Phytoplankton cultures failing

[IveGotSunshine]

Hi guys,
I have phyto plankton that I grow live, or try too. I purchase a culture online, then put it in a jug with 2L of 1.018 salt water, light, airline tubing, and liquid g2 food. It keeps crashing. Ive tried it 3x now and after the 1st couple weeks my cultures crash and I cant get them to produce from phyto that Ive taken out and moved to the fridge.

Does anyone have any experience with growing live phyto? What am I doing wrong? Ive seen people growing it in soda bottles with a reading lamp and I cant seem to do it at all. Thanks

 

[Uncle99]

RU changing out half the water weekly?
Takes 2-3 months to get dark green culture....

 

[sde1500]

You have to split out 50% of it at the very least every two weeks.

 

[MBC2012]

RU changing out half the water weekly?
Takes 2-3 months to get dark green culture....

This is really interesting, I have never heard this but I have wondered how some people get really dark / dense cultures. Each week from the start? How often do you add fertilizer? Do you think room temperature has anything to do with success?

 

[Uncle99]

This is really interesting, I have never heard this but I have wondered how some people get really dark / dense cultures. Each week from the start? How often do you add fertilizer? Do you think room temperature has anything to do with success?

If you don't change out half the water, yup, it's going to crash.
Each week I change out half the water fir fresh, and fertilize.

Lighting is florescent plant growing bulbs.
Bubbling is strong.

Certainly room temp has an impact if it's to low, you can slow the build. Normal temps should be fine.

Start with 1 container, add water and fertilizer, wait for week
Start a new container as above, and remove half the water from the first, refill and fertilize.
I keep up this process weekly until the first container becomes the 8th.
I use half of the 8th for phyto feeding through the week and discard the rest.