Sarah (Samala) is doing some experimenting for me to see if we can use gelatin from the grocery store instead of expensive agar. I guess she has some good experience with it. Look at this website to get an idea of what you need to do....

http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/W3732E/w3732e0b.htm#2.8.%20Wor ksheets

That site is one of the best for culturing info. Here is the table of contents page...

http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/W3732E/w3732e00.htm#Contents

Hmm im not sure if FAFUSA has any chaeto now, but if we can get everything we need from Algagen then lets do it

Suzy, do you have any links or info on the Rhodomonas? Does it have high HUFA levels or what?

Suzy, Algagen actually supplies some axenic (contaminant free) plates to www.aquaticeco.com but they are pricey $66. I would like to be able to make the agar plates at home without using an autoclave or other expensive equiptment. That way we could probably keep some of these harder cultures going for much longer. Using the plate method to isolate the algae can get rid of the majority of contaminants. It gets rid of everything but the bacteria that attach to the cell walls of the microalgae. Those require antibiotics that we probably cant get ahold of. Anyways if we could get some Rhodomonas that would be great. I just cant find much info other than that found on CCMP on how to grow it. Is the Iso culture the strain from Tahiti (T-iso)??

I mis read the last post. I have cheato macro.

One thing that I found interesting is that the algaes high in DHA only last a couple weeks refridgerated. I think DTs actually put T-iso in thier product for a while but took it out because it didn't last (i think). Two of the algaes most used commercially for DHA enrichment are Pavlova and Isochrysis.

Suzy, have you used either one of those before to feed your copepods? Maybe a good mix would be T-iso and nannochloropsis.

The two easy algae to grow that store well in the refridgerator are Nannochloropsis and Tetraselmis.

FAFUSA does have T-iso. The disk is $11, 25ml is $12.

They also has chaeto for the same price

I would try some Rhodomonas if you could get it Suzy.

Ive been doing a lot of searching and it looks like the place many aquaculturists get starts from is The Provasoli-Guillard Center for Culture of Marine Phytoplankton (CCMP)   http://ccmp.bigelow.org/

Here is Rhodomonas. Only problem is they are expensive.. it would probably cost $150+ to get one start shipped.  http://ccmp.bigelow.org/SD/display.php?strain=CCMP1319

Here is T-iso. This site gives some good information on general requirements to keep the algae as well as where it was collected... very cool   http://ccmp.bigelow.org/SD/display.php?strain=CCMP1324&g enus=Isochrysis&Species=sp.&Class=Prymnesiophyceae

Amie-

It is Frank Hoff's facility, http://www.florida-aqua-farms.com/

Adam