culturing and dosing live phyto - need input please

[jlinzmaier]

Just looking for some info on people's experiences with culturing and dosing live phytoplankton. I know many people use live phyto as a food source for culturing zooplankton, but I'm interested in hearing about those who dose live phyto into their tank (or refugium) and why.

Here's what I'm particularly intersted in:
1) What made you decide to culture and feed live phyto?
2) What species of phyto did you culture?
3) General description of your culturing set up (including food for phyto, lighting, aeration, etc...)
4) Amount you fed/feed to your tank (with tank size).
5) What determined how much you should feed?
6) Any changes good or bad you saw when feeding live phyto.

Thanks.

Jeremy

 

[dougsidd]

There's a whole bunch of info here: http://www.melevsreef.com/phytoplankton.html

Good luck

 

[eros]

1. I thought it would be cool and it was cheap to do so I figured why not.
2. NANNOCHLOROPSIS OCCULATA
3. Air pump, Gang valve, 2 liter bottles with rigid airline tubing, for lighting I set them next to the window and let the sun do the work. For fertilizer I use Phyto Grow as directed
4. I usually dump a 4-6 ounces in twice a week.
5. Nothing really, just kinda guessed
6. Some corals seem to react by extending feeders, my Dendro especially. I don't know how much it helps but it costs almost nothing for me to make and if it does anything positive at all then thats a good enough reason for it.

 

[jtma508]

Jeremy... you posted this exact thread on R2R a few days ago. Not much has changed in the phyto culturing world in that time.

Just to reiterate a point I made there that is important: Although Nannochloropsis should be part of the mix, you need a mix of phyto types to meet the needs of the various phyto feeders in yoru system. Copepods, as I pointed out, CANNOT digest Nanno. It just passes right through them. They can eat Tetraselmis but prefer browns and reds. This is a common mistake becasue Nanno is so easy to grow.

 

[jlinzmaier]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15407630#post15407630 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jtma508
Jeremy... you posted this exact thread on R2R a few days ago. Not much has changed in the phyto culturing world in that time.

Yes I did. I wanted to see what types of responses I would get on a forum with a much larger user volume.

Glad your keeping track of my postings!

Jeremy

 

[jtma508]

Watching you like a hawk, Dude.

 

[jlinzmaier]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15409868#post15409868 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jtma508
Watching you like a hawk, Dude.

LOL!!!

I do appreciate your feedback and everyone elses also!!


Another few questions.

1) Do pods feed more when the lights are on or off? I see them active during both times but not sure if there is a better time of day to feed them. The research I've read doesn't indicate whether most species are diurnal or nocturnal.

2) Once Daily dosing or continual dosing?? What is better (for pod pod growth and reproduction)? I got a surprising answer from a well known phyto farmer and I'd sure like to hear others opinions.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15407630#post15407630 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jtma508
Copepods, as I pointed out, CANNOT digest Nanno. It just passes right through them. They can eat Tetraselmis but prefer browns and reds. This is a common mistake becasue Nanno is so easy to grow.

3) What are species names of some common browns and reds that are relatively easy to culture?

Thanks!!

Jeremy

 

[jtma508]

Continual feeding is the best. But your pods will still grow with once-a-day feedings... just not as quickly. Maintaining water quality by not overfeeding is important. I'm not sure about time of day. I use a 4-channel IV infusion pump in my phyto farm.

That's the catch... the browns and reds are notoriously more sensitve to culture than Nanno and Tet which are just about like weeds IME. Isochrysis and Pavlova are common golden-browns, and Rhodomonas for reds.

 

[jlinzmaier]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15409972#post15409972 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jlinzmaier


2) Once Daily dosing or continual dosing?? What is better (for pod pod growth and reproduction)? I got a surprising answer from a well known phyto farmer and I'd sure like to hear others opinions.

The reason I asked this question is becuase Dennis Tagrin from DT's indicated not to feed on a continual drip and to dose every other day. After further dicussion with him (just got the response today), he indicated that, on a continual drip, clams won't get a concentrated enough dose of phyto for adequate feeding. He made it sound as if pods would benefit just the same if fed continuously or once daily (or every other day).

Anyone have links to literature to show an indication either way??

Jeremy

 

[GreshamH]

For pods alone, tet is your best bet. Rhodo is fairly easy, give that one a whirl as well. Iso and Pav are touchy, Iso more so then any of the above. Seems Iso is always on the verge of a crysis (Isochrysis)