Rotifers
their role and production
requirements
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Reproduction
Mass
production
Size
Mobility
Tolerance
Bio-encapsulation
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Life cycle
B. plicatilis
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Rotifer production – optimal culture and
enrichment conditions
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Tank:
Any Size/Shape (2-6 m3)
Temp.:
25-27 °C (Preheated Water/Heat Exchange)
Salinity:
18-25 ppt
Oxygen:
5-7 ppm (Pure Oxygen)
pH:
7.5-8.5
NH3/NH4+: < 10 mg/l
NH3:
< 1 mg/l
Water: Filtered (1 m), UV, Chlorinated/Neutralized
Aeration - Reasonably Strong - Airstones
Illumination: Low Light Conditions
Floc traps
Batch Culture: 3-5 days
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Rotifer production in 3m3 tanks
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Low density rotifer culture
Sea bream
General assumptions
1) Av. daily rotifer consumption/m3 larval volume (M)
10
2) Rotifer production volume/100M daily production (m3)
1,5
3) Period of rotifer feeding (days)
20
4) Culture Selco needed per 100M rotifers produced (kg)
0,2
5) Culture Selco price (drs/kg)
11234
Annual production target (2g juveniles)
Requirements
2.000.000
4.000.000
6.000.000
10.000.000
No of larval batches
5
5
5
5
Initial larval rearing vol (m3)
62
123
185
308
Daily rotifer requirement (M)
615
1.231
1.846
3.077
Rotifer production volume (m3)
9
18
28
46
No of 2.8m3 tanks needed
3
7
10
16
No of 4m3 tanks required
0
0
0
0
Total rotifer production volume (m3)
8
20
28
45
Total Culture Selco requirement (kg)
123
246
369
615
Cost of Culture Selco (Mdrs/yr)
1,38
2,77
4,15
6,91
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Rotifer culture using algae
 excellent results with
algae but expensive
 time consuming (culture
of algae + counting)
 availability of algae
 quality of the rotifers
dependent on quality of
the algae
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Rotifer culture using algae and yeast
 variable results in
rotifer survival
depending on the
quality of algae and
freshness of the yeast
 unexpected mortalities
(total crashes) due to
lack of standardisation
 variability in rotifer
quality (nutrition,
microbiology)
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Batch culture of rotifers on algae and yeast
Culture period
6-10 days
harvest
drain culture water
Re-inoculation
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f
e
e
d
i
n
g
Medium density rotifer culture
Sea bream
General assumptions
1) Av. daily rotifer consumption/m3 larval volume (M)
10
2) Rotifer production volume/100M daily production (m3)
0,4
3) Period of rotifer feeding (days)
20
4) Culture Selco 3000 needed per 100M rotifers produced (kg)
0,20
5) Culture Selco price (drs/kg)
Annual production target (2g juveniles)
Requirements
2.000.000
4.000.000
6.000.000
10.000.000
No of larval batches
5
5
5
5
Initial larval rearing vol (m3)
62
123
185
308
Daily rotifer requirement (M)
615
1.231
1.846
3.077
Rotifer production volume (m3)
2
5
7
12
No of 2.8m3 tanks needed
3
7
10
16
No of 4m3 tanks required
0
0
0
0
Total rotifer production volume (m3)
8
20
28
45
Total Culture Selco 3000 requirement (kg)
123
246
369
615
Cost of Culture Selco (Mdrs/yr)
0,00
0,00
0,00
0,00
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Rotifer growth comparison CS v’s CS3000
CS 3000-MD vs. CS-LD
CS 3000-MD
CS-LD
1800
1600
Rotifer density (#R/ml)
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
0
1
2
Time (days)
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3
Specific Growth Rate in MD batch culture
SGR (d^-1)
SGR in MD batch culture: CS vs. CS
3000
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
CS 3000
CS
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Method of determining rotifer growth and
condition– mean specific growth rates
SGR = ln (Final Number)-ln (Initial number)
No. of days of culture
ln = natural log
Useful for:Following feeding experiments
Quantitatively assessing culture stability
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Rotifer production methodologies
Culture Selco 3000 and O2
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Rotifer Production
M: Masters
A: Culture (2-6 m3)
M
M2
B: Inoculum (500 R/ml)
A
70%
30%
C: Enrichment
(500-1000 R/ml)
Larval Tanks
B
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C
Culture Selco 3000 strategy
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Traditional rotifer batch culture
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High density rotifer production system
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Rotifer harvesting
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Harvesting of rotifers
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Transfer of rotifers
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Recirculated ultra-high
density rotifer culture
~5000 rotifers + /ml
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Commercially available rotifer and artemia
cultivation and enrichment products
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Fatty acid enrichment levels in Rotifers
Enriched rotifers
Nannochloropsis
Nannochloropsis sp.
Chlorella
Isochrysis sp.
Protein Selco
Super Selco
DHA Super Selco
mg/g
EPA
7,3
3,44
3,75
1,87
8,125
33,12
41,4
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mg/g
DHA
2,2
0,6
0,6
1,25
8,125
36,25
68