Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis

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KathyL
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Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Thursday, May 17, 2012 4:25 PM
Culturing Journal DataSheet
This first post should be updated regularly to include new information as events take place or changes are made to your system

General
Species:  Brachionus rotundiformis 
Species description:  Small rotifers, 
Culture source (link if possible):  https://ebill.uncw.edu/C2...7&SINGLESTORE=true
If algae, CCMP # (Optional): 
http://ccmp.bigelow.edu/
Culture Establishment Date:  5/17/2012
Continuation Date:  3/22/13      

Culturing Vessel Details
Salinity:  20ppt
Temperature:    82-86F
pH:  7.8

Vessel description: clean salt bucket, 5 gallon , 20 x 12 inch sheet of Reed's rotifer floss, 25 watt heater. 
Lighting description:  ambient
Lighting cycle:  14 day, 10 night
Aeration description:  open end airline, fairly vigorous

Methodologies
Split methodology: remove 25 % of the culture daily and replace volume with clean saltwater.

Culture medium description: 

clean saltwater  + RGcomplete
Cell count:
 approximately 300 rotifers per ml

Reference links:   https://ebill.uncw.edu/C2...7&SINGLESTORE=true

Additional Information
(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Notes:  I am feeding these RGcomplete around the clock via a peristaltic pump. Every morning I vigorously wipe the sides and bottom of the culture bucket with the rotifer floss, then vigorously rinse out the rotifer floss in the sink, and remove a gallon of culture (4 gallons total volume), and add back a gallon of pre warmed clean 20ppt saltwater, replacing the squeezed out floss. These rotifers need warmer, 83+ degree water. I have a lid for the bucket, with a hole for the food additions.  I place a smaller bucket on top of the lid, fill with the next days water replacement, and cover that.  The heat rising off the culture warms the next day's water a couple of degrees, so when I do add it, it isn't such a shock to the warm rotifers in culture.
Every week or so,  I pour the culture through a 400 micron filter to get any big clumps of deadness out of the culture.  Sometimes I use a 53 mesh and give them clean water to refresh the culture.  I clean only the bottom of the culture bucket, as I feel that the bacterial film on the sides is beneficial.  The dead stuff on the bottom is not, so I remove it.
 
I tried keeping some back up S rotifers in the refrigerator, but they did not live even a week. So for backup, I keep another bucket at room temperature
with the discarded rotifers of a few days at a time.  These get a dribble of RGcomplete twice a day, and no heater, just air.
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.

<message edited by KathyL on Monday, June 16, 2014 9:30 PM>

KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Thursday, May 17, 2012 6:26 PM

 


KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Sunday, June 24, 2012 8:14 PM
I have some Apocyclops panamensis in my S rotifer culture.  I'm thinking its a good thing.  The rotifer culture is cleaner and the panamensis get fed regularly. The panamensis are thriving, and there seems to be little deliterious effect on the rotifer population.  I want panamensis to feed to my larvae, and all the larvae get rotifers, so why not culture them together?  I wonder if this would work with parvocalanus and other desirable copepods. 

 
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KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Friday, March 29, 2013 11:52 PM
Gosh, I forgot about this continuation report thing for the rotundiformis.  The peri pump and daily cleaning ritual have been very good.  I can maintain 300 rots per ml this way, with only once daily attention. I do have to watch for ciliates, as they will take over if I let them.  The culture does seem to rebound quickly if I collect all the rots on a 27 micron screen, and change all the water. here's a recent picure at 100x:


<message edited by KathyL on Monday, June 10, 2013 10:41 PM>
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JimWelsh
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Tuesday, April 16, 2013 12:45 PM
Kathy, which brand/model of peristaltic pump are you using, and how do you like it?

nrbelk
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Tuesday, April 16, 2013 3:07 PM
What microscope do you use and how do you take the pictures?

KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Sunday, June 9, 2013 1:06 PM
The pictures are from a hobby microscope, the Celestron, which comes with digital camera and video capabilities.
 
Originally, I used the Bulk Reef Supply dosing pump on a separate timer, but recently, I am using an AquaHouse dosing pump.  I like it because the timer is built in, intuitive to use, I can flush the line whenever I want without disturbing the program, and it was relatively cheap.  The first one I bought didn't work at all, but have since bought 3 more, that work like a charm.
check out Kathy's Clowns, llc website:
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nrbelk
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Sunday, June 9, 2013 2:02 PM
Thanks, do you know the model number?  I want to find a better one than what I have (or maybe I just need to know how to use it lol).

