Culture Journal, Species: Bestiolina similis

General
Species:  Bestiolina similis
Species description:  Calanoid copepod from the Paracalanid family
Culture source (link if possible):  N/A
If algae, CCMP # (Optional): 
http://ccmp.bigelow.edu/
Culture Establishment Date:  03/23/2012
Continuation Date: 

Culturing Vessel Details
Salinity:  1.020
Temperature:    Not measured (Fans turn on at 20c to cool algae cupboard, heating via CF globes only)
pH:  Not measured
Water Details: Artificial Salt with RO/DI water, filtered through 100um screen before use.

Vessel description:  2000ml Conical Flask x 2, 10L flat plastic container x 1 with 4L salt water. Single rigid airline was used with a rapid bubble (2+ per second)
Lighting description:  CF light (2000ml flasks have three sided lighting, 20L buckets have top lighting)
Lighting cycle:  12 hours per day
Aeration description: Light Aeration, approx 2+ bubbles per second.

Methodologies
Split methodology:  Utilize 25-50% for new batch of fry, the remainder was used for stock buckets.
Keep density to a level, where tinting of water with algae added in the morning results in clear water 2-3 days later.

Culture medium description: 
70% T-Iso and 30% T. Chuii from http://www.mbisite.org/Forums/tm.aspx?m=69565 and http://www.mbisite.org/Forums/tm.aspx?m=69563
Food was maintained at a mid green tint with 2-3ml added every three days or as required for the 2000ml flasks.  The goal was to just be able to see the airline on the far side of the flask at the bottom.
 
Larger buckets (10L water) had food added until the bottom of the bucket was not visible through the water.  This was adjusted every few days.  The amount used varied significantly (eg 5ml to 100ml) depending on the currently volume of copepods in the bucket.

Cell count: Not Known
 (if known)

Reference links:  

Additional Information
(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Notes: 
Topup for evaperation was new artificial salt water.


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If your thread does not contain detailed enough photos  and information the MBI Council will not be able to approve your reports.


Nice!  What was your source for these?

These are sourced from a PHD student doing work on simple copepod culture techniques for his PHD.

He is working with James Cook University in Queensland (5,000km/3100 miles away from me).

Unfortunately, the part he cannot supply is his simplified culture technique, as he is yet to publish. But he has offered to direct me in the right direction on doing the cultures.

Does he mind if you share with us?

Once he has published his thesis, it looks like he will be willing to provide more information, but until this occurs he will be a bit tight lipped.
I think he said that it has been 5 years of work for him to get to this stage so I can understand that he wants to keep the details close.
 
If in the future I have the info and he is fine with it being made public I would be happy to share.
 
At this stage, all my attention is on preparing to keep and culture them and the associated algae strains.

Yeah, that's what I was getting at.  I didn't think you would have much to put in this journal until he has published and is willing to have you share the information as well.  That's a long time, and a lot of work.  It's good to hear he is publishing though, as we will all be able to learn from it.

I was hoping Mindy meant share the copepods!

I finally got around to getting some photos of these.  The photos are not great, but given the size it at least shows what they look like.
 
I found it really difficult to get a shot of these guys.  They kept moving around between the cover slip and the slide on my loaner microscope.  I think I might have squished this guy and broke his antennae. 

Movement is "hopping" around
 
I also found this guy (not suppose to be in culture)

Movement is smoother and seems like little steps. 
 

These guys are going well, though Im not sure if I should be able to acheive better densities.  What sort of density should I expect?
 
They seem to do better if I neglect them a bit, in the case of this picture you can see a buildup of algae in the flask.
 

 
I have restarted the larger cultures two times before.  Based on this flask doing better when left longer I am going to continue with regular water changes on one 10L and leave the other 10L for about a month or so and just to topups for evap and algae.

Any updates on these?