Method and apparatus for growing hydrozoa

Claim 2

Method for growing hydrozoa which produce offspring having a specific gravity substantially equal to unity, comprising the steps of: providing a liquid medium consisting chiefly of water in which said hydrozoa can live and reproduce by budding; providing a wide, shallow, substantially elongated flat-bottomed tank having a roughened bottom surface for containing said medium; establishing an initial population of hydrozoa in said medium; periodically feeding said hydrozoa; permitting said offspring to float to the surface of said medium; and providing a current in said medium from a source at one end of said tank to overflow means at the other for collecting said offspring on a net disposed in said current.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein a substantially constant resident population of said hydrozoa remains substantially fixed in said medium for continuous production of said offspring.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein said current in said medium is used to collect said offspring on net means, said current being of low velocity such that said offspring are undamaged by collection on said net means.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 wherein said medium is recycled through filtering means and the current of said recycling is used to collect said offspring on said net means.

Claim 6

Method for production of hydrozoa, comprising the steps of: providing a shallow, elongated residence tank, having a flat, roughened bottom surface for the attachment of hydrozoa; filling said tank with a liquid medium suited to the growth of said hydrozoa; permitting a resident population of hydrozoa to be established on said surface; periodically feeding said population; permitting the members of said population to asexually reproduce; and collecting the offspring of said reproduction by establishing a current from one end of said tank to another, whereby said offspring are collected on net means upstream of a spillway, and said offspring are not damaged by collection.

Claim 7

Method for production of hydrozoa, comprising the steps of: providing a shallow, elongated residence tank, having a flat, roughened bottom surface for the attachment of hydrozoa; filling said tank with a liquid medium suited to the growth of said hydrozoa; permitting a resident population of hydrozoa to be established on said surface; periodically feeding said population; permitting the members of said population to asexually reproduce; and collecting the offspring of said reproduction by establishing a current from one end of said tank to another, whereby said offspring are collected on net means upstream of a spillway, and said offspring are not damaged by collection.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5 wherein said offspring have a specific gravity less than that of said medium.

Claim 9

The method of claim 5 wherein said medium is recycled and filtered.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7 wherein said filtration step is performed on activated charcoal.

Claim 11

Apparatus for the production of living hydrozoa, comprising: a shallow, comparatively wide tank for the containment of an aqueous medium conducive to the growth of said hydrozoa, and having a substantially horizontal, planar bottom surface, said surface being roughened as by sanding for the attachment thereto of a population of hydrozoa; pump means for recycling said medium for filtration purposes, the inlet of said pump being connected to a spillway at a first end of said tank and its outlet being connected to the opposing end of said tank, the capacity of said pump means being chosen in relation to the size of said tank such that a gentle, sheet-like flow of said medium through said tank is obtained, whereby a flow path is established in said medium; and net means disposed in said flow path for collecting detached ones of said population, the rate of said flow being low, so that said detached ones are not damaged by said collection.

Claim 12

Apparatus for the production of living hydrozoa, comprising: a shallow, comparatively wide tank for the containment of an aqueous medium conducive to the growth of said hydrozoa, and having a substantially horizontal, planar bottom surface, said surface being roughened as by sanding for the attachment thereto of a population of hydrozoa; pump means for recycling said medium for filtration purposes, the inlet of said pump being connected to a spillway at a first end of said tank and its outlet being connected to the opposing end of said tank, the capacity of said pump means being chosen in relation to the size of said tank such that a gentle, sheet-like flow of said medium through said tank is obtained, whereby a flow path is established in said medium; and net means disposed in said flow path for collecting detached ones of said population, the rate of said flow being low, so that said detached ones are not damaged by said collection.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising means for oxygenation of said medium.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the specific gravity of said hydrozoa can be less than that of said medium.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the mesh size of said net is substantially -40 mesh.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said hydrozoa are hydra.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising means for ensuring that said flow path is regular.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said surface is of plastic, having been roughened.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the apertures is said net means are so sized as to permit the passage therethrough of excess food and other debris carried by said medium, but not of said hydrozoa.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for maintenance of the temperature of said medium within said tank.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising filtration means disposed in said flow path for removal of said excess food and other debris from said medium.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said filtration means comprises activated charcoal.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said medium consists essentially of water and selected mineral salts.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said mineral salts comprise CaCl.

Claim 27

The method of claim 22 wherein said current is provided by the means used for said pumping step.

Claim 28

The method of claim 22 wherein said harvesting step is performed during said pumping step.

Claim 29

The method of claim 22 wherein said hydrozoa are caused to be detached by passing a sharp blade between said hydrozoa and said surface.

Claim 30

The method of claim 22 wherein said hydrozoa are hydra.

Claim 31

The method of claim 22 comprising the step of oxygenation of said aqueous medium.

Claim 32

The method of claim 22 wherein said surface for attachment comprises a plastic having been roughened.

Claim 33

The method of claim 22 wherein said surface adapted for the attachment of hydrozoa is adapted therefor by being sufficiently rough that said hydra can attach themselves thereto.

Claim 34

The method of claim 29 wherein said surface is made sufficiently rough by sanding.

Claim 35

The method of claim 30 wherein said sanding step is performed with 220 grit sandpaper.