FEATURE

They often evoke a love-hate relationship,

but you just cant get away from them

by Rohan Mak, ZM Systems

he green water encouraged by the

traditional carp farmers in the Far
East and then Europe would be rich
with live infusoria including cilates
and freshwater rotifers for first feeding.
The marine fish industry has had to look at
marine rotifers and recreating the plankton
soup as many larval species are too small
to take newly hatched Artemia. The leading
research labs using fish in medical and
ecotoxicology projects that
have relied upon lab-grown
Paramecia cultures are
revisiting rotifer culture to
maximise fry survival rates.
Whilst attempts have
been made to replace livefoods with artificial diets, the
protocol of co-feeding live
and processed diets cannot
be ignored. Through careful
enrichment, rotifers can be
used as a smart nutritional
package to aid the development of gut bacteria, boost
health and support early larval development.

Do your research and plan ahead

The Plankton Culture Manual by Frank

Hoff of Florida Aqua Farms is an invaluable
introduction to live food culture including
microalgae, rotifers, and Artemia culture. The
practical examples shown in this book are
based on the experience gained from the
creation and development of Instant Ocean
Hatcheries and operating a commercially
viable marine fish hatchery. The biggest mis-

take we have seen customers make is not

planning ahead and not having well-managed
cultures in place.

Where to get rotifers from

Live resting rotifer cysts are available to

establish cultures and can be shipped internationally by courier or airmail service. Two rotifer species are normally available: Brachionus
plicatilis (L-strain) for brackish-marine work

ZM live rotifers and live

microalgae

The smaller marine S-strain Brachionus

rotundiformis is sometimes available for specialist projects where a smaller prey item is
required.

How to view rotifers

A basic binocular dissecting microscope

with at least 20x magnification is an essential
tool in managing rotifer cultures and even
monitoring the density of any live microalgae

FAF resting rotifer cysts being

hydrated for hatching

and Brachionus calyciflorus, used for freshwater cultures. The resting cysts are stored in
vials and may be frozen for long-term storage
and may be stored until you are ready to
inoculate a starter culture. The dehydrated
cysts will first need to hydrate in a Petri dish
before completing the incubation process and
hatching 48 plus hours later.
For the UK market we can supply live
B.plicatilis starter cultures at different salinities
for different applications.

30 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | March-April 2015

present. Right from resting cysts to adult

rotifers the behaviour, feeding and breeding
condition of a culture can be observed. Once
the rotifer culture has been transferred to a
larger vessel, a simple torch can often be used
to illuminate and monitor culture densities.

Rotifer management
and harvesting

Under optimal conditions rotifer cultures

breed asexually with daughter cells produced.

FEATURE

The life cycle is normally 6-8 days; L-strain

rotifers are most prolific with a salinity at
"Single vessel culture
22ppt and at optimal temperatures of 25
setups with pH,
degrees Celsius. Only light aeration is normally
applied to avoid fast water movement that
ammonia control and
may strip the daughter cells off the adult
rotifers.
biological filtration
Batch culturing rotifers in four to
can operate within a
five vessels has proved a straightforward
protocol and allows a culture to develop
compact area, yield
over four to five days with one vessel
harvested each day. Normally two thirds
high rotifer densities and
of a mature culture is harvested for feedallow daily harvesting"
ing and one third retained to establish
a new culture. This culture setup limits
water quality becoming an issue, the vessels are cleaned between uses, and any
background build-up in ciliate populations
that may compromise the rotifers can be
kept in check.
ZM live adult rotifer
and daughter cell
Single vessel culture setups with pH,
ammonia control and biological filtration can
operate within a compact area, yield high be at risk if the culture does crash and need from microalgae plates that can be stored
lture | 2015
Hatchery Ad Campaign | Theme: Ad-1 Conal True | Design: A | Version: 1
rotifer densities and allow daily harvesting. replacing.
in the fridge and shipped internationally by
ernationalCareful
Aquafeed
| Size: Half
Page
| Dimensions:
190mm X 132mm
management
of single
vessel
cultures
courier. Normally Nannochloropsis and/or
is still required to avoid ciliate population build Food options for rotifers:
Tetraselmis is used for a day-to-day rotifer
up and water parameters being exceeded
Live microalgae have traditionally been feed and Isochrysis used as a DHA enrichthrough laziness. This setup will represent all cultured for feeding and enriching rotifer ment just prior to using the rotifers as a larval
your eggs in one basket so your hatchery will cultures. Starter cultures can be established feed. Microalgae culture technique remains

Algae When You Need It

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providing custom adjustments to enrichments and
sharing live feed culture protocols.
Dr. Conal True, head of the Fish Culture Biotech Unit
at Autonomous University of Baja California
Dr. True made it his lifes work to bring the totoaba an endangered,
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March-April 2015 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | 31

DANIE

FEATURE

ZM live paramecia

ZM live rotifer sample in beaker

Biosecurity:

Inve sparkle invert feed

a useful skill to know and may be applied

to other specialist livefood cultures including
copepods.
The use of marine algae concentrates and
prepared solutions have proved convenient
and have aided the design of high-density
rotifer rearing systems. The ability to coldstore concentrates and feed by peristaltic
pump on a timer leads to regular feeding,
a more stable culture and a major laboursaver.
The development of formulated dry yeast
invert feeds was the next progressive step
and these can be mixed daily and fed in the
same way as algae solutions. In their nature

