Lazy Mass Cultures

SludgeMunkey

SludgeMunkey

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Johnny O. Farnen
Folks have been asking, here is what I do.
 

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  • Critter Tubs.doc
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a man after my own heart thanks for your info
 
Thanks so much for this!!! I have recently gotten interested in culturing all of my own animal food. I am currently culturing lobster roaches, dubia roaches, temperate springtails, vinegar eels, daphnia, gammarus, and grindal worms.

I read your whole document. I'm anxious to get a tub started, it sounds like a much better way to culture daphnia & gammarus than what I'm doing currently.

Again, thank you. I have saved this document to my dropbox account :p
 
I don't know if is better, but it sure is easier.
And, I really like having half a dozen mini-ponds crammed into my critter room.
 
Maybe this is a dumb question, but what is the purpose of the Amquel+ if you're using old aquarium water?

My understanding is that this only gets rid of chlorine and chloramines...is there another purpose?
 
Nice article. Works well in outside 300L water troughs. thats what i use to raise axies in and take a similar approach. Just gota keep an eye on hydras those things are a pain and so hard to get rid of.
 
JP100 said:
Nice article. Works well in outside 300L water troughs. thats what i use to raise axies in and take a similar approach. Just gota keep an eye on hydras those things are a pain and so hard to get rid of.
Click to expand...

If you can get your hands on some Spixis sp. snails, they'll keep your hydra in check. I've added a few to every tank that gets fed Daphnia and microworms bc Hydra was getting to be a problem. The Spixis took care of all the Hydra.
 
ignatz said:
Maybe this is a dumb question, but what is the purpose of the Amquel+ if you're using old aquarium water?My understanding is that this only gets rid of chlorine and chloramines...is there another purpose?
Click to expand...

Ammonia

JP100 said:
Nice article. Works well in outside 300L water troughs. thats what i use to raise axies in and take a similar approach. Just gota keep an eye on hydras those things are a pain and so hard to get rid of.
Click to expand...

I haven't had issues with hydra in years. The only ones on the property are the ones I culture. Have a look in the forums and you will find how I dealt with that issue years ago. (In fact I had to buy some for experimentation.)

jvision said:
If you can get your hands on some Spixis sp. snails, they'll keep your hydra in check. I've added a few to every tank that gets fed Daphnia and microworms bc Hydra was getting to be a problem. The Spixis took care of all the Hydra.
Click to expand...

As a general rule, I hate snails. The only reason I use rams horn snails is they provide an excellent nitrogen source for micro fauna and flora and do a good job of utilizing dissolved calcium carbonates.
 
SludgeMunkey said:
As a general rule, I hate snails. The only reason I use rams horn snails is they provide an excellent nitrogen source for micro fauna and flora and do a good job of utilizing dissolved calcium carbonates.
Click to expand...

I generally agree that snails can be a pain; but, the nice thing about Spixis is that they are not hermaphrodidic and don't reproduce overly fast.
I'll read the article and see how you manage to keep Hydra at bay. :)
 
I accidentally made a (little) mass culture myself. I set up an aquarium just for breeding snails and growing moss. Used only dirty water, dead plants and some fish food. I didn't know I had gammarus in the tank, but after a couple of months the tank was swarming with it. Will try your method next year. I like the idea!
 
I printed your word document last week and started a culture of my own. Right now I'm in the first week where it's just filled with dirty water, dirt, sand, and leaves.

Keeping my fingers crossed that I can get it to work as described!
 
I haven't had issues with hydra in years. The only ones on the property are the ones I culture. Have a look in the forums and you will find how I dealt with that issue years ago. (In fact I had to buy some for experimentation.)



As a general rule, I hate snails. The only reason I use rams horn snails is they provide an excellent nitrogen source for micro fauna and flora and do a good job of utilizing dissolved calcium carbonates.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the tips. I usually start my cultures from wild caught stuff and get abit lazy with checking through them for baddies ect..
 
KingCam said:
I printed your word document last week and started a culture of my own. Right now I'm in the first week where it's just filled with dirty water, dirt, sand, and leaves.

Keeping my fingers crossed that I can get it to work as described!
Click to expand...


The beauty of this method is that you cannot fail. It may take a long time to get going, but once it works, it works like a charm. Truth is the constant temperatures over 85F we have had here for three months straight put most of my cultures dormant. So, I letr the water evaporate. When things cool down, I will top them back off and let them do their thing just in time for a good Nebraska freeze.

JP100 said:
Thanks for the tips. I usually start my cultures from wild caught stuff and get abit lazy with checking through them for baddies ect..
Click to expand...


Aye, in my experience, that is one of two possible ways to get hydra, (Either contaminated plants or deliberate introduction.)
 
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