Artemia and DT's

[MediaOne]

It has recently come to my attention that "the two Omega-3 fatty acids of primary interest are the long chain highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA for short) DHA (docosahaxaenoic acid) & EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) which come almost exclusively from marine sources." DT's claims (and I believe them) that their product has tons of this stuff in the phytoplankton they make. I read that I can enrich my brine shrimp with DTs and thus have a very efficient way of getting these food elements into my fish.

Anyone doing this?
Your thoughts?

Jeff

 

[rayjay]

I raise brine shrimp to adult and feed them DT's for growing and then use Selco, also from Brine Shrimp Direct, to gut load them before giving them to my fish.

 

[danmhippo]

Ditto on Ray's. That's the way to go.

 

[Louis Z]

How much DT's do yall go thru or do yall culture the DT product on a continuing basis? Thanks, Louis Z.

 

[Mouse]

DT's is a Phytoplanctonic culture/suppliment, The artemea feed on this.

 

[Anonymous]

I have some free-roaming brine shrimp in my tank. I have no predators for them yet though.

 

[Louis Z]

Mouse I was assuming tha DT's was a live product . My question was do people buy this by the gallon just to feed brineshrimp or do they actually put these in culture vessels and grow them out to continually feed BS and thus save money in the long run. Louis Z.

 

[rayjay]

Most people buy DT's to put in their tanks to feed the micro life in the tank.
Some, like me, bought DT's and used it as a starter culture to grow for themselves as the cost of DT's is relatively expensive.
Of those that culture it themselves I would guess that most feed their tanks with it and a few like myself, feed it to the brine shrimp we're raising.

 

[Louis Z]

Ray I have read Joyce Wilkersons book on clownfish- is this the process you use to culture brine shrimp? Is it easy to do? What type of maintenance or equipment is required to have a problem free culture. As for the algae do you use dechlorinated tapwater? Do you use a fertilizer? Do you bubble in CO2? Thanks Louis Z.

 

[rayjay]

Sorry, I haven't read Wilkerson's book so I don't know how she does it.
For raising brine shrimp, my method is HERE
For culturing DT's Phyto, using new salt water, and liquid plant fertilizer, see HERE

 

[Louis Z]

Thanks rayjay for the info- you have a great idea in the use of the20g tank with the slanted glass. If and when I try my hand at this I look to you for some mentoring if you dont mind. Thanks Louis Z.

 

[rayjay]

Actually, for me, the 20g tank with the slanted glass over the aragonite is not working out now. I don't know if I encountered some bad bacteria or what, but I only seem to keep them alive in that tank now for about 8 weeks and the numbers slowly diminish until there is very few left. I don't know whether to start over or to go on to another experiment.

 

[Louis Z]

Rayjay whynot a DSB or a Jaubert plenum with the brine shrimp and maybe some detritivores that dont eat the BS? Do the brine shrimp get caught up in the sand surface? If detritivores or maybe snails can eat all of the molts then I doubt that you would ever have to siphon - or am I being just to idealistic? I am looking for the ultimate hands off approach on raising live food? Thanks Louis Z.

 

[rayjay]

In my climate here, I'll never be able to accomplish an "ideal" type set up. I've read that outdoor ponds in year round summer type weather will work well, but, I've not come across any one who has an ideal set up indoors.
Besides, I think there is a saying something like "if there is no work involved you must be doing something wrong".

 

[danmhippo]

hehehe........I've just setup a 200G pond in my back yard growing macro algae. Right now the summer temp goes up to 90s and the water temp stays at 75 max. Last week we had some cold spell and water temp dipped into low 60s and macro algae are OK with that. Let's see if the macro can take water temp down to the 40s when winter comes around.

I would hate to add a heater to the pond and cut into my margin, but if I started to see massive die-offs, I will.

 

[Louis Z]

Rayjay how much junk is siphoned off in a week- sorry to keep asking questions yet didnt find any threads on people growing out brine shrimp(stopped at page 12 out of 37 brine shrimp culture). The reason for the glass i assume was to make it easier to collect detritis. Could you remove the glass and start over again with a new sand bed? The reason for the sand bed I assume was to keep ammonia and nitrites down- did you also notice low nitrates this way. Did you seed the sandbed or just start with dry sand? I ask about the detritivores because in freshwater culture of daphnia I would throw snails in with them to keep the bottom clean - with out them I always had to siphon. Thanks again Louis Z. Danmhippo - what types of macroalgae - any codium? Put a PVC framed hot house over the pond - probably wont have to use a heater. Any luck on the ghostshrimp- could you put them in the pond also? How many more ponds could you build in your back yard?

 

[danmhippo]

In Southern California, I would have to worry about heat more then I would worry about chills. A hot house may end up raising temp up too much and fry the 200G water. Most of the stuff I intend to propagate prefer/(can withstand) lower water temp. I am currently propagating C. Prolifer, gracilaria and ulva. I am also throwing in ghostshrimps and so far, they have no problem with fluctuating water temp and salinity. The last thing I am attempting to try in the same pond is anemones........But then I would definetly need heater to prevent temperature falling below 68.