Culture Journal, Species: Dunaliella Salina

General
Species:  Dunaliella Salina
Species description:  A Halophile alga common in salt fields, commonly used in aquaculture for artemia
Culture source (link if possible):  carolina biological supply www.carolina.com
If algae, CCMP # (Optional):  220
http://ccmp.bigelow.edu/
Culture Establishment Date:  8/26/11
Continuation Date: 

Culturing Vessel Details
Salinity:  1.030
Temperature:  Ambient ~ 76 
pH:  Not tested

Vessel description: 8 ounce round plastic bottle 
Lighting description:  NO flourescent, 3500K and 5400K mix
Lighting cycle:  12 hours on 12 hours off
Aeration description:  Moderate bubbles as to "boil" the top

Methodologies
Split methodology:

Culture medium description: 
Guillards F/2 formulation using Florida Aqua Farms Microalgae grow from mass pack

Cell count: 
 Not taken at this time

Reference links:  

Additional Information
(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Notes:  As there are many species variants of Dunaliella I will be playing with salinity on this run, for the reporting purposes I will be using the culture I maintain at 1.030 as I have used this method before with succes.  You may see other cultures in the journal at other salinities.



You will be required to provide photographic evidence and as much detail as possible about your project in this thread.
If your thread does not contain detailed enough photos  and information the MBI Council will not be able to approve your reports.

Pelagically yours,
~J      

So an order came in from Carolina this week and I decided to journal three species.... this is the journal for Dunaliella salina.  I ordered two teeny little cultures of each of the alga I selected to start with so that I can have a backup in case I screw something up!!  It's been known to happen a lot.  Dunaliella is a little tough to get started so I'm pondering if I should have ordered a third?  hrmm... so without further adeu the culture source:
 

Notice how much lighter in color the Dunaliella and Gymnodinium cultures are.... not sure if these guys are going to make it!  In any case off to the races
 
I didnt exactly plan well as work kept me too busy to prepare to culture these guys, the only thing I had handy that was clean in time were a bunch of 8 ounce plastic bottles that I picked up from US Plastics for general use, they are unfortunately not perfectly clear so will screen the alga from the light.  This probably wont hinder much as a 12 hour lighting cycle will surely give me enough photosynthesis, I used my standard starting protocol of adding Guillards at F/2 concentration to fresh culture water (this time at 1.030) and setting the culture on the shelf with air supply set to a light boil:
 
 

Unfortunately it was very late on set up so I snapped a few very quick shots and will be revisiting this *if* the culture makes it the week!
 
As I update this it's made it the night so keep your fingers crossed!

Pelagically yours,
~J