Culturing Rotifers
You will need:
Live Rotifers
Roti-Reef (suggested) or Live phytoplankton (Nannochloropsis)
A zooplankton sieve(suggested) or paper coffee filters
Empty two liter soda bottles or 2 5 gallon buckets (Best to use 5 gallon buckets)
Aquarium tubing
Rigid air tubing (We sell both 2 liter and 5 gal buckets tubes)
An aquarium gang valve
An air pump
Saltwater mix
RO/DI water
Mix your saltwater to a salinity of 1.018 to 1.019 using RO/DI water.
Put your bottle of Live Rotifers in your container. If using a 5 gallon bucket only put 1 or 2 gallons of saltwater in it to start. Put your container(s) in a room temperature location and use aeration from a low powered air pump. Each day feed Roti-Reef at the rate of a ¼ to ½ml per gallon of culture water. If feeding phytoplankton keep the water with a green tinge to it. After 5-7 days add an additional 2-3 gallons of water.
Once you have a full container of rotifers split the culture in half and start a second culture. As your number of culture containers grow use a gang valve to split the air pump's output among your cultures.
The rotifers can be neatly separated from their culture water with a plankton sieve or in a pinch a coffee filter works just fine. Scoop the sieve in the water like a cup then turn over and rinse the rotifers out, into another container, with fresh saltwater. If you plan to raise fish fry make sure you have many bottles of rotifers on hand. Fish larvae, especially clownfish larvae, eat an incredible number of rotifers every day.
You will need:
Live Rotifers
Roti-Reef (suggested) or Live phytoplankton (Nannochloropsis)
A zooplankton sieve(suggested) or paper coffee filters
Empty two liter soda bottles or 2 5 gallon buckets (Best to use 5 gallon buckets)
Aquarium tubing
Rigid air tubing (We sell both 2 liter and 5 gal buckets tubes)
An aquarium gang valve
An air pump
Saltwater mix
RO/DI water
Mix your saltwater to a salinity of 1.018 to 1.019 using RO/DI water.
Put your bottle of Live Rotifers in your container. If using a 5 gallon bucket only put 1 or 2 gallons of saltwater in it to start. Put your container(s) in a room temperature location and use aeration from a low powered air pump. Each day feed Roti-Reef at the rate of a ¼ to ½ml per gallon of culture water. If feeding phytoplankton keep the water with a green tinge to it. After 5-7 days add an additional 2-3 gallons of water.
Once you have a full container of rotifers split the culture in half and start a second culture. As your number of culture containers grow use a gang valve to split the air pump's output among your cultures.
The rotifers can be neatly separated from their culture water with a plankton sieve or in a pinch a coffee filter works just fine. Scoop the sieve in the water like a cup then turn over and rinse the rotifers out, into another container, with fresh saltwater. If you plan to raise fish fry make sure you have many bottles of rotifers on hand. Fish larvae, especially clownfish larvae, eat an incredible number of rotifers every day.
Culture your own Live Phytoplankton
You will need:
Live Phytoplankton
Phyto-Max
Empty 2-4 liter soda bottles
Aquarium tubing
Rigid air tubing (We sell both 2 liter tubes)
An aquarium gang valve
An air pump
Saltwater mix
RO/DI water
5500-6500k Light
Timer
Mix your saltwater to a salinity of 1.018 to 1.019 using RO/DI water.
Put your container(s) in a room temperature location and use aeration from a low powered air pump. Add your bottle of Live Phytoplankton (consider reserving 1/2 of the bottle in case of a crash) and 1 - 2ml Phyto-Max. Put the bottle in front of the light, set your timer for 16 hours on and 8 off. Because of the shape of the bottom of the soda bottles shake them each day to prevent debris from settling. After 5-7 days your Phytoplankton should be ready to split. Take your 1st bottle and split it into 2 newly cleaned 2 liter bottles and start the process all over again.
*Note these directions are for 2 liter bottles, if you are using different size culture vessels please adjust the Phyto-Max accordingly.
You will need:
Live Phytoplankton
Phyto-Max
Empty 2-4 liter soda bottles
Aquarium tubing
Rigid air tubing (We sell both 2 liter tubes)
An aquarium gang valve
An air pump
Saltwater mix
RO/DI water
5500-6500k Light
Timer
Mix your saltwater to a salinity of 1.018 to 1.019 using RO/DI water.
Put your container(s) in a room temperature location and use aeration from a low powered air pump. Add your bottle of Live Phytoplankton (consider reserving 1/2 of the bottle in case of a crash) and 1 - 2ml Phyto-Max. Put the bottle in front of the light, set your timer for 16 hours on and 8 off. Because of the shape of the bottom of the soda bottles shake them each day to prevent debris from settling. After 5-7 days your Phytoplankton should be ready to split. Take your 1st bottle and split it into 2 newly cleaned 2 liter bottles and start the process all over again.
*Note these directions are for 2 liter bottles, if you are using different size culture vessels please adjust the Phyto-Max accordingly.