SS / S Strain Rotifers in Chicago!

mwp · 05/26/2006, 02:05 AM

I now have SS Strain rotifers! FINALLY! THEY ARE FREAKIN' TINY! I think I may have just obtained the magic bullet for the GBG, Leptacanthus and Mandarin larvae!

If any private marine breeder in the Chicago area would like to get set up with them over the next couple months once the cultures get going, PM me. I realize how hard these are to find (took me 6 months)...I'd normally divulge my sources but not sure if these guys WANT the publicity, so I'll just say thanks again to two anonymous parties who helped out (if they'd like to come on board the thread and take a bow, by all means guys, you deserve it).

I'm NOT looking to make money on this (if I had only picked up Rotifers my starter cultures were around $80 with shipping, it's ALL in the shipping, the person who sold them to me was VERY generous to help out). I really don't have the time to ship stuff much, so if you're in driving distance of Chicago and want a small starter culture once mine are established PM me and we'll work out the details...all I ask in return is that if my cultures crash you help me get back on my feet and that if you pass them along you don't SELL THEM but freely give them to folks in need (pay it forward, right?) and the new recipients should follow the same rules...they are not for sale, only to be freely given.

It'll be good to have these around in the hands of some experienced rotifer folk in the area. I may give order of preference to folks who have more immediate need (i.e. if you're only breeding clownfish you're at the back of the line if someone else is breeding things like watchmans or the planktonic cardinalfish).

This offer only stands until I decide otherwise, and only as extra rotifers become available. I DO put a lot of time into my cultures and have invested a lot, so down the line I may have to sell starter cultures of the various live foods I work with locally to help support my hobby...but for now, free starter cultures of SS - Strain in the Chicago area, as they are available.

FWIW,

Matt

Jon Lazar · 05/26/2006, 07:09 AM

Is there interest in setting up a rotifer "chain mail", where each person is willing to ship to two others who have the experience to breed these rots and keep the strain uncontaminated?

No one person has the time to distribute SS rots to all the hobbyists across the country. But if mwp was able to ship out two batches, and those two people shipped to two others, before long we'd have SS all over. People could sign up on this thread, and would pay the shipping charges. Just a thought.

Happy reefing,
Jon

mwp · 05/26/2006, 07:32 AM

Well, the biggest problem I've found is finding good cultures of what you need consistently - i.e. I went through four Isocrysis disks from FAF before finally getting a live T-Iso culture from Seahorsesource that has done nothing but flourish! So $100 later I have Isocrysis.

IDEALLY what we as fish breeders really need is a consistently reliable source for ALL our cultures. Locally, I could provide L and SS rotifers, copepods, Nannochloropsis, Nannochloris, T-Iso and Tetraselmis, but I really don't have the time to ship stuff all over the place....

The only long-term downside to creating a rotifer "chain mail" (besides having to personally make two trips to FedEx) is that if we suddenly distribute SS rotifers all over the country to current breeders, there's no commercial incentive for someone to offer them up! The reality is that a commercial source that always has them is what we all really need in the long run, right? I don't want to compete with the folks who helped get these rotifers to me in the first place because they're just starting production...why should they stick with it if suddenly we're all sending cultures around the country for free?

Not trying to kybosh your idea Jon, but I do see a distinct long-term downside to rotifer availability if we try something like this, thus why I just want to get them to some local folks who need them and are willing to act as back-ups for each other...

Just my $0.02...

Matt

ediaz · 05/26/2006, 09:12 AM

Well there is a few persons who have the capacity to distribute those rots for a fee of course, the reason they are not doing it is because there is no demand for it. Hence the difficulty of obtaining them.

Your idea is exellent if you could do it with pods that are really necesary when it comes to small larvae.

Ed

GreshamH · 05/26/2006, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mwp
Well, the biggest problem I've found is finding good cultures of what you need consistently - i.e. I went through four Isocrysis disks from FAF before finally getting a live T-Iso culture from Seahorsesource that has done nothing but flourish! So $100 later I have Isocrysis.

