Artificial Microparticle Diets for Culturing Rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis

Rotifer culture fed on five types of artificial microparticle diets were evaluated to substitute the natural diets such as Chlorella or w-yeast. These microparticle diets including solidified blood using squid oil (SBSO), solidified blood using soybean oil (SBSB), nylon protein walled particle (NPW) simple coacervation oil capsule (SCO), complex coacervation oil capsule(CCO), were tested for the evaluation of feeding efficiency. The prepared micro particle diets had diameters ranging from 3 to 30 Jim. Rotifer culturing experiments were carried out in 3-liter beakers for 13-16 days. The initial inoculum density of rotifers was 10 ind./ml. The rotifers fed on Chlorella or $\omega-yeast$ showed maximal densities of 2,000 ind./ml in 9 days or 500 ind./ml in 7 days, respectively. Those fed on SBSO, SBSB or NPW showed maximal densities of 1568 ind./ml, 586 ind./ml or 503 ind./ml, respectively and the reproductive rates for those diets were equivalent to or better than w-yeast. However, the coacervated oil capsule showed lower maximal densities of 400 ind./ml for SCO and less than 100 ind./ml for CCO due to the unbalanced diet formulation and indigestibility.