Fishtal
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Sunday, June 9, 2013 2:58 PM
Celestron 44340
http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Sunday, June 9, 2013 3:02 PM
thanks, Tal.
check out Kathy's Clowns, llc website:
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GreshamH
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Monday, June 10, 2013 3:21 PM
Quote Originally Posted by KathyL


The pictures are from a hobby microscope, the Celestron, which comes with digital camera and video capabilities.

Originally, I used the Bulk Reef Supply dosing pump on a separate timer, but recently, I am using an AquaHouse dosing pump.  I like it because the timer is built in, intuitive to use, I can flush the line whenever I want without disturbing the program, and it was relatively cheap.  The first one I bought didn't work at all, but have since bought 3 more, that work like a charm.

We (Reed) love the Aquahouse pumps, especially since we can get them without the transformer for countries on different power schemes  Watch our website, we'll be offering them soon.

KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Monday, June 10, 2013 10:39 PM
You can feed the rotifers every 3 hours. They are never hungry, and they grow really fast.  It keeps the water cleaner, too, as less food goes to waste. 
check out Kathy's Clowns, llc website:
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GreshamH
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Tuesday, June 11, 2013 2:58 PM
is yours in a fridge or outside?

GreshamH
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Tuesday, June 11, 2013 2:59 PM
they are rated at 500 hours... do you think you've run it more than 500?  We're curious on the end life, we haven't hit it yet.

KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Tuesday, June 11, 2013 6:37 PM
At the rate I'm using mine, you'll have to check back with me in 5 years….
 
check out Kathy's Clowns, llc website:
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KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Thursday, July 4, 2013 10:06 AM
Here's  the rotifers after gorging on live Isochrysis for a week:
 
 
lots of eggs.
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KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Sunday, September 29, 2013 4:01 PM

Notice the multiple eggs on these rotifers.  These were raised on live Isochrysis, and are less than 7 days old. 
check out Kathy's Clowns, llc website:
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KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Sunday, September 29, 2013 7:23 PM
Quote Originally Posted by GreshamH


is yours in a fridge or outside?

The RGcomplete is in the fridge.  The pump hangs on the outside of the fridge and a tubing is snaked between the door magnets.  I don't feel any cool air leaking, so its OK.
 
check out Kathy's Clowns, llc website:
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KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Sunday, June 15, 2014 11:18 PM
Since I'm culturing Isochrysis anyway for the copepods, I followed up on a idea I had when a bottle of Iso got contaminated with rotifers.  It turned dark brown before it's sister jar did, and the rotifers were multi egged and robust and numerous.  
 
I've been purposely contaminating jars of Iso now for several months.  This results in very clean and robust rotifers on a consistent basis.  I set up one or two jars a week, set them in front of the timed lights, and forget about them until they either get very dark brown or clear up.  If very dark brown, I filter 1/3 of it into a clean bottle , top up with regular saltwater, add fertilizer, and 1-2 ml of my ongoing rotifer culture which is usually 300-500 rots/ml. Then I put it back on the shelf until it clears, and then add the rotifers to my maintenance bucket.  I also put the new bottle on the shelf and wait for it to clear, or go very dark brown.  And on and on. Rotifers resulting from the Iso co-culture are always young, productive, and amazing:

 
click the video


<message edited by KathyL on Monday, June 16, 2014 8:16 PM>
check out Kathy's Clowns, llc website:
http://kathysclowns.com
Captive bred clownfish and more
(Wholesale to the trade.)

KathyL
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Re:Culture Journal, Species: Brachionus rotundiformis - Monday, June 16, 2014 9:23 PM
Once I have a new batch, I keep them for a week in a bucket near the fridge with a peri pump plumbed to a bottle of Reed's RGcomplete, feeding 1 ml per 4-6 hours around the clock.  Also in the bucket is a rigid airline, and a small heater at about 79 F. I take rotifers to feed fish from this bucket, as they are constantly enriched, and I top off with clean saltwater.  After a week, I clean out the bucket and start over.  This system is less work for me than daily floss cleaning and 1/3 removal and replacement routine that I have done for years, requires less attention, and results in more rotifers than I can use, few if any crashes, and quick recovery.  Basically, I restart the rotifer culture twice a week, and twice a week I get wonderful rotifers, the majority of which are less than 7 days old, and still plenty fertile, given the bundles of eggs seen above.  For me, this is working.
check out Kathy's Clowns, llc website:
http://kathysclowns.com
Captive bred clownfish and more
(Wholesale to the trade.)