phyto question

Spiffyguy

Spiffyguy

New member
2 questions for all you phyto growers out there. I have one batch I started 2 weeks ago using 7ml of DT in a 2 liter with 5ml of Miracle Grow. It seems to be growing well. I swish it every day and the "dust at the bottom" is growing. So I am going to split it. Just to confirm. I take 1/3 the bottle into a new bottle and add my Miracle Grow and new saltwater. That sound right? Then the remaining 2/3 are for the tanks.

Also I have been feeding 5ml to my 24 and 2ml to my 10 gallon about every other day. What levels should I be feeding with home grown stuff? Since it is not a concentrated as DTs.

Thanks
 
usually you cannot culture dt's since they do something to it to prevent that, so what you have may not be what you think ??
 
hmm. I read that DT is a blend and you usually end up with one type of phyto that out competes the other types in the blend. So you eventually end up with on type. I am not sure how to tell what is in there since I don't have a microscope, but it has increased in population that is for sure.
 
I'm not sure it was the miracle grow but I was starting to have a phosphate problem. It went away but I stopped the miracle grow method at the same time I started using Micro Algae grow from Florida Aqua Farms. But here is what I do:

Mix the new water to 20-25 ppt salt.
Add 6 cups to each 2 liter bottle.
Add 1 ml bleach to each bottle and leave a day or until use.
Day before using the bottle add 2 ml dechlorinator.
20 drops micro algae grow fertilizer.
Add 2 cups phyto from previous culture.
Bubble/light and let it go 1-2 weeks.


I usually mix up about 24 bottles at a time of the saltwater/bleach and I use 4 bottles per culture run.
I go by eye on color but there are dip sticks you can use to measure density.

Then I let it settle in the fridge and if (not always) there is a settling with clear fluid at the top I carefully pour off the clear fluid.
 
So how can you tell if the culture is going? The amount of cells in this first batch increased from what I put in originally.
 
If it's increasing then you're growing. If I recall correctly it seemed I had it going but it crashed in just a little bit and didn't get as concentrated as it should have when it crashed. I also wasn't doing the sanitation measures then so I may have just messed up. If it doesn't work out let me know and I'll get you some nanno to start with.
 
ok cool. So since this stuff is less concentrated than DTs what do you recommend dosing? I was doing 5ml on my 24 and 2ml on my 10 gallon about every other day.
 
hey guys,
I have tried Dt's for the last 2 months and am still trying, i use the same recipe Melev's site has, mines crashed several times but i think its cause i use a flood light the par is 4200 though so i don't know. Anyhow what i am asking is what lights do you use.
 
I have an old pressboard constructed 10 gallon stand that can have 1 under and 1 on top. Under the upper shelf I have a 65w LOA floodligh fixture mounted. On the backside I have aluminum foil. On the front I have 2 clip on lights with those dull aluminum cones and in there I have those coiled up fluorescent bulbs that are 6500K. Then over that front side I have a big piece of aluminum foil that just hangs over the 2 clip on lights and I raise it up to look in. I 18 hours lighting with the break going from 12-6 in the afternoon. That was mostly because it's in a storage room in the basement and in the winter it was cold feeling in there w/o hvac to the room so I didn't want it to be lights off at night when it was colder.

I do a cup a day on my system which is 210 total gallons minus whatever the rocks take up.
 
good god, thats a lot of light, your serious about growing the phyto, man maybe i am just under lighting it, thats where my problem is, how dark is your finished product, for instance is it as dark as DT's
 
I am using an old strip light that I got from a friend that gave me a 55 gallon for free. The lights are just standard, and old, strip lights. I stuck it in a bucket standing on end with the 2 liter close to it. I swish the bottle a few times a day. It is in my basement but there is HVAC in that room.
 
It looks pretty close to dt's on a good batch but sometimes a little lighter. If it's lighter I do the settling/pour off and then it's real close. I'm sure if I did a cell count it wouldn't be as concentrated though.

On the lights I just used what I had around already w/o spending any money. The LOA fixture bolted up real easy under the shelf and then I had a couple old clip on's from when I tried those type bulbs on the sump. I do have 4 bottles going and could probably space it out and have a dozen, or close to it w/o adding more light.
 
super cheap set up

super cheap set up

56462culture_she001.jpg
 
pump and stuff on the top shelf, phyto on the second shelf, bottles with bleach and saltwater ready to go on the third shelf, rotifers and brine shrimp on the bottom.

My recipe:
20-25 ppt saltwater
fill clean bottles 2/3 full
add 8 drops bleach, cap and shake
store until use.

To start a new bottle,
add 10 drops sodium thio sulphate(55grams per liter)
add f/2 guillard's fertilizer, 0.5 ml if from Florida aqua farms, 3-4 ml if dry mix, reconstituted is used.
take darkest nannochlorpsis culture and transfer tubing and cap to the new bottle
fill new bottle to within 2 inches of top
cap and apply air for one week.

Light is 16 hours on a timer. Plants need dark time too.

Turns pretty dark green, not like DT's though. DT's is something like 10x concentrated.

I would not use miracle grow. It is made for terrestrial plants, and has metals and other stuff you might not want in your tank.

I don't know how much DT's costs but if it is more than five bucks, you can get started cheaper buying it from me or DrBDC. And your phyto will not have to struggle to find the fittest surviving strain from the mix of DT's. Dr and I grow nannochlorpsis, though my Chicago connectin just sent me some other types of microalgae, and i'm trying to culture them. Not needed for the clownfish, but I just wanted to try.
 
When did you changed to a raw material for the dechlorination vs. the "over the counter" ones? How is the price on it that way?
 
Kathy what price would you sell a bottle for, im considering buying some from you and drbdc, the DT's foes for 12 at my lfs i think, Im wanting to start a culture from you guys and also see how my leathers and clams react to your phyto strain
 
i actually have a nice bottle of it that is of decent coloring like what your showing but it has taken almost three weeks to get it that way and i have some purple algea on the inside of it growing from all of the light intensity and warmth from the bulb being so close to the bottles, so i'm a little wary of using it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Broken reefer
Phyto
Replies
6
Views
465
JohnL
JohnL
B
Phyto dosing.
Replies
2
Views
786
Bakeman
B
zaitmi
Nitrogen Cycle Query
Replies
17
Views
2K
monkeysee1
monkeysee1
B
UV sterilizer.
Replies
2
Views
570
Batman222b
B
Timfish
WooHoooo! Or, Guess the Parents.
Replies
9
Views
1K
C.Eymann
C.Eymann
Back
Top