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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #139134
Title: SMALL SCALE SYSTEM FOR THE MASS PRODUCTION OF ROTIFERS USING MICROALGAE PASTE

Author
item Pfeiffer, Tim
item Ludwig, Gerald

Submitted to: University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Aquaculture Field Day
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/9/2002
Publication Date: 9/9/2002
Citation: PFEIFFER, T.J., LUDWIG, G.M. SMALL SCALE SYSTEM FOR THE MASS PRODUCTION OF ROTIFERS USING MICROALGAE PASTE.. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF AQUACULTURE FIELD DAY. 2002. p.4.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Rotifers such as Brachionus plicatilis are a dominant zooplankton preferred as first food by small fish larvae and are often mass cultured by fish farmers by using foods including live and dried microalgae, yeast and bacteria concentrates. Fecundity, population growth rate and yield of rotifers grown on these food sources are well-documented, but there is little information available for when microalgae paste is used. We investigated the effect of microalgae past on rotifer growth and production in a greenhouse. Rotifers were cultured in sixty-liter translucent polyethylene tanks and the culture volume was maintained at 45 liters. The feed solution was a mixture of commercially available Nannochloropsis algal paste and artificial seawater that was kept in 2.6-liter plastic containers placed inside an electric cooler. A peristaltic pump delivered 100 mL of feed solution every hour to the culture unit. During a 21-day culture period, the rotifer population in each of four tanks was maintained between 500 and 1500 rotifers per mL. A volume of 15 liters was harvested when the rotifer density was above 1500 rotifers per mL. Feed concentration was 75,000 algal cells per rotifer per day. The volume of algal paste in the feed solution varied daily and was based on the after harvest rotifer count. The simple and inexpensive system using algal paste as a food source appears appropriate for the mass production of rotifers in commercial fish hatcheries and potentially allow for the year round production of many fish including Sunshine bass, the most commonly cultured Morone species.