Rotifer Culturing Question

[DoctaReef]

So I have a breeding pair of clownfish, and I recently purchased all I need, I think, from Reef Nutrition to keep a rotifer culture going.
On the Reed Mariculture site, it says to harvest 20-30% of the rotifers daily, by volume...
My questions are:
1) Am I harvesting rotifers to keep the population young or to manage ammonia?
2) If I’m doing it to manage the population, do I need to change out the water if I’m harvesting to feed the Fry? (I have a zooplankton catcher)
3) I bought Reef Nutrition’s “Roti Clean” filter, and when i add the phyto, my water gets cleaned in 12-14 hours... Is it filtering too much and should i switch to a standpipe/just hang the rotifer floss?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Pete Luna]

Harvesting does both so remove a gallon and strain.

if your water is clean, is it frothy on top, or no froth but water is clear

 

[DoctaReef]

My water was frothy on top, when I turned the air stone off, it was clear with a yellowish tint.

 

[Pete Luna]

Normally that means they are multiplying, increased waste,

clear water they’ve eaten all the food

 

[DoctaReef]

That’s good to know, thank you,
One more question- how sensitive are they to water changes? I’m matching salinity, but you have to heat the water before adding it?

 

[Pete Luna]

I let mine mix sit for a day and add. No heater

 

[thomaskc]

What’s the update? We’re you able to keep it going?

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

That’s good to know, thank you,
One more question- how sensitive are they to water changes? I’m matching salinity, but you have to heat the water before adding it?

I breed rotifers they can handle pretty big temp swings . As long as its room temp and not freezing it's fine . Harvest 1/3 a day to keep the population going . To high a density and it will kill the cultre out . Make sure to stir the bottom up as a-lot of unused phyto will settle on the bottom. You can also squeeze the filter a little to let some of the phyto out .

 

[thomaskc]

I breed rotifers they can handle pretty big temp swings . As long as its room temp and not freezing it's fine . Harvest 1/3 a day to keep the population going . To high a density and it will kill the cultre out . Make sure to stir the bottom up as a-lot of unused phyto will settle on the bottom. You can also squeeze the filter a little to let some of the phyto out .

Question for you:

In a basic 5 gallon culture how quickly should ammonia rise to high concentrations?
I swear my culture hits green/blue ammonia readings every evening and I change 50 percent of the water daily.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

Question for you:

In a basic 5 gallon culture how quickly should ammonia rise to high concentrations?
I swear my culture hits green/blue ammonia readings every evening and I change 50 percent of the water daily.

Never monitor it as I'm using a cycled sponge filter. Adding a beneficial bacteria to get your filter started will help. Plus water gets swapped when harvesting but I do a full water change every 2 weeks

 

[Pete Luna]

Your feeding your own phyto correct, that may be your issue

I feed Roti Green Omega, it has an ammonia reducer in it. never had an ammonia issue, change 1 gal a day in a 5 gal bucket.

 

[Reef Nutrition]

So I have a breeding pair of clownfish, and I recently purchased all I need, I think, from Reef Nutrition to keep a rotifer culture going.
On the Reed Mariculture site, it says to harvest 20-30% of the rotifers daily, by volume...
My questions are:
1) Am I harvesting rotifers to keep the population young or to manage ammonia?
2) If I’m doing it to manage the population, do I need to change out the water if I’m harvesting to feed the Fry? (I have a zooplankton catcher)
3) I bought Reef Nutrition’s “Roti Clean” filter, and when i add the phyto, my water gets cleaned in 12-14 hours... Is it filtering too much and should i switch to a standpipe/just hang the rotifer floss?

Thanks in advance!

Sorry I missed this! Please reach out to us directly next time. Our technical staff would love to help you with any questions or issues you are having with our equipment and protocols. Our email is [email protected].

1) Harvesting rotifers, daily, serves two purposes: keeping the population young and vigorous, as well as managing water quality.

2) Every time you harvest, you should be discarding the water and adding in new, clean saltwater.

3) The Roti-Clean filter is designed to export waste via the filter insert. Waste build-up in a rotifer culture is the number one reason they fail/crash. The water is cleaned by the filter of organic debris and dead rotifers. Also, the water is clearing up due to the rotifers eating the algae (they can eat a lot of algae in 24hours) and the filter removing the waste. While the filter also keeps the phyto, rotifers and debris suspended, we recommend you add in an open-ended rigid airline to oxygenate and create more turbulence. I also recommend that you scrub all surfaces every day after harvesting so that the organic waste can be in suspension for the filter to strip out.

What kind of algae are you feeding the culture? I can give you more advice on this thread, if you'd like.

Best,
Chad