Live Food cultures

I've got a few 1 liter bottles lying around, some spare airstones and pumps, and a nice lab bench in my office so I thought I'd start up some live food cultures. Problem is I've never done this. Well I did one attempt with the inverted 2 liter for brine shrimp, but it was marginally successful. I've got a brine shrimp egg pack but I'd also like to do a green water culture or some other invert culture like rotifers. Could anyone provide information on how they set theres up, how to start, maintain, etc. I threw some decaying plant matter, some of that Kent green microvert stuff (that we feed to mussels) and left a light on a 1 liter for 8-12 hours a day an its not green. I also have a 5 gal that is about 20% java moss that could be used as a refugium for foods.

Thanks,

Matt

I used to raise daphnia, they were pretty easy. All I ever really had to do was give provide them with green water, when the water was just about clear I would change some out and add more green water. As for the green water, placeing a bannana peel in a glass of water in the sun always worked for me.

Anybody culture any type of worm?

Anybody culture any type of worm?

I have recently started earthworm, and white worm cultures. I am very impressed with how fast the whiteworms multiply, and they are the perfect size for darters and shiners.
The earthworms are a bit slower, stocked the tub with 2000, and should be harvesting in a couple of months.
So far they are both very simple to keep, if I have continued success, I plan to expand.

How much production do you get from the whiteworms on a weekly basis?

How much production do you get from the whiteworms on a weekly basis?

I really can't say yet, as I am only just beginning to take small portions. I can say that within the first couple of weeks the culture went from a couple hundred to a couple thousand.

Richard has alot more experience growing live feeds, maybe he will chime in.

I have recently started earthworm, and white worm cultures. I am very impressed with how fast the whiteworms multiply, and they are the perfect size for darters and shiners.
The earthworms are a bit slower, stocked the tub with 2000, and should be harvesting in a couple of months.
So far they are both very simple to keep, if I have continued success, I plan to expand.

Let me know how the earthworm culture works out. I have tried it a couple of times and failed. It's supposed to be really easy, and I guess it is - for other people.

Well my first brine shrimp culture in oh 10 years was moderately successful. I don't know how but I screwd up the green water. Don't think I put enough banana and material in there and all I have is a bottle with filamentous algae. Like the daphnia can I give the newly hatched brine shrimp green water to grow them out a little? Has anyone ever used the commercial greenwaters that are used to feed rotifer culturers, other microvert cultures...?

Well my first brine shrimp culture in oh 10 years was moderately successful. I don't know how but I screwd up the green water. Don't think I put enough banana and material in there and all I have is a bottle with filamentous algae. Like the daphnia can I give the newly hatched brine shrimp green water to grow them out a little? Has anyone ever used the commercial greenwaters that are used to feed rotifer culturers, other microvert cultures...?

Remember Sea Monkeys (pet brine shrimp)? They came with a powedered algae-looking food. I wonder if it has similar ingredients to algae wafers.

Remember Sea Monkeys (pet brine shrimp)? They came with a powedered algae-looking food. I wonder if it has similar ingredients to algae wafers.

One of the items I used years ago to grow out brine shrimp was yeast and water. I would mix a little in a bottle and spry some in the tank till it was slightly cloudy. Wouldn't add anymore till the water was cleared up. You might be able to use Spirulina powder.
Another worm I am having success with is Grindal worms. They do not need refrigeration like white worms are suppose to have. Also growing vinegar eels. They are actually a nematode that lives and reproduce in vinegar.


Bill F.

Here's a thread on live rotifer culture if you're interested in reading:
Rotifer Culture Thread

Well my first brine shrimp culture in oh 10 years was moderately successful. I don't know how but I screwd up the green water. Don't think I put enough banana and material in there and all I have is a bottle with filamentous algae. Like the daphnia can I give the newly hatched brine shrimp green water to grow them out a little? Has anyone ever used the commercial greenwaters that are used to feed rotifer culturers, other microvert cultures...?

Back when I lived down south I used to use a product called "Infusorium Culture". Don't recall manufacturer. A little shaker with powder, and as I recall yeast was an ingredient. This, with a few scraps of greens, worked fine in producing green water in shallow plastic trays left on double-wide trailer window sills in Mississippi. I raised large numbers of C. variegatus larvae on it.

Sincerely,

Fred (Grump)