My phytoplankton cultures keep crashing please help!

[Ding2daDong]

I don't know what I am doing wrong. I am trying to start culturing phtoplankton because hopefully my clownfish will soon lay eggs and I want to get my "feet wet" sooner then later.

I make culture water in old bleach containers. Fill tap water, add salt to 1.020 sg then add dechlorinator by prime. I shake it up a couple times a day for 24hours and then I use it. Each 2 liter bottle I add 1ml micro algae grow as well as the culture water and the phytoplankton from FAF. I put rigid airline tubing in and set the air at a steady pace. I rinse and use gloves on everything so it is very sterile.

Needless to say at day 3-4 my cultures keep crashing and I can only think of 2 reasons that I want to run by you guys.

1) My lights. I am using these cheap walmart lights as you can see in the pictures below. I thought it was enough light but am now thinking it may not be and I need to get a shop light from homedepot...???

2) My micro algae grow is old. I bought it from FAF over a year ago for phytoplankton but ended up stopping after I could never get my culture to survive past day 3 (same problem).

I have used multiple types of phytoplankton for starting without any luck. I bought from west mariculture, FAF, and local vendors.

Please if anyone can point to me a flaw that I am doing because I hear it is so easy to grow but I just can't keep these guys alive.

Here are the pictures.

As you can see culture on the left at day 3 just crashed this morning while the culture on the right is on day 2 and seems to be doing okay for the moment.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

-Matthew

 

[Evansbr]

my first guess is not enough air flow. you have more light going than I did when I was growing it. does it settle out at the bottom? also possibly need new micro algae grow.. couldn't hurt.
also I had mine lit 24/7. (if money isn't too tight I'd look at Reed mariculture and buy it and keep it in the fridge. then you can worry about the rots. they are a little harder.
good luck,
Brian

 

[rkelman]

I think you need more air for one.. And I wouldn't mix culture water in a bleach bottle..

 

[Ding2daDong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13451577#post13451577 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rkelman
I think you need more air for one.. And I wouldn't mix culture water in a bleach bottle..

It says to do this in the book "clownfishes" to use an old bleach container because it is not clear and won't grow bacteria. I cleaned it out and used prime to dechlorinate everything in it.

I will add more airflow. I thought that if the top looked like a skimmer not to add more? The one that didn't crash is getting greener compared to the crashed culture that is clear. I just upped the flow alot and will see what happens.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks for the help

-Matthew

Oh and you guys think those lights are enough?

 

[Evansbr]

I think so, I was only using a single bulb when I grew mine.

 

[NirvanaFan]

Those lights should be enough. Like everyone else said, increase the flow. Do you have an old 5 gallon salt bucket you could use to mix the water and salt in? How are you measuring the sg (refractometer or hydrometer)? I use RO/DI water for my phyto cultures to get rid of the chlorine. Do you use ro/di for your reef?

what are you using to seed the phyto culture (disk, DTs, etc)? How many drops of micro algae grow are you using?

 

[Ding2daDong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13455175#post13455175 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NirvanaFan
Those lights should be enough. Like everyone else said, increase the flow. Do you have an old 5 gallon salt bucket you could use to mix the water and salt in? How are you measuring the sg (refractometer or hydrometer)? I use RO/DI water for my phyto cultures to get rid of the chlorine. Do you use ro/di for your reef?

what are you using to seed the phyto culture (disk, DTs, etc)? How many drops of micro algae grow are you using?

Thanks for the help guys.

I do have an old 5 gallon bucket to mix salt in if I want but Joyce D. Wilkerson suggested to use an old bleach container because the culture water has to be sealed or bacteria will grow and ruin the cultures. I use a refractometer for sg. I let the newly mixed water sit in the old bleach jug overnight and that gets rid of the chlorine from the water aswell as added dechlorinator by prime.

I do use ro/di water for my reef but not my culture water. I use tap water.

I am currently using FAF algae disk to seed the culture. I am using 1ml of microalgae grow per 2liter bottle.

I appreciate all the suggestions.

Thanks again

-Matthew

 

[NirvanaFan]

the salt bucket has a gasket on it to seal it off, so it should be alright. I would try using ro/di water. Maybe something is left in your tap water that the prime is not getting out. If that doesn't work, then getting new micro algae grow. Other than that, I'm out of suggestions.

 

[Ding2daDong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13457101#post13457101 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NirvanaFan
the salt bucket has a gasket on it to seal it off, so it should be alright. I would try using ro/di water. Maybe something is left in your tap water that the prime is not getting out. If that doesn't work, then getting new micro algae grow. Other than that, I'm out of suggestions.

