growing phyto
- Thread starter geno7
- Start date
dassystem1
New member
Try Talking Reef.com They have a video on this subject.
graveyardworm
Premium Member
There is tons of info on growing phyto. Here's a link to some.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=135137
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=135137
luvstns726
New member
Geno, I have a VERY easy protocol for growing Nannochloropsus oculata. This is a self-suspending, tough-celled alga with excellent EPA lipids that is digestible by rotifers and known to be metabolically utilized by Dendronephthya (Widdig et. al by 14C uptake).
I prefer to order from Florida Aqua Farms. Get their Micro Algae Grow product, and a quart of live N. oculata. Get some gallon jugs of water from the grocery that are clear (Dannon brand work the best, as the labels are easy to remove and the opening is in the middle). Put them in a window, or in front of a flourescent light, or both. Fill 1/3 with the greenwater, and fill the rest with TAP water, chlorinated and everything. If you add a bubbler, use a rigid air tube ( an airstone is unnecessary); or, you can just put your hand over the bottle end and shake it daily or every few days. It will grow a little better with bubbling, but not much better.
In four to seven days you will have thick green culture. IT should be harvested by 10 days, or before any foaming occurs. Feed or decant 2/3 or so, and fill up the rest with tapwater and fertilizer per directions. If you have several bottles going, just always use the greeenest one. You can use soda pop bobbles if you havae a smaller reef.
The pH will be 9.5 or so, so feed it as a drip. It appears to me that very little is consumed by my skimmer; I feed one gallon daily to a 450 gallon reef. I have not had problems with contaminants.
One nice thing about this is that you don't have to correct salinity- use greeenwater as topoff.
I prefer to order from Florida Aqua Farms. Get their Micro Algae Grow product, and a quart of live N. oculata. Get some gallon jugs of water from the grocery that are clear (Dannon brand work the best, as the labels are easy to remove and the opening is in the middle). Put them in a window, or in front of a flourescent light, or both. Fill 1/3 with the greenwater, and fill the rest with TAP water, chlorinated and everything. If you add a bubbler, use a rigid air tube ( an airstone is unnecessary); or, you can just put your hand over the bottle end and shake it daily or every few days. It will grow a little better with bubbling, but not much better.
In four to seven days you will have thick green culture. IT should be harvested by 10 days, or before any foaming occurs. Feed or decant 2/3 or so, and fill up the rest with tapwater and fertilizer per directions. If you have several bottles going, just always use the greeenest one. You can use soda pop bobbles if you havae a smaller reef.
The pH will be 9.5 or so, so feed it as a drip. It appears to me that very little is consumed by my skimmer; I feed one gallon daily to a 450 gallon reef. I have not had problems with contaminants.
One nice thing about this is that you don't have to correct salinity- use greeenwater as topoff.
Plantbrain
Active member
If you are interested in FW algae culture, add some Miracle Grow or toss a Jobes fert stick into a bucket and place in full sun, wait a week and it'll be nice green. You can aerate etc if you wish.
Regards,
Tom Barr
Regards,
Tom Barr
