops, the white dots just seem to float in mid water and drifts slowly

 

My clown fry will be hatching in the next few days, when it happens, I have a 2 gal tank ready for the fry, but can I dump the rotifers with the green water in the tank?

 

Thanks in advanced

[Almon]

That's probably all you will see without a microscope.

[OldReefer]

Here are some cheap hand-held microscopes that might come in handy if you are going to be raising these critters...

 

http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/subsection/4

[dbartco]

I stole a few of my Dads reading glasses to see the little guys wiggling around.

 

like 2 for $5 at Rite-Aid.

[Fazio92]

If the "dots" are in the water column, they are alive. Dead ones sink to the bottom. No need for microscope etc... use a flashlight and hold it at an angle to the culture, if you see the specks floating you're good.

 

-Anthony

[dave w]

pick up a jewelers eye loop for a couple of bucks. I got some from Harbor Freight Tools. It's a monocle that you hold up to your eye, they come in 3x, 5x and 10x at least, and probably more sizes. You can even hold it against the side of your aquarium and see fascinating things on the glass. Just don't let that giant eye freak the fishes out!

[zoom2zoom]

believe me, i tried to look with my naked eye in a clear cup until I realized that my eyes are going out of focus.

 

the white 'dots' are in the water - just floating in water, and they dont move (unless tha water moves). once in awhile, i do see few that 'swims', but only very few.

 

and my water seems to be constant 'greenish', not light brown like others mentioned due to rotifers eating.

 

I am concern that my culture is dead, but my water does not smell.

 

the fry should be hatching tonight or tomorrow night, and since i dont have time to get a scope, I will give it a try, if this batch doesnt work, i will try again.

 

 

If the "dots" are in the water column, they are alive. Dead ones sink to the bottom. No need for microscope etc... use a flashlight and hold it at an angle to the culture, if you see the specks floating you're good.

 

-Anthony

[Fazio92]

believe me, i tried to look with my naked eye in a clear cup until I realized that my eyes are going out of focus.

 

the white 'dots' are in the water - just floating in water, and they dont move (unless tha water moves). once in awhile, i do see few that 'swims', but only very few.

 

and my water seems to be constant 'greenish', not light brown like others mentioned due to rotifers eating.

 

I am concern that my culture is dead, but my water does not smell.

 

the fry should be hatching tonight or tomorrow night, and since i dont have time to get a scope, I will give it a try, if this batch doesnt work, i will try again.

 

 

The flashlight helps 100fold bc, the rotiers pop out against the green water. Again, if they were dead they would be on the bottom. Sounds like they are alive to me, i wouldn't worry

[zoom2zoom]

can i dump cups of green water with rotifers into the 2 gal tank that i have setup for the hatching?

 

i am thinking to use one gallon of SW from my DT, than the other gallon of green water.

 

i tried using coffer filter, but in the end, i dont see what ended in the filter, so i dont think that's working so well.

[Fazio92]

can i dump cups of green water with rotifers into the 2 gal tank that i have setup for the hatching?

 

i am thinking to use one gallon of SW from my DT, than the other gallon of green water.

 

i tried using coffer filter, but in the end, i dont see what ended in the filter, so i dont think that's working so well.

 

 

You risk cross contamination by doing that, fry are very sensitive to an array of things. Rinsing the rotifers is a good practice to reduce transfer of other contaminants that may have grown in the rotifer culture.

[Almon]

zoom, it's important to keep the water in your larval tanks as clean as possible, so don't dump the rotifer culture into it.

 

1 - Your rotifer culture appears to be alive because there are no dead dots on the bottom

 

2 - A rotifer culture takes several weeks (when starting new) for the density needed to feed the lavae while maintaining your culture

 

3 - Buy a rotifer screen for harvesting the rotifers from the rotifer culture

 

4 - Your rotifer culture is green because it is a new culture and does not have the rotifer density to eat the phytoplankton quickly

 

I strongly suggest you get some rotifers from someone else if you want to try to raise this batch. Fazio might be able to help. Otherwise, just wait until the density of the rotifer culture is sufficient to feed the larvae while continuing to keep the culture going.