Help with photo culture

[laga77]

I purchased a culture of Nannochloropsis algae phytoplankton. It arrived looking like this but in three small bottles. After spitting the culture into three half gallon bottles it is growing quickly. It continues to grow like this even after vigorous shaking. If left to sit, it will settle to the bottom and can be filtered out with a fine mesh. I do not know if I can use it in this form to feed my copepod culture or use in my DT. Can someone explain why it is like this and if it can be used? Did I not receive the correct culture? This is my first attempt at a photo culture.

 

[reefstew]

I have not grown algae in many years but your culture does not look good. When I was growing it the color would be green all the way through. Was it warm when you got it?

 

[billsreef]

Nano shouldn't settle out like that. I expect there is either something in the culture water causing clumping, or the nano has crashed and been replaced by a green cyano.

 

[laga77]

Obliviously there is something wrong. Looks like time to dump and start over.

 

[gogo7]

put an air line on it... nanno will do that. it's not crashing, it just needs some help.
what are you fertilizing it with? add another drop of fert to the culture.
a couple days in direct sunlight for a few hours with the added ferts will recover most phyto species..

 

[laga77]

I had an air line in it, up to a full boil stage. Fert with F2. I`ll give it a try.

 

[Wildman]

I am trying to culture Nanno and having kinda the same problem. I started with a disk from FAF. The first culture worked great. I then split it and put half in a pod culture which is growing and doing great. The other half I added new saltwater to w/ fert and it seperated out and turned yellow. I have tried two other cultures by taking a portion from the pod culture and both have settled out and turned yellow. I am sterilizing the culture containers. Can someone tell me why this is happening? The algae stays green, just clings to the sides and bottom in clumps.

 

[billsreef]

How's the pH and Alk in the fresh culture water?

 

[laga77]

I put mine in the sun with air line an no improvement. I ordered a new disk, when that comes in I will start over.

 

[Wildman]

I know the new water levels are where they should be. I have not tested the older culture water. I was having trouble with my pod cultures with the alk and PH getting all out of whack. I have to be really careful and slowly add new water.

 

[gogo7]

i've been using nuked old tank water. if the sg is too high, it can cause a crash too.
i just brought a browned out dunaliella culture back. flipped it to freshwater(tapwater) and hit it with one drop fert to 100ml total culture volume. nanno will also convert to freshwater. and back again. i've tried different fw plant ferts with differing results...
perhaps try a lower sg. i don't use air on the window, i just shake it.