(Source: R. Kimmel from Zebrafish Book 5th Edition)
Paramecia multimicronucleatum can be obtained from Carolina Biological Supply or Connecticut Valley Biological. This strain of very large paramecia promotes rapid growth of the fish larvae. The following method of growing the paramecia is simple, quick, and very suitable for small, low-budget, fish-raising as well as for a large facility.
Seed Culture Recipe
Raise seed cultures in covered Petri dishes. We use 25 x 150 mm Falcon dishes.
To each Petri dish, add:
- 175 ml double distilled water
- approximately 10 boiled wheat seeds (animal feed wheat or health food store "wheat berries")
- 1/5 of one 7.5 grain standard brewer's yeast tablet approximately 10 ml from a good clean young paramecia culture
Stack the Petri dishes 3 or 4 high; store at 28.5°C in a lighted plac |
The cultures will be ready to use in two days and will keep for several weeks. One seed culture will start 10 new seed cultures or five two liter pots for baby fish feed.
Standard Paramecium Recipe
Fill each two liter amber mouse cage (actual capacity 2750 ml) with two liters of system water
Add:
- approximately 30 seeds of boiled wheat
- 1½ tablets of brewer's yeast
- 1/5Petri dish of paramecia seed culture
Cover and stack the mouse cages and store in the light at approximately 28.5°C. The cultures will be ready to use in 4 days and will keep for about 3 weeks. |