Phytoplankton culture

[NirvanaFan]

I use Micro Algae Grow from Florida Aqua Farms. The stuff is made specifically for phytoplankton. Miracle Grow contains trace amounts of stuff that we like to keep out of our tank (like copper). It will probably take a real long time to build up, but it's not something I would add considering the cost of f/2.

The large bottle of f/2 I got from FAF lasted me a long time. By starting with DTs, you don't really know what type of phyto your culture will become either. More than likely, one of the stronger strains of phyto (like nannochloropsis) will become dominant, and the others that reproduce as fast will die off. If that is something that doesn't matter to you, then it's not a big deal.

Rotifers are easy. Just keep the water tinted with phyto and make sure to not let them get too high of a concentration without food. If they crash, do a large water change (leave the muck in the bottom of the tank, there are cysts in it), and feed them. It will take a little bit, but the cysts will hatch and your culture will pick back up.

 

[Devaji108]

nice thread guys.
how much do you really need? I guess it's tank dependent. so how much do you does your tank with? I really like the idea of growing my coral food.
I would like to use a gallon glass gar or is the to big to much to fast? I guess I could use any glass gar I don't like to use plastic.

parts list:
air pump what's the best to go with?
container to grow it in.
micro algae food form FAF
and starter
am I missing something?

 

[rocking]

start off with a soda bottle and then go up to ur glass jar

 

[rocking]

i go throw 4 gal a week in my tanks but i am running 5000 gals and i am going light on it

 

[stormrider27]

How long does the phyto stay "fresh" in the fridge?

 

[mudcat1]

Well I had my first mishap with the phytoplankton culture last night. After 18 hours the 6500K flourescent bulb that I am using heated the bottle to almost 100'F. I think I just made phyto stew.

I tweaked my setup and removed the bubble stone on my airline to make large, loud but cooler bubbles and now the temperature has stablized around 73'F. Hopefully phyto can deal with some temperature swings when the light is off the temperature of the bottle was 68'F.

 

[rcmania]

sorry to hear that Mudcat. From what i learned, the phytoplankton can survive a wide range of temps, Im thinking its around 65 to 85 degrees. Im also not using a airstone, just a open ended tube. Keep us up to date tho.

 

[NirvanaFan]

open ended airline tubing is fine. There is no need to run an airstone.

100 is high, but some of the phyto will probably live. It may kill off some of it, but it will probably rebound. I culture mine in the basement in the winter, and outside in the summer. It will drop to the 50s, and the phyto is fine. It actually grows so much better outside.

 

[rcmania]

What do u do, just set it outside in the sun with no air or du u run a cord outside?

 

[NirvanaFan]

I run an air pump inside the barn/garage with a 25' section of airline on it. The airline goes through a small hole and puts air into the 5 gallon opaque jug outside. 5 gallons lasts me over a week, and I usually end up not using a gallon or so. During the winter, it is more of a hassle to keep up with phyto demands.

 

[rocking]

nirvana fan can u send me a cupel of 30 oz starters from what u have going ?

 

[Chrissypoo]

In your experience how sensitive is the culture to temperature swings?

 

[Salt_in_MyBlood]

Great thread, looking to start a culture soon. We lost the local phyto company here and to buy the stuff shipped in is expensive. Will be looking forward to hearing results and things you may change next time.

 

[rocking]

who has some of the red and the light green to lime green going right now ?

 

[rcmania]

So far so good! Mine as doubled in darkness and it has been less than a week. Remember it was looking like mellow yellow at first, now its dark green, still see a little light but no where near what it was before. but i figure in about a week it will be ready to split.

 

[rocking]

cool rc i am glad some of the difrent tipes now need to be found i got the dark green and am looking for the lime green one and the red on so i can start doing some blinds .
for better better healt

 

[alpine]

Heres a good page on culturing phyto.Just make sure you read the whole page as he changes his recipe toward the bottom.

HTH

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

 

[rocking]

i had my sample under the mc scope looking at it and i am wounding if the red and the lime are higher in outer tipes of phytoplankton

 

[rcmania]

Wow, great article alpine. Thank you.

 

[alpine]

Wow, great article alpine. Thank you.

No problem, I was actually catching up on it the other day & when I read this I figured it would be a good read for those involved.