Rotifer Culture Keeps Crashing
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Breeding
Forum Name: Livestock Breeding and Rearing
Forum Description: This is the place to discuss breeding and rearing of our tank inhabitants.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=62854
Printed Date: April 18 2024 at 5:12pm
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Topic: Rotifer Culture Keeps Crashing
Posted By: Jeffatpm
Subject: Rotifer Culture Keeps Crashing
Date Posted: March 12 2013 at 5:57pm
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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.
Thanks
Kevin ------------- 210 Reef with loads of LEDS Large Fishey Room Located Near Jordan Landing in West Jordan. |
Replies:
Posted By: reefnfeef
Date Posted: March 12 2013 at 6:25pm
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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 |
Posted By: Jeffatpm
Date Posted: March 12 2013 at 7:06pm
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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. ------------- 210 Reef with loads of LEDS Large Fishey Room Located Near Jordan Landing in West Jordan. |
Posted By: sabeypets
Date Posted: March 12 2013 at 8:59pm
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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 American Fork "Would you leave a dead cat in your kitchen till tommorow?" Builderofdreams |
Posted By: Jeffatpm
Date Posted: March 12 2013 at 9:18pm
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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. ------------- 210 Reef with loads of LEDS Large Fishey Room Located Near Jordan Landing in West Jordan. |
Posted By: sabeypets
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 12:41am
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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 American Fork "Would you leave a dead cat in your kitchen till tommorow?" Builderofdreams |
Posted By: sabeypets
Date Posted: March 13 2013 at 12:50am
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 American Fork "Would you leave a dead cat in your kitchen till tommorow?" Builderofdreams |
Jeffatpm wrote:Posted By: sh2007
Date 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. |
Posted By: Nick801
Date Posted: March 14 2013 at 12:07pm
| biggest tip = splash a little prime in there |
Posted By: TheAquarium
Date Posted: March 14 2013 at 7:59pm
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In our culture, we ALWAYS put a little prime in there and keep up on water changes. -------------  |
Posted By: Jeffatpm
Date Posted: March 18 2013 at 9:41pm
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How often do ya'll change water? Approx what salinity do you keep your cultures at? I've heard a little fresh 1.020. ------------- 210 Reef with loads of LEDS Large Fishey Room Located Near Jordan Landing in West Jordan. |
Posted By: ClownFishAddict
Date Posted: March 25 2013 at 10:38pm
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I just started a culture today. Hope mine don't crash. I'll post if I have any issues or anything. ------------- http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=61789&title=ok-here-it-goes-my-redneck-120-rimless-build" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: sabeypets
Date Posted: March 26 2013 at 12:46am
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 American Fork "Would you leave a dead cat in your kitchen till tommorow?" Builderofdreams |
Posted By: TheClownfishShack
Date 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. |
Posted By: ClownFishAddict
Date Posted: March 31 2013 at 8:03pm
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Well I hope my culture is doing ok. First one so.... It is still light green and I'm feeding once a day. ------------- http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=61789&title=ok-here-it-goes-my-redneck-120-rimless-build" rel="nofollow">
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