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nitrites in infusoria culture


SWilson

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We were trying to foray into culturing our own infusoria to feed to ADF tadpoles,  We started an old pasta sauce jar with some boiled vegetable material, duckweed, and water from an established tank.  It's been sitting in a sunny window for about 3 weeks - we don't have a microscope, but there appears to be microorganisms and detritus worms in there.  I occaisionally "feed" in more dried and crumbled duckweed from our tanks.  I haven't changed the water at all, but topped off slightly with tank water from water changes. 

We have started feeding them, but almost killed our tadpoles because it turns out there was a *huge* nitrite spike in the jar.  It's reading off the charts - I'm guessing at like 10 ppm.  Ph is also above 8.4.  Enough to create a nitrite spike in the tank just from pipetting some of the water from the jar into the tank. 

So I'll definitely change out the water in there, or I should probably really just start over.  But I'm hoping the nerms can enlighten me on where we went wrong.   

I once saw great instructions on how to culture infusoria from dried duckweed on Gary Lange's website, but now the website links to a different page so haven't been able to find it again.  Does anyone know the page I'm talking about?  I also watched Irene's video on how to culture infusoria, and a couple other youtube videos.  

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I'm not sure what size container you're using to raise the frogs. Upsizing may help. Also it typically only takes like a small piece of banana peel to a 1 gallon jar to get infusoria going. Usually looks likely milky water. You could also maybe drop a little bacteria in there in the form of a little gravel or a few bio rings. to help with the waste load. I think mostly it's about scale, a 1 gallon jar and less starting food probably solves this for ya.

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Thank you @Cory!  You're absolutely right.  This is definitely a scale problem.  Our infusoria culture jar is a small (16 oz) pasta jar, with way more organic waste in it than you recommended for the 1 gallon jar. D'oh!  This is aquarium cycle basics. (face palm).  Thank you! hopefully someone else who is looking to try culturing infustoria for the first time and is overwhelmed by the internet's opinions on this topic will find this helpful.   

[edit] I should also add that a bladder snail got into this jar, and not only is it still alive.  it is twice as big as it was when I first saw it in there (no doubt contributing it's fair share to the waste).  Those things are amazing. 

Edited by SWilson
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