Phytoplankton and Zookplankton reactor?

[Drachs]

I'm spending about $100 a month on phytoplankton and I'd like to build or buy some sort of setup to produce phytoplankton. I've done some internet searches and it looks like the setups also seem to include facilities to culture zookplankton.

I'd love to take things to the next level and start feeding my reef zooplankton as well as phytoplankton.

Does anybody have any experience with these products? Or know a good place to find plans and instructions to build my own?

 

[sterling18]

wow, over 100 dollars.

 

[Drachs]

Your response is cryptic Sterling. I assume it will cost me more than $100 to get this stuff set up, but I assume it will be pretty cheap once it's running. I'm also sure there are lots of people here that spend more than $100 on food a month.

So, do you have any plans or information on the culture of zooplankton?

 

[sterling18]

Drachs,

I just noticed that you spend over $100 on just food. wow.

 

[buck50bmg]

I do most of the Zeovit stuff and its cheaper than $100 a month...

I really never noticed any benefit from DT's

 

[Drachs]

$100 on phyto, and it's silly, because I know I can grow my own. I just figured I'd try and find a more comprehensive solution before I start hooking coke bottles to airline tubing.

 

[Animal Mother]

I think this is what you are looking for.

http://www.melevsreef.com/phytoplankton.html

 

[jacob30]

Here are a few links on phyto reactors and a TOTM that employed one (pics in "equipment room section"):

http://www.grotech.de/ENGLISH/index.php?c=1&s=phytobreeder

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/totm/index.php

Supplies:
http://www.aquatic-eco.com/categories/Live-Feed-Live-Organisms/153/0/

http://www.aquacave.com/plankton-reactor-with-lightbr-by-aquamedic-513.html



Hope that helps.

Jacob

 

[gogregerson]

http://www.aqua-medic.com/plankton_reactor.shtml

 

[CookieJar]

I'm in the same boat as Drachs, wondering if it makes sense to grow my own phyto & rotifers rather than buying it. With time being a big issue, do people have experience with the phyto reactor and does it take less effort (i.e. maintenance & feeding) than the 'meth lab' approach of a bunch of 2 liter bottles & tubing?

 

[Faisal1976us]

Re: Phytoplankton and Zookplankton reactor?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13266999#post13266999 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Drachs
I'm spending about $100 a month on phytoplankton and I'd like to build or buy some sort of setup to produce phytoplankton. I've done some internet searches and it looks like the setups also seem to include facilities to culture zookplankton.

I'd love to take things to the next level and start feeding my reef zooplankton as well as phytoplankton.

Does anybody have any experience with these products? Or know a good place to find plans and instructions to build my own?

Drachs ,,, why you feed phytoplankton !!

 

[A.T.T.R]

easy..
i have a two 2 liter batches goin gon the ..4th or 5th week now with out a crash... used melevs site with slight changes to time of light..

its about twice as dark as the store bought " dr g" phyto plank

 

[tmz]

Re: Re: Phytoplankton and Zookplankton reactor?

Re: Re: Phytoplankton and Zookplankton reactor?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13315326#post13315326 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Faisal1976us
Drachs ,,, why you feed phytoplankton !!

That's a very good question.

 

[aninjaatemyshoe]

What phyto are you dosing? I'd recommend Reed's Shellfish Diet over anything else as you get way more for your money.

I'll tell you right now, if you are dosing $100 of phyto per month, then you're going to have one hell of a problem making that much and dosing it without having a huge phosphate problem. The great thing about a product like Shellfish Diet is that it is so incredibly dense (1mL is equal to about 3.8L of "greenwater") and has the free phosphate removed. There really is no practical homemade method for phyto that beats that.

 

[the_rider]

I'm far from giving you advice, but the price of the phytoplancton is really high. In montreal, the same reactor from Aquamedic is 98$ CAN. So if you are spending around 100$ each month, I will definitely go buy a reactor

 

[GreshamH]

Problem with phyto reactors and especially Melev's MiracleGrow style is the media used to grow phyto is laden with heavy metals and what not. You don't want to be introducing such stuff into your system. This is why people have turned to Reef Nutrition, DT's, Phyto02, Phycopure, etc. All have their own ways of dealing with the media, but none send out they grow media with the product.

 

[miwoodar]

I thought that very few corals benefited from phyto. I nearly decided to grow some last year but the only reason I was going to do it was to maintain a rotifer population.

$100/mo is a LOT of dough for food for mortal-sized tanks. :eek2:

 

[barnett8]

Try this, its a great concept and I'm gonna build me one when I get the chance.


http://www.wamas.org/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t4034.html

 

[GreshamH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13449889#post13449889 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by barnett8
Try this, its a great concept and I'm gonna build me one when I get the chance.


http://www.wamas.org/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t4034.html

How does that address the F2 nutrients entering the water column of the display tank?

 

[GreshamH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13449423#post13449423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by miwoodar
I thought that very few corals benefited from phyto.

Benefit or directly feed upon? Two very different concepts I must say
Many corals will benefit from the feeding of phyto due to the larger population of zooplankton and bacterplankton.