Infusoria

[TGOATW]

can infusoria appear in any water source?
All my aquarium water comes from tap water(chlorinated water) and most guides online says to use aquarium water. So where does infusoria come from?
I'm also wondering if any organic matter works, like leaves from a random tree or baker's yeast(which has chemicals like emulsifiers).

 

[gwand]

I use well water and a little straw or hay.

 

[MaloK]

Banana peels and hay goes really well. Yeast is not really recommended but help starting up and works.

A little squeeze from one of your established aquarium filters and up it goes.

 

[Colin_T]

Infusoria can occur in most fresh and salt water but there needs to be organic matter that has broken down and produced bacteria. The infusoria (usually paramecium) eat the bacteria and grow.

Don't use aquarium water for infusoria, it is full of bad microscopic organisms that can breed along with the infusoria. Just use dechlorinated tapwater or rainwater.

The bacteria and infusoria travel through the air and land on water, then they start growing.

Any non-toxic plant matter can be used to make infusoria cultures. Lettuce leaves are easy to use but dry leaves from deciduous trees or just leaves that have come from any tree that isn't poisonous, can be used. Try to avoid conifer leaves because they don't work as well. Oak leaves are great if you can get them. Make sure leaves are clean and free of bird droppings and chemicals.

The following link has information on breeding fish but has a section on making infusoria cultures.

Back to Basics when Breeding Fish

STARTING OUT Make sure you have a pair, (1 male + 1 female). There is nothing worse than spending your hard-earned dollars buying a couple of fish to try and breed and ending up with a pair of fish of the same sex. Let's face it, to reproduce fish you need a male and a female. Two males won't do...

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