Change Page: 12 > | Showing page 1 of 2, messages 1 to 20 of 25 - powered by ASPPlayground.NET Forum Trial Version
Reports tied to this Journal
Author
|
Message
|
Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Thursday, April 11, 2013 11:02 PM
( permalink)
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: Tigriopus californicus Species description: Large red harpacticoid copepod Culture source (link if possible ): http://reefnutrition.com/tigger_pods.php If algae, CCMP # (Optional ): http://ccmp.bigelow.edu/ Culture Establishment Date: September 15, 2012 (estimated date) Continuation Date: 3/16/2014 Culturing Vessel Details Salinity: ~1.025-1.055 Typically ~1.030-1.035 Temperature: 68-78ºF (located in basement right next to a furnace) pH: Not measured
Vessel description: 5g bucket Lighting description: 2x 120w equivalent compact fluorescent bulbs in clamp-on shop light fixtures, ~2ft above cultures Lighting cycle: ~10 hrs Aeration description: None. I found a higher density with less aeration and the highest with no aeration. Methodologies Split methodology: Split every other week or as needed depending on densities. Sieve out copepods and replace water with synthetic sea water using Seachem Reef Salt. Culture medium description: I started this culture feeding PhytoFeast Live once a week, keeping the water a green tint. I then decided to try Reed Mariculture Shellfish Diet since I had some to experiment with and found significantly lower densities over a period of about 4 months. I will be switching back to PhytoFeast Live exclusively the next time I go to a LFS. I have now switched to feeding Rotigrow+ because it keeps much longer (frozen) and much more bang for the buck. It also gives me super high yields at least compared to phytofeast live or shellfish diet. I feed almost every day but sometimes every other day depending on how clear the water is. Cell count: **Estimates** PhytoFeast Live: 100-350/liter Shellfish Diet: ~100/liter, never more Rotigrow+ (co-cultured with rotifers): ~200-450/liter (maybe more) Reference links: Additional Information (No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please) Notes: I now have 7 cultures co-culture my Tigriopus with rotifers in all but one culture. I have noticed higher yields when cultured with rotifers. The one other bucket has been self sustaining itself for over a year and a half with Nanno. which was from the phytofeast live. This one culture always has very low densities and I have not harvested from it or split it in over a year, only top off. It is an experiment more than anything.
<message edited by Bongo Shrimp on Wednesday, March 19, 2014 8:33 PM>
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Thursday, April 11, 2013 11:04 PM
( permalink)
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Friday, April 12, 2013 11:42 PM
( permalink)
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 11:20 PM
( permalink)
So a couple of weeks ago I finally converted back to feeding phytofeast live. It certainly increases numbers but in doing so, the population quickly grows too large and then dies back. On top of this, I have inadvertently, but happily, introduced rotifers by stirring the cultures with the same stirrer I used in the rotifer cultures on the same day. This has also caused a huge burst in population size but again it dies back quickly too. I will begin splitting and collecting from the cultures much more often.
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Monday, June 17, 2013 11:43 AM
( permalink)
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Tuesday, June 18, 2013 7:05 PM
( permalink)
Can you post some pictures of your culture vessels? I would like to culture these but haven't been successful yet.
Also, what do you use to take your photographs of the copepods?
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 11:07 AM
( permalink)
I can take a pic later but they are a bit messy. Honestly though they are nothing more than a 5g bucket. Literally. No air stone, no heater, nothing. A 5g bucket filled with SW, a starter culture of Tigriopus and phytofeast live.
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 11:21 AM
( permalink)
How often do you stir/change the water? Maybe I was trying too hard lol
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 11:23 AM
( permalink)
I split it at least 3 times a month or more if see the concentrations of pods are extremely high and I only stir when I add more phyto since it won't mix around itself with no water movement.
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 11:47 AM
( permalink)
Thanks for the info! I'm going to try it this method. Do you think that nanno and tetraselmis would be able to feed the properly? (my Iso crashed and I can't get a new start to work).
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 11:52 AM
( permalink)
I only have experience feeding them with phytofeast live and am not sure how effective those would be. Can't hurt to try. There may be others with experience feeding nanno and tetraselmis to their tigriopus though. I'd search around for more info on that.
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 12:14 PM
( permalink)
What do you use to video your pods? Awesome vids!
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 12:17 PM
( permalink)
Thank you! iPhone 5 
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 12:20 PM
( permalink)
 Originally Posted by Bongo Shrimp Thank you! iPhone 5 Man my 4S want video like that lol.
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Sunday, March 16, 2014 7:26 PM
( permalink)
Time for an update. I now have 7, 5g Tirgriopus cultures. I switched to feeding Rotigrow+ because it keeps much longer (frozen) and much more bang for the buck. It also gives me super high yields at least compared to phytofeast live or shellfish diet. I split every other week but it also depends on how well the culture is doing. If it is sparse, I may not split it. I also have 2, 120W equivalent compact fluorescent bulbs in those $8 clamp-on shop light fixtures from Home Depot. I also now co-culture my Tigriopus with Rotifers. I have noticed that I get better yields when doing this. It also allows me to have emergency back ups of my rotifer cultures. Here is a pic from today. This is close to the maximum density I have ever had.  Close up. (Bad quality, I know. iPhone pic) 
All of my work is done with the help of member altolamprologus (Heather Mutschler). She shares all credit evenly with me for our accomplishments.
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Thursday, March 12, 2015 1:18 AM
( permalink)
How are you controlling ammonia now that you're using dead feeds? I've heard tigriopus can't tolerate chloramx
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Thursday, March 12, 2015 1:22 AM
( permalink)
We do not test for ammonia and the copepods do not care. We also do not add anything to remove ammonia. They are naturally found in tide pools and are tolerant of pretty much anything. The only reason we see a dip in productivity from our cultures is if we do not feed enough or if we do not split after about 2 months.
2 months is longer than usual and that has only happened once or twice when we got really busy and didn't think about it. We currently have 7 cultures and in January we started a new culture with a new bottle of copepods and have since inoculated the other cultures with a new bloodline. The cultures remain very strong.
All of my work is done with the help of member altolamprologus (Heather Mutschler). She shares all credit evenly with me for our accomplishments.
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Thursday, March 12, 2015 8:32 AM
( permalink)
Still keeping rotifers in culture with them as well? Thanks for the info!
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Thursday, March 12, 2015 10:22 AM
( permalink)
Yes we are. Once they get in they don't come out but we don't want to get them out. You're welcome.
All of my work is done with the help of member altolamprologus (Heather Mutschler). She shares all credit evenly with me for our accomplishments.
|
|
|
Re:Culture Journal, Species: Tigriopus californicus
Thursday, March 12, 2015 10:46 AM
( permalink)
Originally Posted by Bongo Shrimp
Yes we are. Once they get in they don't come out but we don't want to get them out. You're welcome.
Excellent thread, this is one I've never worked with, no real reason other then none available when I could add it. Do they prefer the dark pail interior to a glass container? I like the pairing with rotifers. They tend to have wings anyhow.
Jake We are all in this together
|
|
|
|