Copepods contaminated phyto cultures, any fix?

[WestMI-Reefer]

Phyto cultures were staying light, saw copepods in the cultures. Tried to strain them out with coffee filters with no success. Any ideas on how seperate or to kill the copepods without killing the phyto cultures? Can I freeze one of the cultures in hopes of taking out the pods and then reviving the phyto?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It sounds like an awful lot of thinking and possible effort, Its so much easier to just start over again.

I would just pour that into a bowl or container and turn it into a pod culture, and start the phyto culture over again.

 

[Borat]

Use a needle like a spear to kill them one-by-one then your culture will be safe!

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Ditto to @Mr. Mojo Rising you can clean the culture but it so much easier to start over and just have a pod culture now too.

If you also culture pods I highly recommend keeping them in separate rooms from the phyto cultures or at least have some sort of barrier in between them. Also make sure to rubbing alcohol your hands between handling pods and phyto (it is also good practice to work on the phyto first, then pods).

 

[taricha]

10um filter has worked for me for this purpose.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Is this for cultures you are selling or personal? Is this really a bad thing? I personally make a "Swamp" mix. It contains pods, phyto, rotifers, baby brine and sometimes anthropoids

 

[floridareeflabs]

Once pods are in phyto so are eggs and typically your never going to get them all. It is possible but not with household tools. Like someone said, not end of the world if your using for personal use, but if trying to sell as purse etc then just start over. Also, you cant freeze phyto as the ice crystals just destroy the cells and its then dead along with the pods. Refrigerating will only put pods and eggs into "stasis" or slow them down but they will live for a long time with phyto near by.