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Re: Infusoria
> Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 18:11:34 -0500
> From: brent10usa at netscape_net (Brent)
> Subject: Infusoria
>
> I would like to start a Infusoria culture. But every time I try to start one with boiled lettus or any decaying plant I never see any infusoria under my microscope. Any information would be nice.
Brent, you need several things to get a good culture. A starting "infusion" of
live microorganisms, suitable food, and a livable environment are all
essentials.
Lettuce (fresh, not rotting), some tank-change (not tap) water, and a sunny
window can often provide all three of those. I tend to prefer living plant
matter (Java moss or Water Sprite) over decaying, as it is much less likely to
foul the water and kill the rotifers and paramecia. It is usually loaded with
good water-living infusoria, if from a healthy tank. Getting the plants
growing feeds the infusoria.
Plant-like free-swimming microcritters like *Euglena* species (aka "green
water") are most likely to benefit from sunlight and nitrates in the water.
Larger organisms like the rotifers and paramecia are easy to feed with
Liquifry #1 or egg-yolk infusions (rice-grain sized piece mashed in water).
Water without nutrients, "Amquel" o/e, and chemical "soups" from all the
products the LFS wants you to buy to stabilize pH, etc., are to be avoided.
Also be sure no *Daphnia*, *Ostracods*, etc., get in your culture, or those
filter feeders will clean up all that good food quickly. Outdoor cultures are
hard to maintain without some fish (goldfish, SA Annuals or White Clouds) to
keep the larger bugs (Daphnia, etc.) that birds bring in from taking over.
HTH
Wright
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