Need Info on Rotifers

Debi · Post by **Debi** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:30 pm

Hi Everyone,

I had no idea what Rotifers were until I read about them here, then I also searched the net and read about them and viewed photos.

Now I have lots of questions: (1) How do you get rotifers? (2) Do you breed them at home? (3) Under what conditions? (4) How do you feed them to the shrimp? (5) They are very tiny, so how do you know if you have them?

I know I've asked a couple of silly questions, but I would really like to learn about the rotifers.

Thanks so much!!

Debi

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:29 pm

This should be in the other inverts forum. Maybe Mustafa can move it?

They are quite easy to breed. I don't have a colony going right now, but I plan to start one soon for salt water. I feed them green water. You can do them in a gallon jug if you want or a 5 gallon bucket. I use an open air line to get a little water motion to keep the food stirred up. Put a handful of leaves in the bottom, just like with shrimp.

I grow green water from my water changes. I have a shelf I've set up with daylight FL bulbs on a 16 on 8 off cycle. I have guppies and a turtle that make really good ferts. Shrimp don't really do much for it.

To harvest I just remove some of the mix from the rotifer tank, run it through a coffee filter, then rinse the filter in your tank. Add green water to make up for what you take out. Harvest when ever the water clears. You don't need to do any more water changes than that.

I'll PM you with sources. Anyone else that wants to know, just PM me.

Debi · Post by **Debi** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:45 pm

Thanks badflash, I also got your PM. I would love to start colony!!

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 12:16 pm

Wow. One of my green water tanks suddenly turned orange. I've seen this before. The algae is now nearly gone and the tank is taken over with rotifers!

Now my challenge will be to keep them from taking over my green water.

These guys are far easier to keep than daphnia. Fish and filter feeders love them too.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:03 pm

Fish and filter feeders love them too.

Is it a good first food for young baby fish/shrimp?

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:36 pm

Great 1st food for hatchling fish. Most baby shrimp don't need them, but shrimp with larval stages would be happy to have them. My adult shrimp zoom around and catch them, especially the amanos. They have filters, like a small version of the bambo shrimp, and they use them like catchers mitts.

You don't have to fee them green water. They will eat powered flake food and yeast.