Growing DT's?

[tsiklauss]

Well I think I have failed on my first attempt at growing phyto from an algae disk I ordered from Florida Aqua Farms. Its been three days and my bottles have not gotten any darker.
A local LFS sells DT's and I was thinking of picking up a bottle of it and trying to start a new culture. Has any one had success growing new cultures from DT's? I tried doing a search and couldn't find any one using any thing other then Florida Aqua Farms. If DT's will work would I just split the bottle into two new ones and start new cultures that way?

 

[slumpysix]

I've done it, very successful. Get the small bottle, split it between 2 - 2 liter bottles(apple Juice) or the Ice mountain 3 liter water bottles(i use these). Mix up R/O water with 3 1/2 tbsp for 2 liter(4 1/2tbsp- 3 liter) salt per bottle. Use the macro Algae grow for fertilizer. Think its 10 drops per 2 liters is what I use. Keep water line about 1 1/2" from top, use rigid tube into bottles, drill 2 3/16" holes in each cap, one is to let air out, bubble the heck out of it but not creating foam. Use the rigid air line tube to stir bottles once a day. I just use a reg. T12 light behind the bottles on a timer 12 hrs on/off.

 

[reef kid96]

this guy here on youtube did it with DT's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb8Q0uy-wfQ

 

[tsiklauss]

Awesome thanks for the info. Slumpy do you sterilize the NSW?

 

[slumpysix]

I do not sterilize the water. I just clean the bottles with a dab of bleach/full water and that does it. Rinse well and use a clean bottle to mix the salt and water. I keep a few on hand to keep some fresh mix when I am splitting the culture. So lets say I have my 2 bottles going, in a week you should have dark green bottles without light. Use one for feeding whatever you need to, you can then get more bottles going with the second one. Unless you have really bad water where you are, city tap water will work as well without an R/O system. I have done it with both types of water. After a few batches in the bottles, you can bleach them like above, you can toss them and get new ones. I pay $1 for a 3 liter ice mountain bottle of water here. I just like the type of bottle!

 

[tsiklauss]

Awesome!! Thank you for all the help.

 

[NirvanaFan]

I would let it go a few more days to see if the disks work. It's been years since I used them though. You can also buy liquid mono-cultures from FAF. Starting with DTs should work. You'll end up culturing a bunch of different phyto species, but eventually, one of them will probably win out, and you'll end up with a mono-culture.

I don't sterilize my water either, and I use 20 drops for 2 liters for nannochloropsis.

 

[Clownfishfan]

I culture NAN from faf too and it took a while for it to really start growing. Wait about 3 weeks before ditching it. Cultures from faf don't get very dense compared to cultures from other places. If I had to start over I would get a culture from seahorse source since supposedly there better. But I've never tried.
I don't sterilize my water and it's been growing fine since September ,but make sure NO air vents are aimed toward them....

 

[tsiklauss]

I will leave this culture and pick up a bottle of DT's to start another. Worst case scenario I will have 2 different cultures and hey verity is the spice of life! I appreciate all the responses and will keep updating as I go.

 

[Clownfishfan]

Sometimes my NAN will go dormant for a few weeks then just start up again ,if it ever happens to you test the specific gravity and temperature ,adjust and wait.