REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers (8 oz.)
SKU:
$19.99
$19.99 - $44.97
per item
Our REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers contains over 20,000 live aquacultured rotifers packaged in sterilized artificial seawater with a mix of our REEFreshments®: Live Phytoplankton.
Our Live Rotifers are a nutritious live food source that is perfect for small fish, finicky eaters (e.g., dragonets, seahorses, and pipefish), and corals, among other reef life. Rotifers are also commonly used as a first food in the rearing of larval fish, including clownfish and cardinalfish, as their small size and unique swimming motion incites feeding.
Our Live Rotifers are a nutritious live food source that is perfect for small fish, finicky eaters (e.g., dragonets, seahorses, and pipefish), and corals, among other reef life. Rotifers are also commonly used as a first food in the rearing of larval fish, including clownfish and cardinalfish, as their small size and unique swimming motion incites feeding.
Directions for Dosing
- Allow to warm to aquarium temperature before dosing.
- Can be used as a broadcast or target feed.
- Can be added directly to aquarium display or raised in a seperate culture vessel.
- We recommend to turn off skimmer(s) and return pump(s) before adding REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers and leave this equipment off for 15 minutes to ~2 hours to allow animals to consume the live feeds.
- If you choose NOT to turn off your return pump(s), then we recommend to remove micron filter socks for 24 hours when dosing Live Rotifers.
Shelf Life and Storage Instructions
- Average shelf life of our REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers is 3 weeks.
- We recommend to REFRIGERATE REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers between 33-42˚F.
- Do NOT freeze REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers!
- REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers should be GENTLY SHAKEN DAILY to maintain the suspension of the live phyto that is packaged with the live rotifers.
- If the product smells strongly like sulfur/rancid (e.g., rotten eggs), it has expired. DO NOT USE. However, a slight sulfur smell is normal.
Instructions for Culturing Live Rotifers
While our REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers can be fed directly to your aquarium, some customers may choose to culture the rotifers in a separate culture tank for a continuous food source for their aquarium. Instructions for culturing our Live Rotifers are as follows:
Preparation of Culture Tank:
To culture our rotifers, first prepare a culture tank. A culture tank can be anything that holds water -- Even something as simple as a 5 gallon bucket will work. Fill the culture tank with premixed saltwater (specific gravity 1.021 - 1.023 and temperature of 72F-76F). Add an air stone for aeration and set it to a light rolling bubble that will serve to keep the rotifers suspended in the water column. Add low light.
Adding the Rotifers:
Sieve the bag of REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers with a fine mesh sieve or net, and add your sieved rotifers to the culture tank. We recommend inoculating new cultures at a ratio of one 8 oz. bag of REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers to 2.5 gallons of saltwater.
Feeding the Rotifers:
Rotifers thrive on phytoplankton. We recommend adding our REEFreshments®: Live Phytoplankton to feed rotifer cultures. Feeding requirements depend on the density of the rotifer culture. A good rule of thumb is to add enough phytoplankton to always to keep the water tinted to ensure that the rotifers have a continuous microalgae supply.
Maintenance of the Rotifers:
Adequate water quality of the culture is of paramount importance. Water quality should be tested on a daily basis and necessary adjustments made accordingly (e.g., maintaining pH). If water analyses indicate a spike in ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate, perform a water change until these parameters are back at ~0ppm.
Preparation of Culture Tank:
To culture our rotifers, first prepare a culture tank. A culture tank can be anything that holds water -- Even something as simple as a 5 gallon bucket will work. Fill the culture tank with premixed saltwater (specific gravity 1.021 - 1.023 and temperature of 72F-76F). Add an air stone for aeration and set it to a light rolling bubble that will serve to keep the rotifers suspended in the water column. Add low light.
Adding the Rotifers:
Sieve the bag of REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers with a fine mesh sieve or net, and add your sieved rotifers to the culture tank. We recommend inoculating new cultures at a ratio of one 8 oz. bag of REEFreshments®: Live Rotifers to 2.5 gallons of saltwater.
Feeding the Rotifers:
Rotifers thrive on phytoplankton. We recommend adding our REEFreshments®: Live Phytoplankton to feed rotifer cultures. Feeding requirements depend on the density of the rotifer culture. A good rule of thumb is to add enough phytoplankton to always to keep the water tinted to ensure that the rotifers have a continuous microalgae supply.
Maintenance of the Rotifers:
Adequate water quality of the culture is of paramount importance. Water quality should be tested on a daily basis and necessary adjustments made accordingly (e.g., maintaining pH). If water analyses indicate a spike in ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate, perform a water change until these parameters are back at ~0ppm.