Culture Journal, Species: phyto - Nannochloropsis

General
Species:  Nannochloropsis (assumed)
Species description:  Green algae in the family Coccomyxaceae
Culture source (link if possible):  Originally florida aqua farms disk, restarted with some DT-s  (that is why it is assumed nanno but not 100% positive)
If algae, CCMP # (Optional): 
http://ccmp.bigelow.edu/
Culture Establishment Date:  sept.  re-established 10/2014
Continuation Date:  to date

Culturing Vessel Details
Salinity:  about 1.025
Temperature:   room temp.  about 71 degrees
pH:  don't test but starts with reef crystal 8.2 I'm sure it drops overtime

Vessel description:  1.5 gallon plastic water/drink container
Lighting description:  fluorescent light strips plus some natural light
Lighting cycle:  about 12-14 hours per day
Aeration description:  slow bubbles

Methodologies
Split methodology: currently not really splitting.  growing, using some replacing water.

Culture medium description: 
Once a week remove some water.  replace with F/2  15 drops in 1.5 quarts         

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.

It was first established from a florida aqua farms disk.  That culture crashed, I believe due to insufficient lighting.  I started a culture from DT's which has nanno in it and from what I have read the Nanno will over take all other strains.  Upon microscope examination today (12/14/14) I believe I have other things in the nanno such as rots.  I'll probably wait a week or two and strain and restart.  I am worried however because some of the critters look too small to strain out.  One looks like a tiny red spider, wish I could give you a size but much smaller than a pod.  Let me know if you have any idea as to what it might be.
 
 

You probably have Nannochloropsis rather than Nannochloris. If what you're seeing is smaller than rotifers they are probably ciliates. Either one is bad for a culture and it will probably crash soon unless you get them out. Good luck!

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

You are absolutely correct on the nannochloropsis oculata. I have to get quite a bit more fussy in my words for a breeding site as I want the information to be as useful as possible.
 
Thanks for the input.  I have seen some pictures of ciliates (though they are a large class) the spider things I don't think are ciliates.  Any input on a good digital microscope.  I'm currently using the worst piece of ..... but it works  (smithsonian science kit for a 10 year old).  I am looking to upgrade but have gotten very confused on what scope I should buy.  budget minded but not a shoe string.  I would like to be able to look at and post from my cultures but also look at the side of fish for diagnostic purposes.
 
This is not the spider things as they are too small for my microscope/phone combo to focus on.  Here is a picture of one of my mystery members.
 

    That is at x100 mag and then the phone zoomed in.  I also cut abunch of stuff off around it to make the picture smaller.  I think it my be in the bryozoa family.
 

Choosing a microscope can be difficult... I liked my Celestron 44340 as it was good for smaller things like phyto, rotifers, and copepods but not so good for larger things like larger larvae and adult fish. The magnification is too high.
The link you posted doesn't seem to be working.

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

I just got an amscope 10x,20x,30x,60x scope with a camera attachment, I haven't had much time with it but so far I like it. Heres a link to it, http://www.amscope.com/mi...p-digital-camera.html. Its a tough choice and really what would be best is a scope with both low magnification and really high magnification and that pretty much means two different scopes.

I got an Amscope.  I'm trying to get the hang of it but here is a picture of my Nanno.
 

My main culture got contaminated by copepods and rotifers so I'm restarting with my back up culture.