rhodomonas?

[dela]

Hi,

I keep reading about these rhodomonas algaes that are used commercially to raise copepods, but I can't find anywhere that sells it. Any help?

Got some Iso headed my way, but if it turns out to be too unstable or too difficult to start, then I might try something else. Not sure if these would be any easier.

Thanks

[dela]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/8/breeder

There are on-line supplier lists at the bottom...

[dela]

Unfortunately some of these places are not cheap!

[billsreef]

There is no place I know of that sells rhodomonas cultures cheap. It's not that commonly used, and it doesn't seem to lend itself to some of the low cost supply technologies like the algae disks from FAF.

[dela]

Thanks Bill. Are there any other algaes that might be readily available besides nanno, tetra, and iso? I keep seeing the same ones for sale.

Naturally, I started with Nanno. It may work well for rotifers, but its not working out for copepods. Now I'm, hoping to grow a readily accepted red, green, and brown algae. Tetra would probably work for the green. On the Carolina website, I found one red algae (Porphyridium) that might work. (Was trying to read up on this algae - don't want to pick up red tide or something crazy out of ignorance). And it looks like they have a couple of brown algaes (although they include Nannochloropsis in the golden brown category) that might work.

[billsreef]

For copepods, I'd look to using Iso, Tetra, Thalassiosira Weissflogii. Pavlova, and Chaetoceros Gracilis. Which ones will work best will depend on the species of copepod your culturing.

[dela]

"Thalassiosira Weissflogii. Pavlova, and Chaetoceros Gracilis"

Any idea where I can buy these?

[billsreef]

Aquatic Ecosystems (http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/1365/Algae-Plates) has them. Not particularly cheap At $66 per plated culture, but at least readily available.

[GreshamH]

Porph is awesome, no "red tide" danger with it ;)

[dela]

Thanks, you never know! :D

This is from Wikipedia... I was definitely going to stay away from this species!

In the case of Florida red tides, these mortalities are caused by exposure to a potent neurotoxin called brevetoxin which is produced naturally by the marine algae Karenia brevis.

Sounds like there are may be other species that produce dangerous compounds. And it's probably an urban myth, but I remember hearing about a group of scientists (20+ years ago) that were killed in a lab, when their ventilation system malfunctioned and the algae they were growing produced a toxic substance (presumably a gas if the ventilation malfunction led to their demise!).

The wife would never let me live it down if I killed us! :lolspin:

[billsreef]

Yes, there are number of species that cause harmful algae blooms. Red tide can be several different species, with some being toxic and some seem like they might just cause mechanical irritation to the point of killing things.

Don't recall hearing of the lab problem, though some toxic algae blooms are none to cause health issues with people living along the coast where the bloom is. So could be possible.

[dela]

Sweet! My package from Florida Aqua Farms just arrived today!

I thought it was pretty cool that for shipping and handling, they charged me exactly what the USPS charged them.

And it cracks me up they use batt insulation to keep things from getting banged up. I guess when you are in Florida, what else would you use insulation for anyway? :D

[billsreef]

FAF is a good company to deal with. Though they might be regretting parting with that insulation. It's a chilly 66 tonight in Miami, and they are way up north in Dade City :D

[dela]

Well, after one week, the Tetra is doing great while the Iso is not. (Big surprise) According to the directions, I need to give it another week, then start over if it does not take... which would mean I try something else.

[billsreef]

Tet is one of the easy ones. With the iso, be sure all equipment and culture vessels are well sanitized. It can also have some mobility problems as it adjusts to your water quality. In that later case, if the culture water is not cloudy and the there is a healthy brown looking coating on the bottom of the vessel, just swirl it a couple of times per day and split it every week until it the culture takes off. Strong aeration also helps, a nice rolling boil ;)

[jeff@zina.com]

T-Iso took me a few tries to get it going, and it took two weeks or more for a start. I thought I was the problem and it really comes down to a little bit of luck as well as just keeping it going when it looks like a lost cause.

