Culture Journal, Species: Parvocalanus crassirostris

General
Species:  Parvocalanus crassirostris
Parvocalanus
Species description:  ReefPods™ Parvocalanus is a live culture of the calanoid copepod Parvocalanus crassirostris. Parvocalanus adult copepods live in the water column and eat microalgae. They produce a small nauplii which is an excellent food for hard to feed aquarium filter feeders and fish larvae. The adults are eaten by very small plankton eating fish.
Culture source (link if possible):  http://www.algagen.com/prod/?p=125 New culture obtained from Reed Mariculture
If algae, CCMP # (Optional): 
http://ccmp.bigelow.edu/
Culture Establishment Date:  07-20-11 New culture started 11-1-11
Continuation Date: 

Culturing Vessel Details
Salinity: 1.020           
Temperature:  ambient    
pH: not tested 

Vessel description:  20 gallon black round tub 2G black bucket
Lighting description: Daylight None         
Lighting cycle:  Daylight None
Aeration description: none Airstone with low flow

Methodologies
Split methodology: As needed

Culture medium description: 
T-Iso paste from Reed

Cell count:
 (if known)

Reference links:  

Additional Information
(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Notes:  I'm going to try to culture these in my outdoor BRT's like my tiggerpods.
Outdoor culture never established. New culture was started indoors and is in Bold above. New culture is being fed RGComplete very sparingly and doing great.


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http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

In the bottle:
 

 
Acclimating in the BRT:
 

 

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

I took a sample today. I'm not sure if these are just rotifers or parvo. All I can see under the scope are rots. Not sure if I'm just missing the pods with the pipette or that they are gone. I've been feeding ISO.
 

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

Any updates here? I've got the feeling my blue mandarins are going to be spawning sometime in the not-too-distant future, and then my growout pair of spotted, and then my red scooter...when I grow him out and find a mate for him.
 
Curious to see how these fare in the outdoor BRT...

Well, the outdoor culture never took off. I started a new culture with Parvo that I got from Reed on 11-01-11. This one is doing much better. I;m only using a 2 gallon black bucket:
 

 
With an airstone and no lighting. When I started I was feeding almost daily but when I left town for Thanksgiving I didn't leave instructions for it to be fed and to my surprise they really liked that, the culture has exploded and stayed at a high density since then. I only feed RGComplete occasionally, maybe once a week, and the density looks like this:
 

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

wow, that's a nice culture!

RLTW

180 Gallon Mixed Reef

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8

Tal,  can you get any microscope images of these guys?  You may have to use some ethanol (vodka) to slow them down.  I'd like to confirm that they really are Parvocalanus, and not some contaminate.  If they are Parvo, then your success culturing them is really exciting!

I plan on doing that as soon as I can. I'm making water and taking pics of Picassos right now.

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

I don't know what all I have in there now... I can see rotifers and ciliates with the scope and was only able to capture 1 'pod:
 



 
The movement that I see in the culture is not the slow movement like rotifers, it is a jerky copepod-like movement. Maybe I'm just not getting any of the pods in my samples? I'm surprised to see any rotifers at all since I'm feeding so rarely.

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

Very exciting Tal, you are just a culturing wiz!

That is a copepod, but it is not a Parvocalanus.  It is a harpacticoid of some sort.

Ok, here is what I found in the other culture bucket that was supposed to be Apocyclops...

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

Well that's a good thing, because those DO look like Apocyclops!

Fishtal, the small circular pods in one of your videos did look like Parvo.  Did you positively identify it?  And have you had any luck with further Parvo culture attempts since you gave this a try a year ago?

I've had no further luck with them. May try again this season when I need them.

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."