IDEALLY what we as fish breeders really need is a consistently reliable source for ALL our cultures. Locally, I could provide L and SS rotifers, copepods, Nannochloropsis, Nannochloris, T-Iso and Tetraselmis, but I really don't have the time to ship stuff all over the place....

The only long-term downside to creating a rotifer "chain mail" (besides having to personally make two trips to FedEx) is that if we suddenly distribute SS rotifers all over the country to current breeders, there's no commercial incentive for someone to offer them up! The reality is that a commercial source that always has them is what we all really need in the long run, right? I don't want to compete with the folks who helped get these rotifers to me in the first place because they're just starting production...why should they stick with it if suddenly we're all sending cultures around the country for free?

Not trying to kybosh your idea Jon, but I do see a distinct long-term downside to rotifer availability if we try something like this, thus why I just want to get them to some local folks who need them and are willing to act as back-ups for each other...

Just my $0.02...

Matt

There will always be a market for the commercial production of "ss", no matter how much hobbyists trade via internet fourms

I wouldn't fear hurting the people that gave them to you, rotifer cultures crash quite often as most have found

Luis A M · 05/26/2006, 11:42 PM

Can you measure them?

mwp · 05/29/2006, 11:33 PM

Luis, I wish I had a microscope, but things like a new car are gonna take priority for the next couple months

Suffice it to say they are FREAKIN' TINY...maybe 1/10th the overall mass of a L-Strain rotifer??????

Matt

David M · 05/30/2006, 07:24 AM

I think I'm with Edgar here, if there was a significant market for these rots someone would have filled it by now. If a few hobbyists can successfuuly culture them surely Randy or FAF or someone else would have done it by now. Like E said, it probably just isn't profitable for them. I like the hobbyist's exchange idea myself, I have no trouble making a few runs to Fed Ex. I don't have a dire need I suppose but do have the bluestreak cardinals I'd like to try plus I'm curious to know if they would help with the orchid dottybacks. I know they can be raised on L strain rots, just not by me

Put me on the list if such a list emerges

Luis A M · 05/30/2006, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mwp
Luis, I wish I had a microscope, but things like a new car are gonna take priority for the next couple months Suffice it to say they are FREAKIN' TINY...maybe 1/10th the overall mass of a L-Strain rotifer??????

Matt

Sure,a car is a car,you canÃ‚Â´t drive a microscope

It would be good if someone,sometime could measure them though,may be you found some freaking holy grial

I once measured my L and SS but canÃ‚Â´t find where I posted it right now

aomont · 05/30/2006, 11:17 AM

I?Lm just trying to start on this subject of breeding marine fishes, have no SS, no L (yet), no microscope...

but founf this:

http://www.aims.gov.au/pages/researc.../chapter08.pdf

L-rotifers 219 ?} 13 Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ*m
S-rotifers 176 ?} 16 Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ*m
SS-rotifers 147 ?} 11 Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ*m

Anderson

aomont · 05/30/2006, 11:19 AM

Seems copy and paste simbols didnÃ‚Â´t happen.

L-rotifers 219 +/- 13 um
S-rotifers 176 +/- 16 um
SS-rotifers 147 +/- 11 um

Anderson.

Kathy55g · 05/30/2006, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Luis A M
Sure,a car is a car,you canÃ‚Â´t drive a microscope
It would be good if someone,sometime could measure them though,may be you found some freaking holy grial
I once measured my L and SS but canÃ‚Â´t find where I posted it right now

I think it was one of NicoleC's posts.

seafarm · 05/30/2006, 10:58 PM

It's part of our game plan to start culturing SS rotifers and make them commercially available. To-date there has not been a lot of demand for them so we haven't made them a priority.

If somebody would like to send me the "Chicago" culture I'll be happy to have my techs take a look at them and report back the results on size and any other interesting characteristics (and maybe some pictures). I'll pay for the shipping.

