Breeding Journal: Brachionus plicatilis (rotifers)

[FlynnFish]

Breeding Journal DataSheet

This first post should be updated regularly to include new information as events take place
or changes are made to your system

General
Species: Brachionus plicatilis (rotifers)
Social Structure: no social structure
Size of Individuals: 160 microns
Age of Individuals: unknown
Date added to Tank: july 1st 2011

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank: 5 gallons
Substrate Details: none
Filtration Details: water changes
Water Changes: after three day settle period- 1/3 volume is harvested everyday
Water Temperature: 78
Lighting: none
Lighting Cycle: none
Other Tank Inhabitants: none

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types: rotigrow +
Feeding Schedule: a few drops to 2ml when needed

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn: n/a
Spawn Time of Day: n/a
Dates of Consecutive Spawns: n/a
Courtship Details: n/a
Egg Size: n/a
Egg Color: n/a
Egg Count: n/a

Hatch Details
Hatch Date: n/a
Hatch Time of Day: n/a
# Days after Spawn: n/a
Larvae Description: n/a


Larval Tank Details
Temperature: n/a
Size of Larval Tank: n/a
Substrate Details: n/a
Other Tank Decor: n/a
Filtration Details: n/a
Lighting: n/a
Lighting Cycle: n/a
Water Changes: n/a

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types: n/a
Feeding Schedule: n/a

Metamorphosis/Settlement
Date of Settlement Start: n/a
Days after Hatch: n/a
Date of Settlement End: n/a
Description of Fry: n/a

Grow-Out Tank Details
Temperature: n/a
Size of Grow-Out Tank: n/a
Substrate Details: n/a
Other Tank Decor: n/a
Filtration Details: n/a
Lighting: n/a
Lighting Cycle: n/a
Water Changes: n/a
Size at Transfer: n/a
Age at Transfer: n/a

Grow-Out Feeding Details
Food Types: n/a
Feeding Schedule: n/a

Additional Information
Miscellaneous Information:

[FlynnFish]

Today was first day of harvest. This time around I am being extra precautionary with water changes and testing. I am using seperate cups when harvesting and washing hands between buckets. I have two buckets going for a back up. I will test ammonia levels tomorrow and adjust accordingly.

[larryandlaura]

Good job! Got any pictures? How long have you been breeding?

[FlynnFish]

Here are pictures of the buckets.


My seperate harvesting cups


The last time I tried raising rotifers the bucket was near an outside wall during the winter and the culture got too cold. So this time I have small heaters in the buckets to keep them at 78 degrees. The buckets are in the lower level of the house which could be considered the basement. The temperature stays in the upper 60s to lower 70s with the AC going.
these are the heaters I used.

[FlynnFish]

here are some detailed pictures of the rotifers, well I tried anyway.

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Very cool. Are you using these to raise fish you're breeding, or are these being dosed to your reef?

Tom

[FlynnFish]

Both. I feed what I can to the baby fish, and rest that needs harvesting goes to the reef tanks.

[FlynnFish]

I checked the Ammonia levels of the rot buckets yesterday and they were between 0.25 and 0.50. I added <1/8 teaspoon to some culture water then into the buckets. i'll post new test results when they are complete.
Despite having the lids on the buckets the past two days the culture still eats through 6ml of concentrated Instant Algae a day with a feeding after harvest in the morning and another feeding at night before bedtime. I'll use my scope tomorow and see what the density is at.

[FlynnFish]

here is a video of my rotifers useing a microscope this is a high concentration with little water. they sat for a bit so they would stay still a bit more.

YouTube - &#x202a;rotifers&#x202c;&rlm;

[bigbill]

Originally Posted by FlynnFish

here is a video of my rotifers useing a microscope this is a high concentration with little water. they sat for a bit so they would stay still a bit more.
YouTube - &#x202arotifers&#x202c&rlm;

amazing cam work