MBI Event Reporting Form

GENERAL
Name:	David Gibson ( gramalkin ) Site: Dallas/Ft Worth Marine Aquarium Society
Species:	Brachionus plicatilis ( Class: FC1 , Points: 5 )
Establishment Date:	09/14/2011
Culture Source:	Lance6270, who got it originally from Reeds.
Link to Journal:	http://www.mbisite.org/Forums/tm.aspx?m=58994

Culturing Vessel Details
Temperature:	ambient room temp - ~78F ° F
PH:	7.7 estimated
Specific Gravity:	1.020
Vessel Description:	2g white plastic buckets (HPDE 2)
Lighting:	ambient room lighting - typically subdued light in that area
Lighting Schedule:	natural day cycle with one room lamp several feet away in the evenings.

Methodologies
Feeding Tactics/Medium:	40-50 drops of RGComplete twice a day.
Split Cycle:	I split the original culture three days after establishing it. Currently running just two buckets on continuous culture. I am not currently raising any larval fish so harvesting is once a week.
Split Yield:	Harvest/split yields not measured, but density is currently 30-40/mL
Number of Cultures:	2 buckets on continuous culture
Number of Splits:	One initial split
Density:	30-40/mL
Harvest Methology:	Harvesting is sporadic, but close to once a week currently. I will harvest in the evening, before feeding the cultures. I stir up the gunk from the bottom of the buckets before sieving 1/4 of each culture through 120m mesh into a common holding bucket. What's caught in the mesh is discarded. I then pour the holding bucket through a 54m mesh, discarding what goes through. What's caught in the 54m mesh is washed into the reef tank until I have some larvae to feed.
Adjustments Made:	I was previously feeding about 20 drops of RotiGrow+ and dosing 10-15 drops of Prime for ammonia control. I have since switched to using RGComplete. Culture densities appear greater since the switch (previously estimated at about 20/mL)

Other Details
Other Information:	While using RG+, I found that after about a week, if I hadn't cleaned the gunk from the bottom of the bucket, the culture would have a strong algae smell. Since switching to RGComplete, I get more algae settling to the bottom, but it has not gotten the same strong algae smell to it. I also have increased the amount of air flow in my cultures to a constant stream of bubbles. It's not what I would consider a boil, but it is fast enough counting bubbles per second is difficult. This has helped keep more algae in suspension, and possibly has also contributed to the increase in culture densities. I have not cleaned the culture buckets or harvested as often as I feel I should, and have been surprised at how well they have tolerated being ignored.

Other Details

Other Information:

While using RG+, I found that after about a week, if I hadn't cleaned the gunk from the bottom of the bucket, the culture would have a strong algae smell. Since switching to RGComplete, I get more algae settling to the bottom, but it has not gotten the same strong algae smell to it. I also have increased the amount of air flow in my cultures to a constant stream of bubbles. It's not what I would consider a boil, but it is fast enough counting bubbles per second is difficult. This has helped keep more algae in suspension, and possibly has also contributed to the increase in culture densities. I have not cleaned the culture buckets or harvested as often as I feel I should, and have been surprised at how well they have tolerated being ignored.

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