If you are interested please contact me offline at [email protected] (that's easier than typing [email protected]).

Mr. Ugly · 05/31/2006, 12:05 AM

Randy, would SS type be suitable for frogfish larvae?

I've been giving them the larger rotifers, but lost the last of the fry 7 days after hatching. I think it was a water quality problem, but don't know if SS would have been more appropriate.

New batch of fry are due to hatch in about 4 days

GreshamH · 05/31/2006, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by seafarm
It's part of our game plan to start culturing SS rotifers and make them commercially available. To-date there has not been a lot of demand for them so we haven't made them a priority.

If somebody would like to send me the "Chicago" culture I'll be happy to have my techs take a look at them and report back the results on size and any other interesting characteristics (and maybe some pictures). I'll pay for the shipping.

If you are interested please contact me offline at [email protected] (that's easier than typing [email protected]).

We have a source of these Randy, I'd call them "Campbell" cultures

Thanks again Tyler

05/26/2006, 02:05 AM	#1
mwp Moved On Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 2,637	SS / S Strain Rotifers in Chicago! I now have SS Strain rotifers! FINALLY! THEY ARE FREAKIN' TINY! I think I may have just obtained the magic bullet for the GBG, Leptacanthus and Mandarin larvae! If any private marine breeder in the Chicago area would like to get set up with them over the next couple months once the cultures get going, PM me. I realize how hard these are to find (took me 6 months)...I'd normally divulge my sources but not sure if these guys WANT the publicity, so I'll just say thanks again to two anonymous parties who helped out (if they'd like to come on board the thread and take a bow, by all means guys, you deserve it). I'm NOT looking to make money on this (if I had only picked up Rotifers my starter cultures were around $80 with shipping, it's ALL in the shipping, the person who sold them to me was VERY generous to help out). I really don't have the time to ship stuff much, so if you're in driving distance of Chicago and want a small starter culture once mine are established PM me and we'll work out the details...all I ask in return is that if my cultures crash you help me get back on my feet and that if you pass them along you don't SELL THEM but freely give them to folks in need (pay it forward, right?) and the new recipients should follow the same rules...they are not for sale, only to be freely given. It'll be good to have these around in the hands of some experienced rotifer folk in the area. I may give order of preference to folks who have more immediate need (i.e. if you're only breeding clownfish you're at the back of the line if someone else is breeding things like watchmans or the planktonic cardinalfish). This offer only stands until I decide otherwise, and only as extra rotifers become available. I DO put a lot of time into my cultures and have invested a lot, so down the line I may have to sell starter cultures of the various live foods I work with locally to help support my hobby...but for now, free starter cultures of SS - Strain in the Chicago area, as they are available. FWIW, Matt

05/26/2006, 07:09 AM	#2
Jon Lazar Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Fredericksburg, VA Posts: 232	Rotifer network Is there interest in setting up a rotifer "chain mail", where each person is willing to ship to two others who have the experience to breed these rots and keep the strain uncontaminated? No one person has the time to distribute SS rots to all the hobbyists across the country. But if mwp was able to ship out two batches, and those two people shipped to two others, before long we'd have SS all over. People could sign up on this thread, and would pay the shipping charges. Just a thought. Happy reefing, Jon

05/26/2006, 09:12 AM	#4
ediaz Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Grand Rapids MI Posts: 1,139	Well there is a few persons who have the capacity to distribute those rots for a fee of course, the reason they are not doing it is because there is no demand for it. Hence the difficulty of obtaining them. Your idea is exellent if you could do it with pods that are really necesary when it comes to small larvae. Ed __________________ The Ediaz I'll just leave it blank

05/26/2006, 11:42 PM	#6
Luis A M Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Buenos Aires,Argentina Posts: 1,652	Can you measure them? __________________ Luis A M Current Tank Info: I keep about 40 tanks,for breeding and larval raising.Most are 10 gallons.

