Phytoplankton question (shelf life)
- Thread starter dpsa98
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Snarkys
.Registered Member
sponges and clams use it for sure, most the other corals we keep don't use phyto directly. However phyto is the beginning of the food chain and in turn feeds other organisms that feed other organisms that or corals may feed on. how much of that is really going on in the average tank environment ? who knows i guess.
I'm just guessing but to sustain a large population of natural occuring organisms in the tank environment for your corals too fed on i think you would have to be pretty religious about feeding your phyto so you don't loose the base link in the food chain. I'm also guessing that it would take a substantial amount of time for these links in the chain to build up substantual populations. You also need to think about the closed environment and the predatory fish we put in these systems like mandarins and wrasses that seem to eat any tiny thing that moves.
I certainly wouldn't say that using phtyo is bad in any way at all but its really hard to know how much good it is really doing unless you are trying to do something specific with it like raise small clams.
I'm just guessing but to sustain a large population of natural occuring organisms in the tank environment for your corals too fed on i think you would have to be pretty religious about feeding your phyto so you don't loose the base link in the food chain. I'm also guessing that it would take a substantial amount of time for these links in the chain to build up substantual populations. You also need to think about the closed environment and the predatory fish we put in these systems like mandarins and wrasses that seem to eat any tiny thing that moves.
I certainly wouldn't say that using phtyo is bad in any way at all but its really hard to know how much good it is really doing unless you are trying to do something specific with it like raise small clams.
Snarkys
.Registered Member
so i was reading this article today and it said that phyto only lives 12-48 hours and it made me think about this thread. I know the reduced temp in the fridge slows down the metabolic process so they live longer but they say this stuff has a few month shelf life. i really wonder how much dead and decomposing phtyo is in the bottle . surely that must be the fart smell they spoke of.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/FloydFear/fear_3.html
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/FloydFear/fear_3.html
phycologist here
phycologist here
Hey Everyone,
Alot of phyto blends have a species called Isochyrsis. Iso releases dimethyl sulfide with smells like farts into the headspace of your bottle. DMS is a natural attractant for copepods and other crustaceans.
It doesnt mean your bottle is bad, it just means Iso is off gassing and its building up in the headspace. so the more you use it, the larger the headspace and more dms is building up.
phycologist here
Hey Everyone,
Alot of phyto blends have a species called Isochyrsis. Iso releases dimethyl sulfide with smells like farts into the headspace of your bottle. DMS is a natural attractant for copepods and other crustaceans.
It doesnt mean your bottle is bad, it just means Iso is off gassing and its building up in the headspace. so the more you use it, the larger the headspace and more dms is building up.
BlackburnD
New member
Zombies!
