Need advice for first time Parvocalanus culture

[Piker]

Hi everyone, I received my first culture of parvo today.

I initially put the culture in a half gallon jug but decided that it looked like I gave it too much phytoplankton. So I diluted the solution by putting it into a 5 gallon jug. I have a few questions.

I have this jug set up with rigid tubing that's a slow trickle (maybe 2-3 bubbles a second but really small bubbles). The guidelines I've read said a light tint, and that's what it looks like to me. However the videos I've seen on youtube show almost no tint. So the question is, is the amount in the image too much? Too little?

Also, about how quickly do they reproduce? I'm eager to get going as my rotifer culture and green water is absolutely ready for my fish culture. I don't want to harvest fish and realize I don't have enough rotifers.

Resarch on these is difficult to do as resources seem to be scarce, so I'll appreciate any advice I can get from you all.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Doctorgori]

I had trouble raising those things on purpose; even had entire tanks with thick green water: nada...
OTOH those things got everywhere else; they sorta “Co-culture” with BBS, but IME, at least not intentionally.

If you have rotifers, keep them several feet from anything else, esp pod cultures. I’ve had my best luck using live nano but the paste works well if you watch culture water quality

 

[ichthyogeek]

Google Scholar is your friend if you can't find a lot of "popular" sources. Take a look at the public access papers, and pay special attention to the "materials and methods" sections, as those are where you can find some great guidelines!

Google Scholar

scholar.google.com

There's also this YT video on how Kathy Leahy does it, it's a lot less "sciencey" but gets the point across I think:

 

[Surfzone]

Parvocalanis copepods need a brown algae to thrive like T. Iso. Preferable if it is live Iso.

 

[Piker]

Google Scholar is your friend if you can't find a lot of "popular" sources. Take a look at the public access papers, and pay special attention to the "materials and methods" sections, as those are where you can find some great guidelines!

Google Scholar

scholar.google.com

There's also this YT video on how Kathy Leahy does it, it's a lot less "sciencey" but gets the point across I think:

Thanks, I've actually seen this but it's worth a rewatch. I'm looking for as many specifics as possible though, the harvesting process. How often they are fed, how much to harvest daily and how much to keep in the culture. All of this has been helpful though thank you.

 

[Piker]

Parvocalanis copepods need a brown algae to thrive like T. Iso. Preferable if it is live Iso.

Yeah, I have done my research, I have 4 gallons of isochrysis and gallons of nanno for greenwater. Jjust looking for more info and specifics from those who have done it at home. I'm looking for things like how quickly a culture can be established, what types of containers, how often you can harvest and how much. Thanks though.

 

[ichthyogeek]

How's the culture holding up?

 

[Piker]

Slow but okay, im afraid of adding too much food so its a very light tint. All of the nauplii and grown copepods have good solid color under a microscope.

Not thrilled with the quantity but it hasn't been a full week yet. I changed out the water for the first time yesterday. Just a little over a gallon in a five gallon bucket atm.

 

[Twitchy]

How did your culture turn out?

 

[Piker]

How did your culture turn out?

It went very well, just a very light dose... maybe 60ml per half gal jar every 3 days. I'm taking a break from breeding currently as I'm focused on a new display though.

In the three clutches of orchid dottybacks I tried to raise, I think 12 weeks was the longest I got them to live. I'm pretty sure it was increased salenity for failing to top off the black round tub at least most recently (rookie mistakes).

I'll try again someday soon.

 

[ThRoewer]

Parvocalanis copepods need a brown algae to thrive like T. Iso. Preferable if it is live Iso.

Not a brown algae but a motile algae. That's why Nannochloropsis does not work.
The following genera or species should be suitable as feeds, a mix
Tetraselmis sp. (green), Isochrysis sp.(brown), Tisochrysis sp. (brown), Rhodomonas sp. (red)
Diacronema (Pavlova) lutheri ( yellow-green)

 

[ichthyogeek]

I think it also has to do with being a diatom as well. People feed Chaetoceros (unsure if mobile) as well.

 

[ThRoewer]

Right now I feed 200 ml Iso/T-Iso per 5 gallon bucket each day. I also added sponge filters as Parvocalanus are formidable poopers who can mess up the bucket water quickly.

 

[ThRoewer]

If properly fed and maintained these guys can reproduce almost as quickly as rotifers. I added a cup of nauplii and juveniles in a 17 gallon tub I had prepared for a batch percula larvae and added half a liter Iso twice a day and these guys grew like crazy. Only 4 days later I had to use my nauplii harvester to thin them out.
My advice: set up a 5 gallon Iso culture every week as you may need more than you expect.