How to avoid Phytoplankton crashes
- Thread starter melev
- Start date
There is plenty of CO<sub>2</sub> in the air to provide the carbon that phytoplankton needs. Increasing the level may help some but I would doubt it provides major benefits.
Malifluous
New member
IME , 70% rubbing alcohol works best to sterilize the containers. Just put about 1/2 cup into your container and shake it up many times. You can pour out the alcohol and allow it to dry (dries fast) or you can just add the medium and any residual rubbing alcohol wil not harm anything. It is alao important to have a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol. Before opening or closing the container spray alchol around the cap or opening. This wil prevent any bacteria on the cap from getng inside your culture. Filtering the air is also helpful.
The bubbles should be enough so that the surface looks like a gentle boil. If there is foam early on in the culture the bubbles are to high. Foam may oocur in the later stages of the culture regardless of bubble size . This foam is caused by cell debris left over from cell divison. The main reason to have adequate airflow is because when u have all those cells photosynthesizing the oxygen levels in the water can reach over 100
% saturation. Oxygen will poison photosynthesis and can result in a crash or poor growth. This is especially true for culture vessels that do not ahve a large enough air space in the container. The only way to rid the culture of exceess O2 is to just blow it out with good air flow. For really dense cultures it is necessary to add CO2 to keep the pH from getting to high and it also make s a good clean carbon source for the algal cells. Adding buffers to the medium may help resist changes in pH from photosynthesis.
ANother reason cultures could crash s if the inoculation density is too low or if the lights are too bright and the algal cells get bleached. Inoculation density should be about 1:5 ...........1 (ml of algal cells) :5 (ml media) . It Best to increase the amount of light as the density of cells increase . Or put shae cloth around the culture vessel in the first few days until some growth has been observed. The cells will shade each other as the density increases.
My 2 cents, hope it helps
The bubbles should be enough so that the surface looks like a gentle boil. If there is foam early on in the culture the bubbles are to high. Foam may oocur in the later stages of the culture regardless of bubble size . This foam is caused by cell debris left over from cell divison. The main reason to have adequate airflow is because when u have all those cells photosynthesizing the oxygen levels in the water can reach over 100
% saturation. Oxygen will poison photosynthesis and can result in a crash or poor growth. This is especially true for culture vessels that do not ahve a large enough air space in the container. The only way to rid the culture of exceess O2 is to just blow it out with good air flow. For really dense cultures it is necessary to add CO2 to keep the pH from getting to high and it also make s a good clean carbon source for the algal cells. Adding buffers to the medium may help resist changes in pH from photosynthesis.
ANother reason cultures could crash s if the inoculation density is too low or if the lights are too bright and the algal cells get bleached. Inoculation density should be about 1:5 ...........1 (ml of algal cells) :5 (ml media) . It Best to increase the amount of light as the density of cells increase . Or put shae cloth around the culture vessel in the first few days until some growth has been observed. The cells will shade each other as the density increases.
My 2 cents, hope it helps
ictoagsnstii
New member
Ok, i tried to grow phyto from DT's, but failed miserably. I am beginning to scratch off my possible reasons for crashes, and go from there. I am going to try using the algae disks from FAF. Is the Micro Algae Grow that they supply actually necessary for successful reproduction of the algae to make phyto? I was going to go off of the recipe that melev had on his webpage, and it said to use miracle grow. I was assuming that was to take place of the Micro Algae Grow? or do i need the micro algae grow to begin the process? Plus.... is splitting the culture really necessary? i mean splitting it using a sifter such a coffee filter, etc, really necessary? because that just proved to be really messy for me. thanks for all of your help!
Hi,
I have not read Melev's recipe for a Miracle Grow Based F/2, but I would recommed using the FAF culture medium (I have however had dinner with him some time back, so I think). Eliminate the variables i say. You do need a feed for the algae to grow.
Trying to do a culture from a mixed culture is tough. Get the disks from FAF, follow the directions. You wont be disasspointed.
Good luck,
Ed
I have not read Melev's recipe for a Miracle Grow Based F/2, but I would recommed using the FAF culture medium (I have however had dinner with him some time back, so I think). Eliminate the variables i say. You do need a feed for the algae to grow.
Trying to do a culture from a mixed culture is tough. Get the disks from FAF, follow the directions. You wont be disasspointed.
Good luck,
Ed
melev
Well-known member
You only split the cultures after you've got it matured. At that point, you pull some off for use in your tank, and use the rest to start a new batch. It is similar to sourdough starter, in that you always need some for the next recipe.
I don't use the coffee filters any longer, and I thought I'd deleted that from my webpage a couple of months ago, but perhaps I didn't. It does help strain out some larger junk, but it isn't critical. I guess a filter sock would be easier if you did want to remove any floating particulates.
I don't use the coffee filters any longer, and I thought I'd deleted that from my webpage a couple of months ago, but perhaps I didn't. It does help strain out some larger junk, but it isn't critical. I guess a filter sock would be easier if you did want to remove any floating particulates.
ictoagsnstii
New member
oh yeah, from FAF. so if i add baking soda to my mix, i am assuming it acts as a buffer, and reduces smell? and, to make phyto, you need between 60 and 70 deg. f. but... then you refrigerate it, which is normally colder than 60 deg. so... is refrigerating it necessary? or does it just keep it fresh longer?
Makes sense. I thought there might be some other reason, like ease of use or something jpitts101 : i started a culture with DT as well. its been going on for around 5 days now. mine is turning greener. honestly i havent checked whats in the DT but i think strains like T.iso are brown and extensively used in the clams aquaculture. (or so i read somewhere
so i have a quick question for everyone. i started with DT and sal water at 1.019 sg and 5 ml of miracle grow and 1 ml of kents essential (the recipe at melev's site. the first few days i didnt notice anything the water stayed the same light green as the day first. afte about 4 days its started to turn greener (yaay!) so it seems the cuture is growing now. but i have noticed that the water level has dropped in the bottle. (i am using a 1000 ml glass bottle). i just topped off with ro water to the original level. reasoning being; the water level drop was due to evaporation and would raise the sg in the bottle so i topped off with ro water. do you guys see noticeable evaporation? and if so, do you top off?
i would be ordering cultures and the density meter from FAF soon. this culture from DT was just experimental.
so i have a quick question for everyone. i started with DT and sal water at 1.019 sg and 5 ml of miracle grow and 1 ml of kents essential (the recipe at melev's site. the first few days i didnt notice anything the water stayed the same light green as the day first. afte about 4 days its started to turn greener (yaay!) so it seems the cuture is growing now. but i have noticed that the water level has dropped in the bottle. (i am using a 1000 ml glass bottle). i just topped off with ro water to the original level. reasoning being; the water level drop was due to evaporation and would raise the sg in the bottle so i topped off with ro water. do you guys see noticeable evaporation? and if so, do you top off?
i would be ordering cultures and the density meter from FAF soon. this culture from DT was just experimental.
jpitts101
New member
my culture from DT's was expermintal as well but its still going and gonig strong so i kept it, now im doing the DT's strain, nanno, and tetra. i havent had any evaporarion issues. is your air supply to high? from day one to split i ususally cant tell of much evoporatioin at all.