05/30/2006, 07:24 AM	#8
David M Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: San Diego ( La Mesa) Posts: 2,831	I think I'm with Edgar here, if there was a significant market for these rots someone would have filled it by now. If a few hobbyists can successfuuly culture them surely Randy or FAF or someone else would have done it by now. Like E said, it probably just isn't profitable for them. I like the hobbyist's exchange idea myself, I have no trouble making a few runs to Fed Ex. I don't have a dire need I suppose but do have the bluestreak cardinals I'd like to try plus I'm curious to know if they would help with the orchid dottybacks. I know they can be raised on L strain rots, just not by me Put me on the list if such a list emerges __________________ These are my rotifers. Without my rotifers I am nothing. Without me my rotifers are nothing. Current Tank Info: 125 Caribbean theme folr, 800 gallon breeding system w/ mostly clownfish.

05/26/2006, 07:32 AM	#3
mwp Moved On Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 2,637	Well, the biggest problem I've found is finding good cultures of what you need consistently - i.e. I went through four Isocrysis disks from FAF before finally getting a live T-Iso culture from Seahorsesource that has done nothing but flourish! So $100 later I have Isocrysis. IDEALLY what we as fish breeders really need is a consistently reliable source for ALL our cultures. Locally, I could provide L and SS rotifers, copepods, Nannochloropsis, Nannochloris, T-Iso and Tetraselmis, but I really don't have the time to ship stuff all over the place.... The only long-term downside to creating a rotifer "chain mail" (besides having to personally make two trips to FedEx) is that if we suddenly distribute SS rotifers all over the country to current breeders, there's no commercial incentive for someone to offer them up! The reality is that a commercial source that always has them is what we all really need in the long run, right? I don't want to compete with the folks who helped get these rotifers to me in the first place because they're just starting production...why should they stick with it if suddenly we're all sending cultures around the country for free? Not trying to kybosh your idea Jon, but I do see a distinct long-term downside to rotifer availability if we try something like this, thus why I just want to get them to some local folks who need them and are willing to act as back-ups for each other... Just my $0.02... Matt

05/29/2006, 11:33 PM	#7
mwp Moved On Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 2,637	Luis, I wish I had a microscope, but things like a new car are gonna take priority for the next couple months Suffice it to say they are FREAKIN' TINY...maybe 1/10th the overall mass of a L-Strain rotifer?????? Matt

05/30/2006, 11:17 AM	#10
aomont Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Posts: 410	Contribution ? I?Lm just trying to start on this subject of breeding marine fishes, have no SS, no L (yet), no microscope... but founf this: http://www.aims.gov.au/pages/researc.../chapter08.pdf L-rotifers 219 ?} 13 Ã†â€™ÃƒÅm S-rotifers 176 ?} 16 Ã†â€™ÃƒÅm SS-rotifers 147 ?} 11 Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ*m Anderson

05/30/2006, 11:19 AM	#11
aomont Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Posts: 410	trying again Seems copy and paste simbols didnÃ‚Â´t happen. L-rotifers 219 +/- 13 um S-rotifers 176 +/- 16 um SS-rotifers 147 +/- 11 um Anderson.

05/30/2006, 10:58 PM	#13
seafarm Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 178	It's part of our game plan to start culturing SS rotifers and make them commercially available. To-date there has not been a lot of demand for them so we haven't made them a priority. If somebody would like to send me the "Chicago" culture I'll be happy to have my techs take a look at them and report back the results on size and any other interesting characteristics (and maybe some pictures). I'll pay for the shipping. If you are interested please contact me offline at [email protected] (that's easier than typing [email protected]). __________________ Randy Reed, Reed Mariculture I am a Vendor - the Instant Algae and Reef Nutrition Products

05/31/2006, 12:05 AM	#14
Mr. Ugly Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: CA Posts: 3,181	Randy, would SS type be suitable for frogfish larvae? I've been giving them the larger rotifers, but lost the last of the fry 7 days after hatching. I think it was a water quality problem, but don't know if SS would have been more appropriate. New batch of fry are due to hatch in about 4 days