Plankton Reactor

[TheyCallMeFishy]

Ok me and my two friends who live in very close proximity want to buy a plankton reactor for our three tanks with a total gallonage of about 280 gals. does anyone have any particular models to suggest for a medium coral density?

 

[kevinrs]

wow no replies yet, well keep working on it nick. u no cammeron isnt going to get his big tank till hes 18 right?

 

[TheyCallMeFishy]

ahhh kevin. thanks but cameron will switch his 60 when he has enough time one weekend. and when did you become so obsessed with frags? and for some reason i thought you got your first tank in september 04?

 

[kevinrs]

ya w/e i actually started awhile ago with fresh fyi, and idk i just like frags

 

[Samala]

Hi guys - I was just wondering what exactly a plankton reactor is...? Cant find much info on it here when I searched, maybe I'm searching wrong.

Any links for info on this plankton reactor?

Thanks!
>Sarah

 

[Tim_WA]

Hi guys - I was just wondering what exactly a plankton reactor is...? Cant find much info on it here when I searched, maybe I'm searching wrong.

Any links for info on this plankton reactor?

Thanks!
>Sarah

I'm not sure it is the one, but....Check this out.

 

[Samala]

Hmm.. so a plankton reactor is just this PVC setup with spots to hold plastic bags and diffuse out the air line/source? I'd just make my own.. plastic 2L soda bottles reportedly work well when drilled and fitting with rigid airline tubing to keep the phyto in motion. I see most people keeping redundant cultures of three or four per species to cycle through them in their blooming stages.

Thanks for the help Tim!
>Sarah

 

[Triterium]

I believe a plankton reactor is a continuous phyto culture that takes water from the tank (runs it through UV to kill biological contaminants) and then slowly releases the phyto culture back into the tank. Its basically just an automated culture system. The link does not show a plankton reactor, its just a way Florida Aqua Farms can make money.

 

[Samala]

Ahh I see. So I am imagining you seed the reactor with what you want cultivated and theres a light source inside (?). This must go off the idea that a typical reef tank has all the nutrients necessary to get the phyto going - NPK I'd guess. Hmm. With a UV filtering component these things must get expensive... plus you could likely only keep one species of phyto in there, otherwise the algae best suited to the growing conditions would take over the reactor. Kinda interferes with the idea to feed with variety. I think I'd rather play with soda bottles (good excuse for my Diet Coke habit ). Thanks for the clarification Triterium!

>Sarah