Moina Culture

Moina: Adult pipefish are fed live adult brine shrimp, frozen mysis shrimp and live moina. This culture of moina grown at ~ 6 ppt Instant Ocean survives for ~ 1/2 hour when added to the pipefish system 36 ppt.

Moina Culture: Pipefish require live foods. They will feed on frozen foods on a limited basis so I treat it as more of a supplement then a main food source. Adult brine shrimp are purchased from a local fish store but supply is erratic. Moina are cultured as a main food

source and also serve as back-up food source when adult brine shrimp are unavailable.

Moina cultures are fed daily with roti-rich and dried powdered nannochloropsis. Weekly 50% water changes are done using stickleback water (~6 ppt Instant Ocean). I have found that complete break down and cleaning moina tanks too often represses moina production.

Copepod Culture for young Pipefish

Saltwater Copepod Culture: Saltwater copepods growing in 36 ppt salt water in 1 gallon pickle jars. Copepods are ~ 0.5 mm in size and are grown to feed young pipefish. Cultures are added to young pipefish tanks and water is replaced from the pipefish sump. A few drops of rotifer food is added to cultures once every few weeks. (Caution should be taken when feeding copepod cultures as they are easily overfed).