Infusoria

[Gaz_S]

Just been reading a section on a website about food reading up on what foods are benifical to fish and what vitamins you can get out of foods such as peas and spinach. When i found a part that said

Infusoria and Rotifers
Infusoria is the name given to certain single-celled microorganisms. Infusoria are often present in the aquarium. Infusoria can be cultured by adding crushed banana or lettuce to a jar filled with aquarium water. Within a few days, the presence of infusoria can be determined by the cloudy water. Feed the infusoria using an eyedropper. Rotifer eggs can often be purchased at pet shops.

Was just wondering if this is possible

Gaz

 

[plecostomus-mad]

im watching this thread, very interested in knowing if its true.

 

[the biffster]

yes it i i used to do in all the time
pour boiled water over the lettuce leaf
leave to cool place in a jar ad tank water
from a mature tank and wait a few days and bingo
the best thing to do is get the water from a
garden pond that makes the best Infusoria
i used to use it to feed fry they love it
good starter food bosmiden no sure of the
spelling but we used to get that one frozen

http/www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http/www.teradoty.com/bettas/IMAGES/infusoriabucket.jpg&imgrefurl=http/www.teradoty.com/bettas/fryfood.htm&usg=__9aOBNMIIwomwkzww-xVfBO_dEjs=&h=158&w=200&sz=12&hl=en&start=21&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=_EHT8sIv9UoZ1M:&tbnh=82&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dinfusoria%26start%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1W1GGLJ_en-GB%26nfpr%3D1%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1

 

[aly_starh]

Sure!

Infusoria


•Lettuce culture
•Potato culture
•Banana peel culture
Infusoria are actually protozoans that are usually present in any healthy aquarium that is more than a few months old.

These "animalcules" were first described by Antony Van Leeuwenhoek in his Philosophical Transactions of 1677. The term "infusoria" comes from the practice of steeping substances (usually hay) in water by soaking at temperatures less than the boiling point.

Only the largest of the protozoans (infusoria) are large enough to be seen by the naked eye. Most species require a microscope to view. The "green water" or cloudiness of aquarium water is sometimes an indication of an overabundance of infusoria which can be caused by overfeeding.

Infusoria can be collected or cultured.

Collecting Infusoria:
Infusoria can be collected at almost any stagnant pond where plants and/or algae are growing in excess. Jars of the decaying vegetable matter can be collected and brought home along with some of the pond water collected from various places in the pond, i.e. the surface, the middle, and the bottom of the pond. Let the "gunk" stand for a day or so before transferring small amounts with a turkey baster to containers along with the collected pond water which can be stored.
Other sources of infusoria are old aquarium filter pads and the water in which cut flowers have been standing for several days.
Culturing Infusoria:
Culturing infusoria can be accomplished by soaking substances in previously boiled water for several weeks. Substances that can be used include hay, banana peels, potato peels, dried beans, lettuce, cabbage, egg yolks, malted mild, dried blood, spinach, tree leaves, dried aquarium plants and pablum. Unchlorinated water like distilled, rain, boiled pond water, and spring water works best for the culture.

Several example recipes are given below.
Lettuce - Place brown, rotting lettuce leaves are placed in a widemouth glass jar. Put in enough to cover the bottom of the jar. Add water that is almost boiling to fill the jar about 3/4 of the way full. Leave this standing, uncovered for 24 hours. Then add about one ounce of old aquarium water (from the surface of the aquarium) and cover the jar. After about one week or ten days, the water in the jar should have a heavy growth of infusoria. Every ten days or so a piece of scalded lettuce should be added to keep the culture going.

Potato - Cut a raw white potato into quarter-inch squares and wash thoroughly for use as a medium. Add about sixty of these squares to a gallon of spring water and allow to stand overnight. Then inoculate the mixture with about one ounce of old culture material and let stand for about ten days. As the culture water is removed for use it can be replaced with boiled pond or spring water.

Banana peel - Fill a gallon jar with clean, filtered pond water and add a dried banana skin. After tow days the skin will have sunk to the bottom and a heavy bacterial scum should cover the water's surface. At this time a very small quantity of old culture water or old aquarium water is added. After two weeks infusoria will normally be in evidence as the water clears up, and the culture water can then be used as a source of food.

(taken from animalworld.com)

 

[Gaz_S]

been googling it! I have found a RECIPES this one seems pretty good, simple and think i may try it. My link

 

[Gaz_S]

So basically shops are charging you 5-6 quid for something that you can grow yourself? Or is that something completely different? Going to try it already been told off for emptying jars before ive even started!

 

[BigC]

I culture a lot of livefoods at home.
Paramoecium, Wingless Fruitfly, Vinegar eel, Microworm, Bananaworm, Whiteworm, Grindalworm, Daphnia and Moina. I hatch Artemia and Fairy shrimp
I also culture algae (green water) on which to feed the Daphnia, Monia & Fairy shrimp.

Before I found this method I used to culture infusorians using a dried milk powder method, whilst it worked it did not provide me with a high degree of constancy that I wanted.
I now culture paramoecium from a lab strain because it's simple and very easy to do.
Much more reliable than haphazard infusoria. It lasts longer and I have it on tap so to speak as and when it's needed.

Let me share with you my method......

Paramoecium is a very small Protozoa. It is only just visible to the naked eye and is better viewed using a strong magnifying lens. It moves about the water column, feeding on bacteria, using an arrangement of hair like filaments (cilia) along its body. It is a very good food to have in your killifish larder for feeding to the smaller species fry. These minuscule animalcules are ideal for feeding to fish fry which are too small to accept artemia and microworms as their first food upon hatching from the egg.

Culturing Paramoecium is relatively easy but your vessels need to be maintained on a rotational basis in order to keep the culture going.
In the following article I will show you how I set about culturing this fascinating little creature.

For the most part the items you will need are all available on the high street they are as follows;

Pure Paramoecium starter culture (Contact me for details)
Square slab sided Mason Jar with French Clip Lid
Small bale of Straw or Hay (pet bedding)
Bicarbonate of Soda
Electric Kettle
Pipettes
Household scissors

Mason Jar...I discarded the French Clip lid and gasket.

First thing you will need is a pure Paramoecium culture, one that is not contaminated with any other protozoans which may feed on the Paramoecium.

Boil a handful of straw in the electric kettle and leave to cool. When it has done so pour about 1.5 ltrs into your glass pickling jars. you will probably find that the amber coloured water is a bit acidic. If it is, you should then counteract this with a little Bicarbonate of Soda to make the pH neutral (7.0)

The next step is to take the boiled straw from the kettle, and with some household scissors snip some 2cms cuttings into your liquid in the jar. 10-12 snips will be adequate.

Finally pour in your starter culture and store in a warm, lit room (but not in direct sunlight).

The culture will take around a week to really be suffused with these tiny little creatures as they feed and sub-divide, but visible signs will be there after a few days as the liquid clears somewhat.

After a period of two weeks it is time to set up a couple of new cultures (sub-divide) as the original one will be starting to wane. At their peak these cultures are absolutely teeming with life, dont take my word for it, try it for yourself.

Note: Do not use the same pipettes for feeding etc, to avoid transferring of liquids from vessel to vessel for fear of contaminating your culture.

This Hay Infusion method is much more reliable and the Paramoecium is always there when needed.
Quite a simple and easy protozoa to culture, that if properly maintained will last indefinitely.

Purchasing a 20x Jewellers Eyeglass or Loupe (Cheap from Flea Bay) will help you see what your looking at.

Regards
C