Clown babies

[george]

Last time I was in Cap Bay, they had a truckload of clown juveniles that they said were from someone local and possibly the reef club.

The reason I bring this up is rotifers are popular for feeding clown babies. I was hoping to not have to order rotifers from Florida Aqua Farms, if I could get a bunch for starting locally.

Or if anyone else is culturing rotifers locally, I could use a cup or two of a culture to start.

A PM would be fine if you'd like to remain mostly anonymous.

Thanks.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Ya I would like to start culturing Rotifers too but I do not know if anyone has a culture that they are willing to share... George, if not I will order with ya!

 

[victor626nj]

i know sam at aquabuys sells rotifeaste

 

[victor626nj]

is it the same thing

 

[xyzpdq0121]

No we are looking for LIVE cultures... Rotifeast is a good product but not live.. (or atlease I do not think it is live)

 

[xyzpdq0121]

From what I have read and the podcasts I have seen it is not too hard... But it is best to culture Phyto and rotis at the same time, You feed the Phyto to the rotis....

 

[frewl]

I've been meaning to start my rotifer culture. I've got some resting rotifers from FAF I've just been really lazy. They've been sitting in the freezer since they said that was where they should be kept for up to 2 years. I guess when I get it set up I'll start them. I need to get an air pump.

 

[george]

Phyto is easy. Rubbermaid tub, 4x 1 quart jars and a 6500K bulb mounted in the middle and air pump. Cost is maybe $25 to set up + starter which you can get from any of us.

Rotifers are supposedly even easier because they don't require the light. However you have to be really careful when you do them so that you don't cross-contaminate your phyto. Rotifers also require some kind of collection sieve that can be DIY-ed using nylon stocking material or bought for $12 online. Rotifers have to be separated from their culture water since they produce a fair amount of amonia whereas the phyto can be fed directly to the tank, though I suggest letting it "age" real well so you don't introduce fertilizer left over into your tank.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

+1... see I should have come to you instead of reading for the last month!

 

[matttvi]

joyce wilkerson offers some excellent insight into raising your own rotts in her book clownfish... i recommend it...

 

[cameron]

I am not into growing my own, but I would buy some from a local operation.

 

[george]

Cameron;53961 wrote: I am not into growing my own, but I would buy some from a local operation.

Phyto or rotifers?

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Cameron;53961 wrote: I am not into growing my own, but I would buy some from a local operation.

We will do it together... You buy the cultures and I will grow them.. Sounds like a deal to me!

 

[kwl1763]

For years before i moved here I grew both rotifers and phyto continiously and I'll verify that rotifers are easier then phyto for sure, much less prone to crash and can go continously for a very long time.

You can culture phyo to feed the rotifers and then it becomes unbelievably cheap to do. I'm thinking about firing the setup back up along with brine shrimp after reading the live food article in adavnced aquarist this month.

 

[nishant3789]

is there any benefits in feeding rotifiers to coral? what is the micron size?

 

[george]

Nishant3789;54010 wrote: is there any benefits in feeding rotifiers to coral? what is the micron size?

They're 130-340 micrometers. They're an easily bred, decently nutritious zooplankton so that's good. They're also live which means that the excess in the water column doesn't immediately start to deteriorate and add to excess nitrate. Essentially similar to encouraging copepods to proliferate or mysid shrimp.