DIY phyto, how do you know it's ready for use?

[toddmau5]

Sorry if this is the wrong section for this question. I've had this photo growing for a few months now, since October actually. How do you know when it's ready or safe to go in the tank?
I just split the jug and bottled some for use, here is the bottle with a flash light from the bottom.

 

[dkeller_nc]

Depends on your criteria. If it's just "has plenty of phytoplankton in it", then you can simply judge by eye when it's reached maximum density. If you mean "all of the fertilizer/nutrients I used in the culture medium are gone", that's a bit of a problem. The only way to be sure would be to filter out the phyto and wash it with saltwater, and depending on the species, there aren't a lot of filter weaves out there that are small enough.

 

[toddmau5]

Combination of the two, it's definitely gotten much darker then when it first started, it's just not like what I'm used to with the reef nutrition phyto feast. My biggest concern would be nutrients, I don't want to go dumping phosphates strait in the tank. Granted I haven't added any food since probably December

 

[dkeller_nc]

Combination of the two, it's definitely gotten much darker then when it first started, it's just not like what I'm used to with the reef nutrition phyto feast. My biggest concern would be nutrients, I don't want to go dumping phosphates strait in the tank. Granted I haven't added any food since probably December

Keep in mind that PhytoFeast is a stabilized concentrate; you won't get a culture that dense (or even close).

 

[zachts]

If you keep the nutrient levels relatively low in the cultures just do a quick test periodically to see when to add more or when they are pretty much used up and the culture can be added to the tank without adding excess nutrients........

Unless you are dosing a lot of phyto culture regularly the excess nutrients, unless they are sky high, are quickly diluted and used up by the tank.

 

[toddmau5]

How do you test them?

 

[zachts]

Your run of the mill aquarium test kits.

 

[sbreefer]

I too am culturing phyto. always trying to cultures as green as poss without crashing.... and always waiting one day too long. do you test 4 po4 and no3?