What Are Live Rotifers?
Live Rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) are very tiny animals measuring between 150-360 micrometers. Rotifers are often raised as food for live corals and fish larvae. They are the ideal starter food for species of fish such as clownfish fry which have tiny larvae with very, very tiny mouths.
What Does Enriching Mean?
Enriching means feeding a premium food that contains fatty acids (especially ARA, EPA and DHA), carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins. 12-24 hours before our rotifers are dispatched we enrich them, this process is also known as “gut loading”. When our rotifers are enriched with the desired feed, this does not only fill the gut but the enrichment feed is gradually incorporated into the rotifer tissues.
Who Should Use Live Rotifers?
Almost any marine aquarium will benefit from the addition of rotifers, Their size and excellent nutritional value (50% to 65% protein) make them the perfect live food for all (freshwater and marine) fry, anemones, sponges etc.
How To Feed Live Rotifers?
To add them to your system, simply pour the bottle directly into the aquarium or use a sieve to strain them. Feed as little or as much as required. Rotifers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Rotifers are perfect for a reef's food source because they multiply very rapidly and they are just the right size for almost all filter feeders and clown fish fry.
Which Rotifers Do You Stock?
We stock (Brachionus plicatilis) which is the "L" strain which range in size from 150-360 microns. Our live rotifers are cultured in saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.019. and are usually maintained at a population density of 200 to 300 rotifers per ml of water.
Do i need a rotifer sieve?
We advise you strain your rotifers through a 54 micron sieve, for small quantities like 100ml or 250ml pouches you can pour the liquid straight into your tank.
Do i Need Rotifer Enrichment?
Our rotifers are enriched before dispatch but if you intend to culture your own rotifers or you need to enrich further, then we recommend our rotifer enrichment feed. The body of a live rotifer has very little nutritional value - the stomach contents and eggs are where the nutritional value exist. Rotifers can be fed on a variety of small micron feeds and the resulting rotifer will have the nutritional profile of those feeds.
The last 6-12 hours of feeding are the most important for determining the value of the rotifer. There are several diets available for growing rotifers, but by far the best diet is marine microalgae. Marine microalgae contains the important nutritional elements needed for larval development including fatty acids (especially EPA and DHA), carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, and sterols.
Microalgae produces almost no fouling in your system (unlike powders and emulsions) so it is much easier to maintain long term rotifers cultures.
Our Rotifer Enrichment product contains a high concentration of Nannochloropsis and Isochrysis phytoplankton.
Enrichment directions. If you wish to enrich your rotifers further then add 1 - 5 drops of our rotifer enrichment to your live rotifers 6-12 hours before feeding to your fry or corals.