53-micron nylon mesh strainers,

smaller than the standard 120-micron
used for newly hatched Artemia. For
breeding projects requiring specifically small rotifers a 25-micron mesh
strainer can be used to grade out the
smallest individuals.
When harvesting rotifers it is
important to limit physical damage;
for example, when using a strainer
to harvest rotifers, aim to have
the mesh submerged as long as
possible. When siphoning a rotifer
culture from one tank to another,
limit the head difference so water
velocity is reduced.

prepared algae solutions have a lower percent dry matter nutritional content, making it
easier for the new dry diets to offer a higher
contribution and cost savings.
INVE Aquacultures latest S.parkle product is an evolution of the Culture Selco range
based on deactivated yeast. As a separate
development S.presso is the latest HUAF
emulsion/suspension enrichment product to
evolve from the Easy DHA Selco range and
now has protocols for both Artemia and
rotifers.

Harvesting rotifers:

Rotifers are normally harvested with

Rotifers, like Artemia cysts, can

get everywhere and cross contaminate cultures including microalgae cultures if
you are not careful. Ideally rotifers and microalgae should be maintained in separate rooms
and staff should thoroughly wash and dry their
hands in between any maintenance work.
If you wish to be ultra-careful start the day
with water quality work on reservoir water
stocks, follow with microalgae work, and then
follow with live rotifer or copepod work with
hand-washing in between each session. When
working with both S-strain and L-strain rotifer
cultures cross contamination may be reduced
by running S-strain cultures at higher salinity
and temperatures to L-strain cultures.
www.zmsystems.co.uk

Gustor Aqua

A powerful natural growth promoter

Antimicrobial activity
Trophic effect on intestinal
epithelium

Immunological properties:
Anti-inflammatory
Reinforce of the intestinal defence barrier

Improves performance

Providing proficient tools to achieve cost-effective and sustainable aquaculture practices

Head Office and Orders: Jess Aprendiz, 19. 1 A-B 28007 Madrid SPAIN T. +34 915 014 041 norel@norel.es www.norel.es

32 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | March-April 2015

FEATURE

FAF plankton strainers for rotifer and

artemia collection

FAF microalgae disk and micro algae

grow F2 fertiliser

FAF rotifer cysts strainer

rotirich

About the author

Rohan Mak has 27 years experience in aquaculture, aquatics, biotechnology, research holding systems, specialising in early feeding, live-food and microalgae culture. He trained at Sparsholt College,
Hampshire and the University of Plymouth for his M.Sc. in Applied Fish Biology. He was subsequently
employed at the University of Southampton on transgenic Nile tilapia and at Kings College, London
and University College, London on zebrafish for developmental biology and medical research studies.
ZM Systems are ZM fish-food and fishroom equipment UK distributors for INVE products including Sep-Art Polarised Artemia, S.parkle, S.presso enrichments, Florida Aqua Farms microalgae culture
plates and fertilisers, resting rotifer cysts and the Plankton Culture Manual.
Their customers include developmental biology, biomedical and ecotoxicology research laboratories, government and commercial fish hatcheries and public aquaria.
In 2015 they are due to sponsor the first UK Artemia Workshop at the Plymouth Marine
Laboratory, currently being planned by John Rundle.

ZM rotifer culture station

World Aquaculture 2015

AquaForum
Jeju Island, Korea
May 26-29, 2015

forum

WAS aqua

WORKING TO IMPROVE THE

SUSTAINABILITY OF
COMPOUND FEED PRODUCTION

The International conference and trade show on Aquaculture,

World Aquaculture 2015, Jeju, Korea, will enhance industry
participation by incorporating the newly organized WA15
AquaForum.

www.globalgap.org/cfm

The WA15 AquaForum has been created to benefit industry

professionals during the WA15 conference and exhibition. The
organizing committee invites Asian farmers, suppliers, and other
industry professionals to Jeju, Korea to attend this forum. Activities will include specific topical industry sessions, facilitated workshops, round table discussions, simultaneous translations, designated meeting spaces, farm tours, etc. The focus of the WA15
AquaForum is targeted towards the most important industry
issues affecting key Asia Pacific aquaculture producing countries.
It is a true Industry forum whereby timely topical and regionally
relevant sessions are tailored to enhance industrial representation
and participation. Session topics will include Flatfish Health,
Shrimp Health, Aqua Feed technologies, Marine Finfish Technologies, Enhancing Shellfish Production and Integrated Aquaculture.

VISIT US AT SEAFOOD EXPO GLOBAL

21-23 April 2015, Brussels, Belgium
Booth 4026 in Hall 9

GLOBALG.A.P. News Conference at

Seafood Expo Global in Brussels
22 April 2015, 2.30 - 3.30 p.m.
Hall 11, Room 1122, 3rd Floor

www.globalgap.org/events

2015

Updated information on: www.was.org

and Linked-in group World Aquaculture 2015 AquaForum

March-April 2015 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | 33