angi wrote:Amie wrote:Maybe we should start a thread on shipping copepods? I have experiemented a lot with different types of copepods over the years, trying to figure out how to successfully ship them. So far, I have been able to keep Parvocalanus, saltwater moina and regular tigriopus copepods in shipping containers successfully for over 10 days without opening the containers to aerate or feed them. I'd be glad to discuss it if anyone is interested.
Amie, I am interested! Please give us some informations of Your shipping experiences. I really want to know how to ship parvocalanus for over 10 days without opening the container...
Sure, I'd be glad to. It has nothing to do with shipping, and everything to do with 'bottling'. I figured out that copepods don't like 2 things. 1) clean water and 2) fast water changes. But typically, a lot of companies will ship their copepods in perfectly clean water that they changed right before shipping, giving the pods a death sentence over the next 2-4 days. As soon as a few pods start to die, the ammonia levels go up and the rest of the pods are basically on death row. Once they get to their new home, they are put into a larger amount of water, and the ammonia levels go down. At this point, I don't know if the remaining pods survive or not, but if there are any eggs, the eggs most likely are what starts a new culture if the person is patient at that point.
I have also seen bottles that have had a space of air at the top, obviously thinking that this will help supply the pods aeration during travel. The only problem with this is that it is impossible to turn the bottle over without some of the pods not sticking to the now dry side. In hot weather, that dry side will dry quickly and they will die. When it becomes wet again, there will be dead pods in the water, increasing the ammonia levels.
If you are one that wants crystal clean water when you ship your pods, then you need to drip the water in the night before. It is a real pain, but it makes all the difference.
I would recommend creating 3 test bottles to set on a shelve for 10 days, marked with the date on them, all tightly sealed with water all the way to the top of the rim. Put your regular shipping amount of pods in each bottle.
Bottle 1: pods with clean water dripped into the bottle.
Bottle 2: pods using your method, with a tsp. of grow-out water.
Bottle 3: pods with regular grow-out water.
If you watch them, and see the pods coming up to the top of the bottle, note the day that that happens. That means they need air. If it happens on day one, then the water is not aerated enough and could be another problem that needs to be solved before bottling them. If it happens on all 3 of the bottles, try dumping out 1/2" of water on all 3 of the bottles, close them up again, and watch them for 10 days from that point.
I did this in my basement, which is always around
65F. I was able to get to day 10 out of bottle 1, bottle 2 made it to day 10 but with some die-off, and 20+ days out of Bottle 3. (Note: "My method" in Bottle 2 is changing the water with new water the day of shipping without dripping slowly.)