I will try using a salt bucket next time. As for the ro/di vs tap, our tap water in Plantation Florida is one of the best. It was actually proven to be twice as good as bottled water so I highly doubt the tap water is the problem. I upped the air and overnight the culture has gotten much greener. Hopefully that was the problem.

Thanks again for the help guys

-Matthew

 

[Evansbr]

I agree on using RO/DI water for culture. I didn't even sterilize my water at all, just changed out the 2 liter bottles every couple of batches. The air rate in the pictures would be good for Rots, but need more for phyto. up the air, get new micro algae grow, and switch to RO/DI with no prime, bleach, ect. and I bet you'll have alot more luck...

 

[Ding2daDong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13457562#post13457562 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Evansbr
I agree on using RO/DI water for culture. I didn't even sterilize my water at all, just changed out the 2 liter bottles every couple of batches. The air rate in the pictures would be good for Rots, but need more for phyto. up the air, get new micro algae grow, and switch to RO/DI with no prime, bleach, ect. and I bet you'll have alot more luck...

See the problem I have is my ro/di water goes into a huge rubbermaid container without and air tight lid. So from Joyces books it says that is not good and bacteria can spawn, etc..

Would you use this water? This is what I use for my top off for my aquarium but I always hear to be extra, extra sterile for phyto but maybe I am making to much of a big deal about that and should just use the ro/di?

I am going to contact Florida Aqua Farms about the experation date on the micro algae grow.

I did up the flow and it is much greener today. This is almost 24 hours after what is pictured above.

This culture is on day 5 so I am hoping for the best.

Thanks again for the help

-Matthew

 

[NirvanaFan]

I forget to seal the lid on my bucket of phyto water all the time. I don't sterilize my water either. ro/di water should not have anything in it (bacteria, algae, etc). I may occasionally bleach the bucket and rinse it well just in case though. Just be careful not to get any rots in the phyto water or 2 liter bottles. I've had to totally restart 4 two liter bottles because of contamination. At least the culture turns into a dense rot culture.

Keep us informed on what happens with the phyto.

 

[rkelman]

That culture is looking good. I just mix the water in the bottle i'm culturing in. I rinse them with water / vinegar first. I fill the water to just where it starts to curve at the top then I add 2 1/2 tbsp of salt which mixes it at `1.020. Then I add my fertilizer and shake the heck out of it. Then I add my phyto. Fresh tap water. (on a well) It works for me. Then I add my airline just the way you have it and bubble away..

 

[Ding2daDong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13458584#post13458584 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rkelman
That culture is looking good. I just mix the water in the bottle i'm culturing in. I rinse them with water / vinegar first. I fill the water to just where it starts to curve at the top then I add 2 1/2 tbsp of salt which mixes it at `1.020. Then I add my fertilizer and shake the heck out of it. Then I add my phyto. Fresh tap water. (on a well) It works for me. Then I add my airline just the way you have it and bubble away..

THANK YOU! This is the information I have been looking for.

See, I have been basically following Joyce's book "clownfishes" literally to the "T" on growing phyto. Which should be a good way but has not been working out well for me. I am going to totally use your method from now on.

Thanks again

-Matthew

 

[Evansbr]

You know you can buy Concentrated Phyto? I used to Grow phyto in 5 gallon carboys. now I just buy it.. I used to mix my ro/di water, salt and micro grow about an hour before I needed it, never stored it. never really had any cultures crash after I had the "process" figured out. keep the phyto and rots seperate, like on opposite sides of the room. Now on to the ROTS!!!

 

[tcmfish]

Why not just buy paste?

 

[Lifes A Beach]

Instant Algae is the way to go!

 

[billsreef]

Up your air to a nice rolling boil, don't be afraid of over doing it To check your fertilizer for contamination (this can be a problem due to the vitamins in it), set up a culture like you normally do, but don't inoculate it with phyto. If it starts turning cloudy in a few days, get new fertilizer. It's also worth getting a filter for the air line to prevent bacteria from being pumped in with the air

 

[Ding2daDong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13466212#post13466212 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by billsreef
Up your air to a nice rolling boil, don't be afraid of over doing it To check your fertilizer for contamination (this can be a problem due to the vitamins in it), set up a culture like you normally do, but don't inoculate it with phyto. If it starts turning cloudy in a few days, get new fertilizer. It's also worth getting a filter for the air line to prevent bacteria from being pumped in with the air

Thanks for the help.

How do I go about putting a filter on my air pump?

Thanks again

-Matthew

 

[billsreef]

You can get filters from FAF or Aquatic Ecosystems that go inline in the airline between the pump and your valves. They are only a few bucks, and work well.