That´s a quick and easy thread, but I want to keep this separate, so it will be easy to find if needed.
If we don´t use artificial salt and RO water to make a sterile sea water, we have to sterilize the sea water we want to use for our phytoplankton and rotifer cultures.
Why? I think that should be clear. With growing algae in unsterilised sea water, we grow also some species of zooplankton. The chance to get green water is next to zero. Even for the rotifer culture, we have to sterilize the water, because any other zooplankton is unwanted in the rotifer culture, except brine shrimp (see note below). Rotifer cultures have to be rotifers only, because any other zooplankton will go into competition with food and habitat. Rotifer will grow with other zooplankton, but in low density. We want high density.
To sterilize 1 litre seawater, use 1 ml regular, unflavoured bleach.
Example: Add 20ml bleach into 20 litre seawater. Stir it, let it stand for a few(3 to 4) hours, stir it again, let it stand for another few (3 or 4) hours.
Now the water is sterile, but we have to get the bleach out. Strong aeration for a long time will work, but it takes time and we feel not so safe with it.
Better is the use of sodiumthiosulphate. It is used as a dechlorinator.
These diamonds are the breeders best friends!
How to make a stock solution?
250 g sodiumthiosulphate diluted in 1 litre water
or
25 g sodiumthiosulphate diluted in 100 ml water.
To neutralize 4 ml of bleach, we need 1 ml of the stock solution.
With 100 ml stock solution we can neutralize 400 litre sea water!
Example: We used 20 ml bleach to sterilize 20 litre sea water.
To neutralize 20 ml bleach, we need to add 5 ml stock solution of sodiumthiosulphate.
4ml bleach, use 1ml stock solution
20ml bleach, use 5ml stock solution
After adding the right amount stock solution, put a airline in the water to aerate the water. Let it bubble for another few hours. If you can´t smell the bleach any more, the water is ready to use.
Note: Why did I write, any other zooplankton is unwanted in the rotifer culture, except brine shrimp.
In every single rotifer culture you should keep also a few (5 to 10) brine shrimps, depending on the volume of your rotifer culture.
Why?
The brine shrimp will grow out in your rotifer culture. That will take roughly 2 weeks.
So you can see your bigger brine shrimps easily in your rotifer culture. If your brine shrimp disappears, you have to make a big water change.
Your rotifer culture is going to crash! Brine shrimp means, rotifers gone in the next few days. If you rotifer culture crashed, no need to panic.
Make sure to have always 5 litre phytoplankton for the worse case.
If your rotifer culture crashed, stop the aeration, let the water settle and syphon out the sediment. Put the sediment in your 5 litre emergency phytoplankton bottle.
Wait a few days until water turns clear. Now you got enough rotifer to start a new culture.
Rotifer knows before you, when the culture is going to crash. They will produce cysts instead of babies. Nature is good, hey? You will have plenty of cysts in the sediment of a crashed rotifer culture.
More about rotifer in a new thread.
If we don´t use artificial salt and RO water to make a sterile sea water, we have to sterilize the sea water we want to use for our phytoplankton and rotifer cultures.
Why? I think that should be clear. With growing algae in unsterilised sea water, we grow also some species of zooplankton. The chance to get green water is next to zero. Even for the rotifer culture, we have to sterilize the water, because any other zooplankton is unwanted in the rotifer culture, except brine shrimp (see note below). Rotifer cultures have to be rotifers only, because any other zooplankton will go into competition with food and habitat. Rotifer will grow with other zooplankton, but in low density. We want high density.
To sterilize 1 litre seawater, use 1 ml regular, unflavoured bleach.
Example: Add 20ml bleach into 20 litre seawater. Stir it, let it stand for a few(3 to 4) hours, stir it again, let it stand for another few (3 or 4) hours.
Now the water is sterile, but we have to get the bleach out. Strong aeration for a long time will work, but it takes time and we feel not so safe with it.
Better is the use of sodiumthiosulphate. It is used as a dechlorinator.
These diamonds are the breeders best friends!
How to make a stock solution?
250 g sodiumthiosulphate diluted in 1 litre water
or
25 g sodiumthiosulphate diluted in 100 ml water.
To neutralize 4 ml of bleach, we need 1 ml of the stock solution.
With 100 ml stock solution we can neutralize 400 litre sea water!
Example: We used 20 ml bleach to sterilize 20 litre sea water.
To neutralize 20 ml bleach, we need to add 5 ml stock solution of sodiumthiosulphate.
4ml bleach, use 1ml stock solution
20ml bleach, use 5ml stock solution
After adding the right amount stock solution, put a airline in the water to aerate the water. Let it bubble for another few hours. If you can´t smell the bleach any more, the water is ready to use.
Note: Why did I write, any other zooplankton is unwanted in the rotifer culture, except brine shrimp.
In every single rotifer culture you should keep also a few (5 to 10) brine shrimps, depending on the volume of your rotifer culture.
Why?
The brine shrimp will grow out in your rotifer culture. That will take roughly 2 weeks.
So you can see your bigger brine shrimps easily in your rotifer culture. If your brine shrimp disappears, you have to make a big water change.
Your rotifer culture is going to crash! Brine shrimp means, rotifers gone in the next few days. If you rotifer culture crashed, no need to panic.
Make sure to have always 5 litre phytoplankton for the worse case.
If your rotifer culture crashed, stop the aeration, let the water settle and syphon out the sediment. Put the sediment in your 5 litre emergency phytoplankton bottle.
Wait a few days until water turns clear. Now you got enough rotifer to start a new culture.
Rotifer knows before you, when the culture is going to crash. They will produce cysts instead of babies. Nature is good, hey? You will have plenty of cysts in the sediment of a crashed rotifer culture.
More about rotifer in a new thread.
why dont you start a thread in the new members section and tell us more about your plans.and we can all welcome you to this awesome forum
