# Safest infusoria culture?



## bevsies (Feb 11, 2016)

I've been reading about how to safely culture infusoria to feed to betta fry. I have a few questions about the process, especially since pretty much article read conflicted other articles.

*Method I'm thinking about using*
1. Tear up some pieces of lettuce and boil them for 5 minutes.
2. Put the lettuce in a container with no lid.
3. Pour aquarium water over the lettuce to fill the container.
4. Leave the container on a windowsill where it will receive sunlight for a few days, mixing the water every so often for oxygen/gas exchange (still without a lid).
5. Let the water get cloudy (bacteria). The culture is ready to use once the water starts to clear, as this is a sign of infusoria feeding on the bacteria.
6. Using a turkey baster, slowly get some water from the jar, taking care to not disturb the water or suck up decaying plant matter and gently add it to the spawn tank.

*Questions* (I always have lots...)

Does this method sound about right?
Should I wait until the lettuce turns pink (this is what some people recommend)?
How do I know when the culture is no good? Water gets extra gross?
How long in advance should I start culturing infusoria? When I release the female with the male?

Since the fry need to be fed several times per day, I was thinking of foregoing the turkey baster method and instead creating a drip system like this one: 




@indjio @kadertheant If you guys had any experience to share with me?


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Ppl may do it differently, but most will work. You need to find which method you're comfortable with. Your plan sounds good.

I don't preboil lettuce clippings or what ever veggie I use. Chop'em up and dump in (about) 7g round tub (all my fish and accessories are outdoors). Add a cup of (I prefer) natural water (water from nature - drainage system, river, etc). Veggie will become nasty but should clear up in 5 days or so. By then you should see "moving clouds" in the tub. . . . You know the culture failed if you don't see moving critters by 7 days. Scoop water and dump in fry tank.

I stopped using this method because culture doesn't always succeed which would be a problem since at the time I would breed up to 5 pairs at a time. 
Males left to rear fry often become sick (not sure why. Maybe because I use water from nature - old tank water often fail).
And I learned that my "conditioned breeding" water can sustain fry for the first week, which by then fry could eat baby daphnia.

There are no right nor wrong method. Every breeder have different experiences. You need to determine which method you're comfortable with, tweak it in accordance to you're condition/availability. . . . . and try it.


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## bevsies (Feb 11, 2016)

Ok thanks! Im going to get some jars this weekend and start experimenting


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## ryry2012 (Mar 31, 2015)

I tried the method once. All I got was foul water. Culturing microworms, banana worms, or brine shrimp would be easier. I have a microworm culture. It can be smelly but very easy for sure.


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## bevsies (Feb 11, 2016)

ryry2012 said:


> I tried the method once. All I got was foul water. Culturing microworms, banana worms, or brine shrimp would be easier. I have a microworm culture. It can be smelly but very easy for sure.


I'm going to hatch baby brine shrimp but from what I understand, for the first 3 days to ago week the fry are too small to eat them. Infusoria are going to be my in-between food... if I can get them to grow safely! Im going to bring a sample to my bio lab


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## ryry2012 (Mar 31, 2015)

Oh that's cool  I wondered what I had done wrong looking at the foul water...lol


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## RickyTan (Jan 26, 2017)

No need to culture infusoria/paramecium if you breed in a "dirty" tank( Aged water + floating plants) will provide enough nutrients for the fry to get large enough to eat newly hatched BBS.


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## bevsies (Feb 11, 2016)

RickyTan said:


> No need to culture infusoria/paramecium if you breed in a "dirty" tank( Aged water + floating plants) will provide enough nutrients for the fry to get large enough to eat newly hatched BBS.


Really? Ok so if I grabbed a bunch of duckweed and other floating plants? Huh alright!


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## RickyTan (Jan 26, 2017)

well any plants really, i prefer the type that float in a ball like guppy grass/ java moss/ anacharis or any bushy floating plants, i typically do fine with clumps of java fern attached to rocks whenever i don't have those plants available though. Duckweed is good, but a little too hard to control and messy.


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## bevsies (Feb 11, 2016)

I do have some java moss! Anacharis always melts on me and I've never seen guppy grass around here! Hornwort?


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## KaderTheAnt (Jan 19, 2017)

This is late , I know, but I’d definitely go with brineshrimp. I personally breed in an established tank but I use brineshrimp within a week of age.


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## bevsies (Feb 11, 2016)

KaderTheAnt said:


> This is late , I know, but I’d definitely go with brineshrimp. I personally breed in an established tank but I use brineshrimp within a week of age.
> 
> O
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


What do you feed before they're big enough to eat the brine shrimp? Microworm? Or just whatever is growing on the plants?


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## KaderTheAnt (Jan 19, 2017)

bevsies said:


> What do you feed before they're big enough to eat the brine shrimp? Microworm? Or just whatever is growing on the plants?




I let them eat whatever’s growing on the plants. But like I said, this tank has been set up and used (prior to breeding) for three months so it’s pretty full of micros 


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