Rotifer update..more pics

[robertloop]

Things are still going good! The rotifer numbers are climbing. It is not "soup thick" yet so I have not added any to my reef. I brought the culture into the house because it has been getting REALLY cold at night and the rate of reproduction seemed to slow down a bit since the cold weather kicked in. I put three on a slide in a drop of water to observe. Wow can they really cruize around! Not as fast as baby brine shrimp but close. I had to slap a slide cover on there to slow them down long enough to take pictures! This one is at 100X. Notice only one egg cyst.



Here is the same specimen at 300X. As the slide cover settled in it crushed the rotifers and egg sacks so I had to be speedy! Actually you have about 5 min if using light wieght acrylic covers.



If you were at the last meeting the guy form the algae place commented that feeding rotifers tomato juice would not be beneficial. "All that rotifers do is provide vessel for corals to consume what was in the rotifer's stomach." My amature opinion would agree with that statement. Look at the tissue surrounding the rotifer's stomach. (the not green part). A rotifer is almost an empty shell aside from the egg sack(s). Esentially, all a coral polyp gets while consuming a rotifer is whats in its stomach! There is probably not any data on testing tomato fed rotifers and phytoplankton fed rotifers against a group of corals but the theory makes some sense.

[Justin74]

I definately missed that theory!What led anyone to the idea of feeding tomato juice and why?
And what about the citric acid?

-Justin

[robertloop]

A couple people brought up something about a guy somewhere on the net succesfully cultureing rotifers on v8 or some kind of tomato juice at the last meeting. I guess he was experimenting with keeping rotifers alive with something other than phyto. While alot cheaper and easy to get, the nutritional value of a rotifer fed with juice is subject to doubt.

[CaliforniaDreamer]

I brought up at the meeting the section in Moe's book (Breeding the Orchid Dottyback) a question of the speaker's opinion of using Moe's "V8" formula for feeding rotifers. Actually the main reason I was interested was as Moe explained he use the "V8" formula to grow rots and then enrich them prior to feeding to the dottybacks. According to Moe this was successful with a fish species whose larva is very temperamental and difficult to feed. I don't question that raising the rots on phyto may be better; this is just another potential option. From my understanding the rots grow and reproduce very well on the V8 formula. The main problem that some seem to have is keeping up the water quality in the rot's tank. One of the local breeders of clownfish uses the V8 formula exclusively and has had very good success. I have had no experience with growing rots. I am planning on raising them in the future and am interested in exploring options.

-- Edit --

I should explain that the "V8" formula's main constituent is V8 Juice! And I know that the HUFA content of V8 is near zero. Also as Robert said for rots, they are what they eat.

[robertloop]

Wow! I can hear the scientists getting all bent out of shape on that one!! Really neat though. Hmmmmm. Might have to try that out some time. Cant argue with those kind of results.

[Malcolm_C]

bump


I find this interesting, im hoping u guys have more to add

[GreshamH]

Modified Moe has been around for more then a decade, nothing new. Yes, it's been studied against phytoplankton, you think a billion + dollar industry woulnd't test alternatives? Yeast, chicken poo, etc, have all been extensively tested. We're always testing new methods, and working on ours. Thus far, the IRC system is about the best producing method around.

There is no question that rotifers are just a shell. I could show you many nutritional profiles tht have been returned from the lab

The main difference is labor, and water quality. The Modified Moe method brings water quality down quickly, and it also requires a total feeding regimin change when you need the rotifers. Since the water quality drops so quickly, it's rare to get to rotifer eggs per. For us using our method, we get 5K per ml, and a HUGE % egg count. For more then any Modified Moe method could achieve. The Moe method may be cheaper, somewhat, but it does not make up for it in the extra labor IMO. Considerring it's like .13 cents a day to feed a hobby culture of rotifers, the cost difference is moot.

Robert, if you have cysts instead of eggs, your culture is in a decline. IMO, you've got an egg on there, not a cyst

What citric acid are you talking about Justin?

[Justin74]

The citric acid in tomato juice.

-Justin

[robertloop]

Hey Malcome,

Suprised to see this thread back! Fun and fascinating stuff to play around with. There is also another thread we did like this one with pics and all. Even one of my high tech lab. <---riiiiiight

I havent had a culture going in awhile. Upgraded to a larger tank recently and havent had the time. Ironicly I was eyeballing my set up just the other day. I've done green water quite a few times. I tried rotifers one time and was pleased with the results of my "first try". I had a living rotifer culture that I was feeding my tank from for a few weeks. Definetley going to try this again soon. I'll dig up a link to the other phyto thread.

[robertloop]

Here's the link to the other thread when the rotifers first hatched.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=720667

[GreshamH]

Originally posted by Justin74
The citric acid in tomato juice.

-Justin

Bufferredf out instantly in saltwater. It's not that "strong" of an acid.

[Justin74]

huh, whatta trip!

-Justin

[GreshamH]

Can you tell I've played with various amounts and %'s of citric acid in 35ppt saltwater