Rotifer Crash

Bunnee911 · Dec 30, 2015

So after 2 weeks of "practice" with a culture of rotifers, I can't find a single one when I dip a clear cup in the water. But, I think my brine shrimp culture sitting right next to it has some in it.
Any way to verify this without a microscope? The green water in the bs is clearing up from RGcomplete like the rotifer water was. I have a set of sieves. What will be the best way to separate them out?

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Rudimenta · Dec 30, 2015

Get a microscope a kids one from a toy store is fine, I have a hard time spotting Rotifers without especially the small s strains we use. I bought a 30bucks kids microscope and it works perfect you need about 200x magnification, plus it's fun

Bunnee911 · Dec 31, 2015

Thanks

Bunnee911 · Dec 31, 2015

Rudimenta said:
Get a microscope a kids one from a toy store is fine, I have a hard time spotting Rotifers without especially the small s strains we use. I bought a 30bucks kids microscope and it works perfect you need about 200x magnification, plus it's fun

Did you mean 20x? The toy ones seem to go to 20x.

Rudimenta · Dec 31, 2015

No 200 to really see them (toy one I got goes to 800x but not usable) 40x you can see them easily but still small, you need about 200x to see the mouth ect

Rudimenta · Dec 31, 2015

http://store.hermanstreet.com/scien...dv?&ICID=ttr-cid|567|pid|50104|point of sale| something like this

Bunnee911 · Jan 2, 2016

The general manager said no to the microscope. I siened the roti culture and did an 80% water change. I siened the brine shrimp culture and divided it between the 2 buckets. Now without bbs. A cup of water today has a few white dots in it. Now, I wonder if it will restock.

Rudimenta · Jan 2, 2016

It just takes one rotifer

, you need to feed the culture and wait till the water starts clearing up and there starts to detritus on the bottom of the bucket before you harvest again (4-6 days depending on starting size). It also takes just one brine shrimp in your rotifer culture to destroy it be careful!

Keep your eye out those toy microscopes get discounted a lot! If your serious about breeding you'll need one eventually.

Carolina Clownfish · Jan 2, 2016

Hey if they don't make it, just let me know. I'll send some in your next order at no extra charge.

Bunnee911 · Jan 3, 2016

Thanks Braxton. You are number one in my book.

Bunnee911 · Jan 3, 2016

I believe I shocked them with fresh water. I did not have a lid and the sg got pretty high. I have lids now and have then in 2g buckets. Two of them. I just can't handle 5g anymore. Youth is wasted on the young.

Rudimenta · Jan 3, 2016

Oh that is small, you don't need to wait as many days than

Blue Lip · Jan 6, 2016

I use two 5 gallon buckets with filters from Reed Mariculture. Since the cultures can crash I thought I should have two but had them both crash anyway. I culture tiger pods & luckily contaminated it with rotifers. I have them doing great in fry tanks that no longer eat them. Basically I find them easy to culture except where I try to culture them.

Rudimenta · Jan 6, 2016

Same here use 2 x 5 gallon with the reed system only on one, somehow the other bucket does better, but could be many reasons

Bunnee911 · Jan 6, 2016

The shipping from Reed is phenomenal. I thought i had contaminated my brine shrimp with rotifers. Such was not the case. Both 2g buckets are nearly sterile. The green colour has not changed in days. A clear glass of water is as empty as that pickle jar in the back of my ice box. Lol. So, I will start over.

Bunnee911 · Jan 6, 2016

Blue Lip said:
I use two 5 gallon buckets with filters from Reed Mariculture. Since the cultures can crash I thought I should have two but had them both crash anyway. I culture tiger pods & luckily contaminated it with rotifers. I have them doing great in fry tanks that no longer eat them. Basically I find them easy to culture except where I try to culture them.

So, I killed my air plant. This may be a bad sign. Lol.

Bunnee911 · Jan 12, 2016

Ok, so I took most of the water out of the old culture and now it is showing more rotifers. This is a combination of my old rotifer culture and my brine shrimp culture without the shrimps.