filter for rotifer tank...?

flipteg · 07/19/2007, 12:40 AM

i was at the fish store yesterday and i saw this plastic filter... it is really small and it was only $3... you put filter floss in it and it works via an air pump just like an undergravel filter...

i am on the planning stage of getting a phyto and rotifer cultures going... i was thinking that this small filter will provide some biological filtration taking care of ammonia...

but is there any reason why i should not use it...?

Harpo · 07/19/2007, 07:33 AM

Generally the rotifers are run through a sieve to remove their culture water before feeding to whatever you're feeding them to. I use water changes for the rotifer culture. I'd be worried that any filter would remove the rotifers.
hth, Mark

GreshamH · 07/19/2007, 10:47 AM

You;ll get a far better more detailed response from a forum like the Breeders forum here on RC

Most people culturing rotifers do not use any kind of filter. The micron of mesh required is typically 40 - 55 microns so they get clogged very quickly.

On our commercial IRC system (intensive rotifer culture) we employee a flow thru set up, dosed with ammonia control and fed thru out the day. We do use a filter floss to catch the rotifer poo and algae flock. Both AES and us sell it on our websites.

Aquatic EcoSystems design employees a closed circuit filtration set-up using both bio and foam fractioning. They use a fine mesh as well.

Both systems require daily maintance.

There is some loss when doing either system, but when your doing billions a day, a few lost won't hurt your counts.

For home cultures a 5 gallon bucket with a 40-60% water change (and harvest) daily would bew just fine.

flipteg · 07/19/2007, 11:00 AM

what if i use one of those donut filter media in the filter... since the filter is just using the air bubbles to flow water through it, i was thinking that the flow through the filter will not be very significant at all... and i can still adjust the bubble rate...

also, since the spaces between the media will be so huge, rotifers will just pass through and out the other end... i'm not really concerned with trapping anything, neither poop nor rotifers... i just want some sort of a biological filter to keep ammonia and nitrites in check... i think it should help in avoiding a culture crash...

GreshamH · 07/19/2007, 01:25 PM

What do you think the algae flock and rotifer poo break down into? By trapping and removing them daily your nitritite/nitrate/ammonia levels won't bad at all.

I haven't had a crash caused by anything other then operater error in well over 3 years on our IRC. Extremelly low amounts of nitrite and no ammonia.

Chloramx is the industry standard for keeping ammonia in check for rotifer systems. We dose it in ratio with our feeds to stop any aqmmonia production.

OK, I've been in this industry for a lone time and I have no clue what a donut filter is, please explain

GreshamH · 07/19/2007, 01:28 PM

Never mind, you mean the air driven sponge filters used in QT tanks and freshwater set-ups, right? IMo it won't be effective enough to keep your culture clean enough not to have to do water changes. You can re-use your culture water by bleaching it then neutralizing the bleach.

07/19/2007, 12:40 AM	#1
flipteg Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 910	filter for rotifer tank...? i was at the fish store yesterday and i saw this plastic filter... it is really small and it was only $3... you put filter floss in it and it works via an air pump just like an undergravel filter... i am on the planning stage of getting a phyto and rotifer cultures going... i was thinking that this small filter will provide some biological filtration taking care of ammonia... but is there any reason why i should not use it...?

07/19/2007, 10:47 AM	#3
GreshamH Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 9,474	You;ll get a far better more detailed response from a forum like the Breeders forum here on RC Most people culturing rotifers do not use any kind of filter. The micron of mesh required is typically 40 - 55 microns so they get clogged very quickly. On our commercial IRC system (intensive rotifer culture) we employee a flow thru set up, dosed with ammonia control and fed thru out the day. We do use a filter floss to catch the rotifer poo and algae flock. Both AES and us sell it on our websites. Aquatic EcoSystems design employees a closed circuit filtration set-up using both bio and foam fractioning. They use a fine mesh as well. Both systems require daily maintance. There is some loss when doing either system, but when your doing billions a day, a few lost won't hurt your counts. For home cultures a 5 gallon bucket with a 40-60% water change (and harvest) daily would bew just fine. __________________ Gresham _______________________________ Feeding your reef...one polyp at a time

07/19/2007, 01:25 PM	#5
GreshamH Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 9,474	What do you think the algae flock and rotifer poo break down into? By trapping and removing them daily your nitritite/nitrate/ammonia levels won't bad at all. I haven't had a crash caused by anything other then operater error in well over 3 years on our IRC. Extremelly low amounts of nitrite and no ammonia. Chloramx is the industry standard for keeping ammonia in check for rotifer systems. We dose it in ratio with our feeds to stop any aqmmonia production. OK, I've been in this industry for a lone time and I have no clue what a donut filter is, please explain __________________ Gresham _______________________________ Feeding your reef...one polyp at a time

07/19/2007, 01:28 PM	#6
GreshamH Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 9,474	Never mind, you mean the air driven sponge filters used in QT tanks and freshwater set-ups, right? IMo it won't be effective enough to keep your culture clean enough not to have to do water changes. You can re-use your culture water by bleaching it then neutralizing the bleach. __________________ Gresham _______________________________ Feeding your reef...one polyp at a time

07/19/2007, 07:33 AM	#2
Harpo Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Butte Valley, Ca Posts: 698	Generally the rotifers are run through a sieve to remove their culture water before feeding to whatever you're feeding them to. I use water changes for the rotifer culture. I'd be worried that any filter would remove the rotifers. hth, Mark

07/19/2007, 11:00 AM	#4
flipteg Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 910	what if i use one of those donut filter media in the filter... since the filter is just using the air bubbles to flow water through it, i was thinking that the flow through the filter will not be very significant at all... and i can still adjust the bubble rate... also, since the spaces between the media will be so huge, rotifers will just pass through and out the other end... i'm not really concerned with trapping anything, neither poop nor rotifers... i just want some sort of a biological filter to keep ammonia and nitrites in check... i think it should help in avoiding a culture crash...