Miracle-Gro®

[[17]shawn[17]]

ive been reading how to start phyto cultures using dt's and my question is, is it really safe to be using Miracle-Gro in your phyto cultuers after all its chemicals?will it affect my corals and soon my clam?

 

[Paintbug]

2 things here. first i have not seen anyone with long term success (more than 5 splits) with starting a culture with DT's or any other brand of mixed species of phytoplankton. its best to start with separate species of phyto. second Miracle-gro is designed for land based plants, and while many people use it with success, i recommend used a product called Micro Algae Grow, or F2 fertilizer. i highly recommend going to www.talkingreef.com and checking out the video and audio podcast on culturing phytoplankton. theres about 4-5 in total. they have some great info on the subject.

 

[[17]shawn[17]]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9244794#post9244794 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paintbug
\ second Miracle-gro is designed for land based plants, and while many people use it with success, i recommend used a product called Micro Algae Grow, or F2 fertilizer. i highly recommend going to www.talkingreef.com and checking out the video and audio podcast on culturing phytoplankton. theres about 4-5 in total. they have some great info on the subject.

i checked out melevs site and found this http://www.melevsreef.com/phytoplankton.html he uses merical-gro and its "uncrashable" as for what im going to use to start off the culture i think i going to talk to some local reefers and see if i can get a 2l bottle of there phyto to start off with

 

[rayjay]

Shawn, you can get a starter culture from ReefCrew.
They ship out of the Toronto area, but you can check their site for the list of LFS's that carry it and you may find one close to you.
The most important tip would be to not dilute it too much at first until it gets going good. My first culture crashed because I diluted it too much I think.
I use 26g Rubbermaids and I put a bag of the ReefCrew nanno concentrate in, and dilute it to about 4 gallons, aerate and light for about 3/4 days and then split the culture in two.
At this point, I add another 2 g of salt water to each and let it grow.
I use the miracle grow and have had no problems with it. I also have the Micro Algae Grow, and the only difference I've seen in the end product is the pricing.
There may be more trace elements in the Miracle Grow, but after so many hobbyists have been using it for a while now, I figured I should be OK to use it also.
REEFCREW

 

[jpitts101]

i've had a culture of DT's going for about 3 months and have split it about 20 times and its doing great. i dont use miracle grow, i use f2 from florida aqua farms. i would suggest cultureing tetra, iso or nanno. just my cent and a half!

by the way melev does know his stuff.

 

[rustybucket145]

I might be wrong, but doesn't Miracle-Gro contain copper or some other heavy metal?

 

[jpitts101]

yes it does and i dont believe in useing it either. i use F2 but miracle grow is not enough to hurt your tank. look at his tank, i dont think its hurting him in the least bit. myself, i would go to florida aqua farms and buy the F2 being its made specially for phyto cultureing. but to each their own!

 

[rayjay]

I have that F2 as well as the MG and when I tested for copper, the F2 showed copper as well as the MG.

 

[rustybucket145]

yup, the F2 has copper on the ingredient list as well...

 

[jpitts101]

yes but the difference is the F2 is for phyto while the miracle grow is for outdoor plants. i think the quality isnt there in the miracle grow. if they arent sterile with miracle grow its ok being its going on a plant that they know nothing about while the F2 is made specifically for phyto.

use what you want, in my opinion its like useing a cheap oil in your car and a name brand oil, both may work but one will help your enging and make it run better, while the other will just get you by. i may be wrong, but with all my research this is what i have concluded. i culuture tetra, nanno, and a brown culture i got out of DT's with little if no trouble.

this whole thing is a matte of opinion, they cost about the same. the miracle grow is more convient so people use it. both will work but its if you want to risk putting something that was not made for a reef in a reef.

just my thoughts

 

[Samala]

It is possible to get the F2 macronutrients (sodium nitrate, sodium phosphate, magnesium sulfate and I believe calcium sulfate.. maybe just calcium carbonate) individually without the trace and vitamin mix which adds the additional copper.. if you are really concerned about it.

Easiest way to minimize copper concerns is to concentrate down your alga cells before you feed out from the culture.

You wouldn't put brine shrimp hatch water into your reef (think of all the ammonia!) so why put the culture water from phyto in there??

Phyto cultures can be refridged overnight and decanted to pour off excess water.

I'm also not a big believer in the Miracle Grow mixes because the phosphate tends to run much too high for phytoplankton's needs.. but it can (quite evidently) be done.

>Sarah

 

[Tokey]

Hey rayjay and [17]shawn[17] I see you guys are also both from London are either of you members of (MACL)
Marine Aquarium Club Of London.

 

[rayjay]

Yes!
I'm the guy that wins most of the first draw door prizes. Mike doesn't want me to put my name in the draw anymore.
Been there since the first meeting.

 

[[17]shawn[17]]

nope

i dont really have the time maybe in the summer though!

 

[[17]shawn[17]]

so is it reefsafe?

 

[rayjay]

Probably, if you only put in enough to get used up before you use the Phyto in the tank. It will take some experimenting to determine just what amount of fert is needed.
Put "X" number of drops in a container and see how long it takes to grow and then crash. Once you are able to crash the culture just after it reaches the desired density, then use that amount as your base to work with.

 

[650-IS350]

I grow my on phyto using another type of fertilizer SHCULTZ or something like that... my friend who help me seed my culture has been using it for a long time without any problems.. I have been feeding my tank live phyto that I cultured using shcultz and is doing great... you might have a problem if you keep dosing your phyto culture with too much liquid fertilizer.. ( more than what your phyto can consume )... is the only time you can have problems.. as liquid fertilizer is full of nitrates/phosphates etc.. which is bad for our tanks but good for phyto grow... corret me if I am wrong here.