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Rotifer Culture Keeps Crashing

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Jeffatpm View Drop Down
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    Posted: March 12 2013 at 5:57pm

Anyone share comments/suggestions of what you do to keep your rotifer culture top notch.

My cultures keep dying and it's killing me because my clowns lay eggs every week, but can't do anything without rotifers.
 
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Kevin
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote reefnfeef Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 12 2013 at 6:25pm
Rotifers should be fed constantly. At work we use a bubble magus pump to keep a constant supply of food. Before using the dosing pump, we would feed a large amount every so often as the water started to clear. Since we started feeding 24/7 the rotifer densities are about 1000-1500/ml. The dosing pump is the only thing that has changed and its made all the difference. They are also in a room that is constantly 26-27 degrees Celsius. Hope that helps!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaannd.... I'm broke
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jeffatpm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 12 2013 at 7:06pm
Do you have a bubbler in the water?  I've seen people do without and it looks great.  I did it without and it just had a gross film on it. that seemed to suffocate everything.
 
I have a bubbler now, a little colder around 70, and I have them on a 12 hour light cycle.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sabeypets Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 12 2013 at 8:59pm

I feed them every day. Enough to tint the water so I can't see the bottom of the bucket (I use a white plastic bucket). I feed Nano paste (from Brine Shrimp Direct) and Roitgrow (from Fish4You). Air must be at a rolling boil.  They must religiously be harvested daily 25% to 50%. I do a 50% water change weekly (not necessary that often, but it helps keep the ammonia down in larvae culture).I keep them cold at 60 to 70 F ( the temp on the basement floor).  They are denser at temps of 75 to 80 F but the culture is easier to crash at warmer temps. They don't need a light cycle just ambient light from the room.

Shaun
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jeffatpm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 12 2013 at 9:18pm
The room I put them in is a dark room so that's why I did the light with a cycle.  Susy has hers just going and going she doesn't harvest them unless she's feeding some babies.  When she told me that I scratched my head because it was contradictory to everything I had heard.
 
I almost wonder if I am putting too much food in there and maybe fouling the water.  I usually do it pretty dark.
 
I got a couple with better ammino acid in them from reed mariculture. - Rotigrow plus if I recall correctly off the top of my head.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sabeypets Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2013 at 12:41am

The tips I posted are for a high density culture. You can keep a low density culture doing about the opposite. You can also restart a crashed culture.  

Shaun
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sabeypets Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2013 at 12:50am
Originally posted by Jeffatpm Jeffatpm wrote:

 
I almost wonder if I am putting too much food in there and maybe fouling the water.  I usually do it pretty dark.
 
 
Yes, quite possible. That's something you will have to get a feel for, somewhere between over feeding and never letting the water go completely clear.  
Shaun
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sh2007 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 13 2013 at 2:46pm
I have two container, one with bubbler and the other are without, the without seem to do better than the one with bubbler, I just have it sit on the table and tint the water medium green. I usually dump out half of the water and fill it with half new water and it seem to work and have not crash yet, alway make a couple jar beside to make sure you have back up it the main one crash. So far I have not crash any.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nick801 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2013 at 12:07pm
biggest tip = splash a little prime in there 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheAquarium Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2013 at 7:59pm
In our culture, we ALWAYS put a little prime in there and keep up on water changes.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jeffatpm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 18 2013 at 9:41pm
How often do ya'll change water?  Approx what salinity do you keep your cultures at?  I've heard  a little fresh 1.020.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ClownFishAddict Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2013 at 10:38pm
I just started a culture today. Hope mine don't crash. I'll post if I have any issues or anything.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sabeypets Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2013 at 12:46am
Originally posted by ClownFishAddict ClownFishAddict wrote:

I just started a culture today. Hope mine don't crash. I'll post if I have any issues or anything.
As you can see from the posts above there are a lot of "right" ways. You just have to trial and error until you find what works for you. Two key things are learning the right amount to feed and keeping the ammonia down. Good Luck.
Shaun
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheClownfishShack Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 31 2013 at 8:07am
How many cultures do you have going? Its always best to have several because no rotifers obviously means no clownfish babies, lol. I never had any trouble with mine and I had five 5 gallon bucket cultures going at a time. I did use different cups, screens, hoses, stir spoons, etc. for each culture to make sure to never cross contaminate. Also, maybe a small water change every couple weeks or so and keep the a tinted. What Algae are you using for your rotifers? That could be making all the difference in the world with the film on the top. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ClownFishAddict Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 31 2013 at 8:03pm
Well I hope my culture is doing ok. First one so.... It is still light green and I'm feeding once a day.
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