ceph culture system

[marinebio_guy]

Attached are a few pics of a system I'm building for a pilot scale experiment for large scale culture of cephs for pet trade and research that I'm building at work. Hopefully we will get our animals in May/June. Right now it consists of (15) 20g tanks and (2) 1300g tanks on a recirculating system.

 

[Nancy]

Very impressive!

So which species are you considering? Any possibilities that we could buy those destined for the pet trade?

Nancy

 

[marinebio_guy]

Right now we are looking at flamboyants. If it works out than I will be able to sell any extra animals, expand the facilities and number of species.

Very impressive!

So which species are you considering? Any possibilities that we could buy those destined for the pet trade?

Nancy

 

[Thales]

Whoo hoo! Let me know when you have animals available. Your system looks great!

 

[marinebio_guy]

If we are successful with breeding them we will only probably sell a few this year if we have extra as I'm doing several research projects on them and I'll need to increase the brood stock but the second year I should be able to sell quite a few.

 

[monty]

Awesome! Are you doing this at U H Hilo, or are you associated with some other lab in the Hilo area (does Manoa have a presence in Hilo? I have the impression that U H Hilo doesn't have much of a grad program, but Manoa does a lot more researchy stuff. And Kewalo and Manoa are on Oahu, right?

 

[marinebio_guy]

I'm doing this with the center that I work for the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center which is part of UH Hilo. UH-Hilo does have a small grad program but it's fairly new and so small for now but hopefully will grow. UH Hilo does not do as much research as Manoa overall but we are a smaller campus. However our aquaculture facilities is a lot better

Awesome! Are you doing this at U H Hilo, or are you associated with some other lab in the Hilo area (does Manoa have a presence in Hilo? I have the impression that U H Hilo doesn't have much of a grad program, but Manoa does a lot more researchy stuff. And Kewalo and Manoa are on Oahu, right?

 

[monty]

I'm doing this with the center that I work for the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center which is part of UH Hilo. UH-Hilo does have a small grad program but it's fairly new and so small for now but hopefully will grow. UH Hilo does not do as much research as Manoa overall but we are a smaller campus. However our aquaculture facilities is a lot better

Cool, and the Big Island is a lot less touristy and nicer, I think. And has Ken's House of Pancakes.

 

[Paradox]

Very nice! Im looking forward to seeing how this develops and please let me know when animals/eggs are available!

 

[marinebio_guy]

Very nice! Im looking forward to seeing how this develops and please let me know when animals/eggs are available!

Will keep you updated. The system should be up and running in the next week or two and if I get all the permits in time I'll be getting the animals in May or June. Also I'm working on a project raising a small shrimp that might be better than mysids for live food.

 

[muskox]

looks great!!!!!!!
Can't wait to see it running!

 

[esquid]

ooo exciting!

that looks like a great setup. keep us posted on the progress.

what are the feeder shrimp you are working with?

 

[marinebio_guy]

The shrimp is Halocaridina rubra which is cultured in very small numbers already but is expensive ($1-2 per shrimp). However, a lot of the ones being sold are wild caught which is bad because they're only found in a few small ponds around hawaii and if over collected they could eazily become endangered. I'm looking at trying to culture them on a large scale first and then see if they would be adequate as a mysid replacement.

 

[Paradox]

I have found a local source to catch live fresh water mysids. Im hesitant to use this as a main food source for hatchlings (bandensis at the moment). Do you have any thoughts or concerns about this?

 

[marinebio_guy]

I have found a local source to catch live fresh water mysids. Im hesitant to use this as a main food source for hatchlings (bandensis at the moment). Do you have any thoughts or concerns about this?

I would not have a problem using wild caught mysids. It's probably the best food currently available. I have not worked with fresh water mysids so I do not know if you could acclimate them to saltwater which you might have to do because if you just put them in the saltwater without acclimating them they might die.