So, do you own a microscope?  It would be nice to see what they look like at 40 or 100 X.

Just an update:

Everything survived on DT's Phyto - lots of tiny stuff, some bigger pods and a couple things that look like shrimp larva (that look like a saltwater version of a waterboatman)

Working on getting a microscope asap - (although trying to finish my broodstock system and pond as well )



One thing I forgot to add - my other cultures have survived - not really taking off like the 10G did.  There are still some in there, just not a lot.  Hopefully after a few more days they will start to increase in size like the main one.


I do have to say tho - I dump all my waste water in there, don't clean it, its nasty, nasty water - and the pods are thriving.

awesome to hear, especially that they survived on DT's.  It makes me want to re-think over the counter algaes.    

Because it's all about the plankton!
~J      

Brett, I have also found that in the most disgusting water the pods thrive.  I checked my culture last week and there were some pods still alive I'll check it again today to see what is happening in there.

So this may be a long shot, but anyone know of a place that sells dirt cheap scopes (like 20 to 40x) ?  Heck even something like a strong magnifying glass (5-10x) would be awesome.

I just can't afford to drop $100-200 on a scope right now.

Thanks

Ok so I wanted to do a totally unscientific test to determine density of pods in my 10G culture vat of doom (of what kind, no idea

So I turned the lights and the filter off and let it sit for about 5 minutes.  I grabbed an API test tube from one of my testing kits (and yes Tal, I rinsed it ).  I turned a flash light on the top of the water for about 30 seconds and did a quick dip.  The water is about an inch over the line.





So in that amount a rough count is about 60-80 pods, probably closer to 100.  If I had to guess these are all naups - the adults can be seen diving when the lights come on.

The "vat O doom" full tank shot





Its in my bathroom, on the floor with a couple of dead bugs floating in there for effect.  Keep in mind this is in a basement so temp is probably 68-70 degrees.  I have a heater in there, it is not plugged in.  Salinity is 1.23-26 depending on how much freshwater I put in for evaporation.


Side shot of the nastiness:






Ignore the date, too lazy to change the date on my 8 year old digital camera.


By rough count must be a couple million pods in there, probably closer to five.

Cheers!

lol Brett,

you've done a more scientific count than you know...  next time fill to the line, I beleive those api tubes are 5ml.  take a few samples and average them out, divide by 5 and theres your population per ml!    

Because it's all about the plankton!
~J      

Thanks for that tip Joe!

So a quick plunge of four this evening revealed an average of 52 (rounded), so 10 million?

Sheesh thats a crap ton...   And I think I was too conservative - probably should be closer to 70....

Any event, a whole lot of naups!

lol  it's an inexact science but yeah thats the typical method.

FYI for your scope...  try and invest in a dissection scope first if you can, it's better for watching things live.  Lower magnification but does well.  I use a Konus Opal and have been very happy with it. 

http://www.opticsplanet.net/konus-microscopes-opal-stereoscopical-20x-5418.html

Because it's all about the plankton!
~J      

There was a tiny shrimp in the culture I got from Arc. I thought he was a goner long ago but he turned up yesterday.

Save a Reef... Frag Your Own! Save a Fish... Breed Your Own! www.fishtalpropagations.com

Nice!  Glad he made it.  Guessing its a regular shrimp that get about 1-2" long over time, as the tinier ones usually stay clear/whitish.

Glad he made it!

Hard to tell in the pic but he is more of a brown'ish color now instead of clear. A little over 1/2" now. 

Save a Reef... Frag Your Own! Save a Fish... Breed Your Own! www.fishtalpropagations.com

He is such a cute little baby