Jeff

[dela]

Thanks guys, I guess I have nothing to loose by keeping the culture running.

Is Monochrysis easier to culture?

Now that I have two green cultures going, I really am thinking the way to go is to have different colored cultures! I can just see myself splitting some nanno into a bottle that's supposed to get tetra or vice versa....

And now that my nanno has been brewing for a while, I'm concerned about salinity. Seems like over time, the SG will creep up, and eventually I will kill off the culture by adding a very high SG algae water to low SG culture water.

I wonder if algae have any effect on a refractometer?

[billsreef]

Monochyrsis (aka Pavlova aka Diacronema...I wish the taxonomists would make up their minds), is fairly easy to culture and a favorite of shellfish producers to supplement the Iso.

Since I batch culture, I've never bothered checking the salinity after the culture has been running. A given culture just doesn't stick around long enough to expect much change in sg.

[dela]

Bill,

What do you mean by batch culture? Are we not doing the same thing?

I keep a 2L bottle going for a week, then I split the bottle (50/50) and add new culture water at 1.025. That culture bottle is in a constant state of evaporation, so I would think eventually the SG will stabilize at some SG well above 1.025.

I just tested my "A" bottle, the oldest culture. It was hard to read as it did not form a clear line on the refractometer (apparently the algae does have an effect). The best I could tell was 1.0275 or so.

[billsreef]

I keep small (75 to 100ml) subcultures going, a set of 3 for every main culture I expect to start. Every week I'll start 2L culture from one of those subcultures, start a new set of subcultures from another subculture...and if none of the subs failed, have an extra for use. With the subs, I pay a great deal of attention to sanitation, as these are my pure stock...vs having to go out and my more if my cultures get contaminated. Sounds like a like of work, but it's really only about 1/2 or so per culture line every week...if I'm slacking.

With the way your doing it, I'd suggest instead of splitting 50/50, use just enough of a dense culture to inoculate the next culture...just enough to color the new culture water with an obvious tint. You can probably inoculate 2 or 3 new 2L cultures and have plenty left to use from one 2L culture. When things are really cranking along, it's possible to use half of a dense culture and replace with fresh media and harvest again in a couple of days. Usually can do this once or twice before the culture starts declining.

[dela]

75-100 ml? Interesting.. I guess they take up less room that way! :D

[billsreef]

Hoff's Plankton Culture Manual has a good description on maintaining and using sub cultures. It's also a good way to maintain a culture when you don't really have a current need for a working culture. I used to maintain mine in a 10 gallon tank to help keep them isolated from potential contamination.

[GreshamH]

T-Iso took me a few tries to get it going, and it took two weeks or more for a start. I thought I was the problem and it really comes down to a little bit of luck as well as just keeping it going when it looks like a lost cause.

Jeff

You soon learn why it's call iso...crisis :lol:

[Clownfishfan]

I know I'm late but if you still want rhodomonas seahorse source sells it for $25.

[dela]

Cool, thanks for the info. So far I've been able to keep my iso and tetra going despite minor crashes. But I really would like to get a red algae going.

It's too bad copepods don't like Nanno while rotifers do great on them. I hate having both Nanno and Tetra going. One of these days they are going to mix and I won't know the difference. (Although I think my Tetra cultures darken up a little more than the Nanno - so at least there is some visible variation).

[MassiveReefer]

Hope you dont mind my noob question...

If pods are naturally growing in my fug as is, what is the point of raising/feeding them? is it to increase their population or diversity? Are there certain types of pods that wont servive without being feed these special diets?

[billsreef]

It usually is to increase their population. Useful if you have lots of hungry mouths in your tank that eat pods.

[dela]

Hi there, I was raising critters outside of the aquarium to feed clownfish fry and juveniles. So the phyto was used to feed the food (rotifers, various pods, and brine shrimp) before it was added to the aquarium.