Culture Journal, Species: Parvocalanus

General
Species:  Parvocalanus crassirostris
Species description:  calanoid copepod
Culture source (link if possible):  Starter culture obtained from Waldend, brought back from MBI conference
If algae, CCMP # (Optional): 
http://ccmp.bigelow.edu/
Culture Establishment Date: 7/23/14
Continuation Date:  11/1/14

Culturing Vessel Details
Salinity: 1.022
Temperature:    Room temp, approx 72 degrees F at present
pH:  Approx 8.1 when newly mixed

Vessel description:  Clear plastic square containers, approx 1 liter volume
Lighting description:  Indirect 13w spiral cfl bulb (aimed at adjacent frag tank)
Lighting cycle:  12 hrs on, 12 hrs off
Aeration description:  Very gentle bubble rate (1-2/second) rigid airline

Methodologies
Split methodology: thus far, when a culture appears well populated to the naked eye, half is harvested (fed to tank or used to start new culture). Existing culture is replenished with NSW

Culture medium description:  NSW prepared to SG of 1.022-1.023. Vessel is "fed" live t-iso when clear, just enough to barely tint the water.

Cell count:
 (if known)

Reference links:  

Additional Information
(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Notes: 



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.

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Ken

Just starting this thread, will be updated once I get some more time. Thanks to Daniel (Waldend) for getting me the starter culture.

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Ken

Wow, are these little critters fast!  I had a few naups under the scope today, and thought I'd take a pic to post, but they don't stay in the sites long!  I suspect I will have to "sacrifice" a few on the slide with alcohol to get some photos.  The cultures (I split my original yesterday, now have 2 running) seem to be growing great, with very light feedings of t-iso every couple of days or so.

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Ken

They are definitely fast little buggers.  Good to hear that your cultures are performing well.  FYI, you can also put them down with household, distilled white vinegar.  I use one drop per ml of sample (sample containing animals and saltwater). 

I managed to get a pic through the microscope using my iPhone. Shows a couple of adults and some naups. I just split one of the cultures today and grabbed some in an eye dropper for the picture. So far the splits have been at about 6-7 days, and feedings with t-iso have been about every 2-3 days.

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Ken

Well, I thought I had lost my Parvo cultures from neglect. I haven't had any specific use for them, so they pretty much just sat in their little plastic bottles - 2 with airlines and very slow bubble rate, one with nothing. Whenever I had got around to putting in a little iso, I never noticed anything that looked alive. Last week, I decided to give each bottle a 50% water change, and added fresh t-iso, and all 3 bottles bloomed! I checked a sample with the scope to make sure, and indeed a mix of adults & naups. Amazing how resilient they are (luckily for me). Now to find a use for them!

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Ken

Short video taken today during a split, posted for the continuation report.
 
http://youtu.be/DQxVJpgJoT8

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Ken

Very cool.  These are on my list but I need the T-iso to take first.  Good job.

Did you take that picture with a microscope attachment with your iPhone or simply put the camera on the iPhone to the lense on the scope? Either way that's a pretty nice pic from a phone. I want to try it and maybe get a video the same way.

I made a DIY type of adapter that fits over an eyepiece on the scope. I still have to hold it there or else it will fall, but it gives me the correct standoff distance for images. There are commercial adapters out there, but I'm just being cheap ;-)

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Ken

Continuation reported on 11/1/14. Cultures still doing well, no changes in techniques.

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Ken