Phytoplankton crashes

[shoddyk]

I am culturing my first batch of Phytoplankton and I am not sure what it looks like when it crashes. On Tuesday February 28th I started to culture 2 bottles of Phytoplankton. After the third day the bottles did not get and darker. I split the 2 bottles 10 days later into 4 different bottles on March 10. Since I split them I have not noticed the bottles getting any darker either. My question is what do the bottles look like if they have crashed? I am getting a little buildup of gunk on the bottom of the bottles but not that much. I gently shake the bottles in the morning and night of every day to stir them up. I have the pump running 24/7 and the lights are on for 16 hours a day. Is there anything I should be looking for?

 

[rustybucket145]

Not sure about the crashes. Are you using any type of Fertilizer or f/2 mix? After a day or two my phyto is noticably darker and 'greener' (if that is a word). Do you add any essential elements to your 'brew'?

 

[shoddyk]

I am using the Miracle grow stuff from F.A.F and no I did not try the essential elements yet but I am going to as soon as I get the cultures growing right.

 

[rustybucket145]

I was advised to put a little of Kent's Essential Elements in my phyto cultures. Don't know if it really matters that much but mine grow like weeds.

What kind of light are you using. I use natural sunlight, in my sunroom.

This may be a stupid question but.... Are you using water directly from your tank? Or freshly made saltwater?

 

[shoddyk]

I bought a 48" dual T8 light fixture from Home Depot. I think they are 32 watt bulbs. Is that enough light?

 

[shoddyk]

So far so good. The Phytoplankton looks like it is finally getting darker now. I can't wait to put it in my display tank in a few days.

 

[tonkadawg]

Hey I've been looking into doing this and was curious where your got your starting culture from?

 

[shoddyk]

Florida Aqua Farms has everything you need to get it going.

 

[rustybucket145]

I think you have enough light but I don't know if you have the right color spectrum of light. I think that 'Natural Sunlight' bulbs are reccomended or anything that is used to grow plants with. I have read of people having success with the Power Compact Flood Light that is 59k I believe. I think a 2 pack is $10 at HD or Lowes. Screws into a regular light fixture. But either way you need a daylight or plant growing bulb. A regular shop light will probably not work as well.

 

[shoddyk]

Thanks, I forgot about that.

 

[miketay89]

I know Lowes sells some great plant bulbs, called Sunburst, I have used them to grow freshwater plants.

 

[ediaz]

Any light will work, plants have a strong will to live.I use any bulb ussually the cheapest from the home depot.

Try bleaching the water, new water, or microwave it before you use it.

Don't use f/2 unlesss you harvest the phyto aftert 8 days otherwise use f/4 or the unused nutrients wil go into your tank.

When it crashes it will not go back up,the water will look brownish and will foam in most cases.

Here is my home depot/pepsi set up

 

[shoddyk]

How about a T8 4100K Ge Bulb

 

[shoddyk]

I think I might have a crash coming on. I split the cultures on 3 days ago and they are already very very green. I got home from workk today and there is starting to get a heavy build up of brown on the bottom of the bottles. I swirled the bottles in a cricular motion to mix everything back up and the brow stuff is kinda in small chunks. The cultures are still green and there is no foam in them either. Is it going to crash or do I have some really strong stuff growing now?