Author Description

Over the twenty years of publicationt the purpose of our manual is to provide aquarists, aquaculturists and students with techniques and confidence to culture plankton for use as live foods for aquatic animals. The approach we have taken is to provide methods on a variety of scales ranging from home hobbyists to large commercial operations. The Plankton Culture Manual can also be used as a companion manual for another manual by Frank Hoff, Conditioning, Spawning and Rearing of Fish With Emphasis on Marine Clownfish. The Plankton Culture Manual provides the basis and principles of live food culture while the companion book provides theory and practice of conditioning, spawning and utilization of live feeds in larval rearing, juvenile growout, and adult broodstock fish. Methods of plankton culture described here are the result of cumulative experiences during our many years in aquaculture mixed with numerous published works and direct communication from aquaculture scientists and hobbyists throughout the world. Using advanced computer data bases and the internet of scientific and hobbyist literature, we have culled out significant papers that have made substantial contributions in live food culture. Literature citations in this manual provide readers access to a vast selection of scientific and hobby publications that demonstrate the dynamic changes occurring in larviculture. Through the sixth editions of this manual, we have improved, clarified, and provided more detail about the methods used. In addition, we have provided more rationale of why certain methods are preferred over others. Ultimately we hope this book provides readers with the guidance they need to provide live food in the larviculture of aquatic animals for fun and profit. Our hope is that this useful manual will continue to be improved and grow in the years to follow. Happy culturing!