Culturing Phytoplankton

This is such a wonderful thread! I'm amazed that no one wanted to comment on it! I hope that you are still around to continue this conversation! I wish more people would culture their own live foods.

I have used kents essential elements in my phyto cultures. I think the main thing that makes it grow better and darker is:

1. A very bright light that it very close to the water bottles and in the 3000k to 2,700k range.

2. Iron supplement will also make algae grow a lot faster. Check out SantaMonica's thread on algae scrubbers and how he doses iron to make his algae grow faster/thicker.

What you are doing now seems to work - Just keep everything as sterile as possible and you'll be good!

What phyto mix are you using? Are you using a culture from DT's Phytoplankton mix, Nanocropylis (sp?)? Where did you order your phyto from, Carolina Biological Supply?

Nannochloropsis - the spelling was bugging me. lol.

The more I think about it, the more I want to do it again for my reef. You have inspired me! Thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by cameraman954 

No problem! Actually, I ordered a disk from floria aqua farms and it came in a petri dish. I swapped it into a bottle of 1.019 salinity, and the first week wasn't as dark, but then the second week it was dark because it was mature. I still havent added anything, just 1ml of Micro Algae Grow to every bottle when it splits. It feels awesome to have 3 liters of phytoplankton a week! I give some to my 2 brothers, and use it in my tank. And still have over 2 liters left

That's awesome, I have some questions...if you don't mind....I would love to do something like this.

How long is each bottle good for food?

I understand you have extra, and give some to others, if I don't have anyone to share with ...do I just toss it after a certain point?

Flower. I think the phyto that he is using is Nannocloropsis. This phyto goes dormant when exposed to temps below 46F, and the cells can keep for up to 3 months in the refrigerator. It's basically like growing your own DTs.... I don't know if I would try refrigerating any other species of phyto other then that one. When you pull it out of the fridge, smell it. If it starts to have a really pungent dead/decay rotton/sulfer smell then it's time to toss it. That's usually about the 3 month mark. HTH Flower. :D

The best time to feed is as soon as you pull the air hose out of it. You can use it to enrich rotifers and brine too, so it's an all around good meal. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 

Flower. I think the phyto that he is using is Nannocloropsis. This phyto goes dormant when exposed to temps below 46F, and the cells can keep for up to 3 months in the refrigerator. It's basically like growing your own DTs.... I don't know if I would try refrigerating any other species of phyto other then that one. When you pull it out of the fridge, smell it. If it starts to have a really pungent dead/decay rotton/sulfer smell then it's time to toss it. That's usually about the 3 month mark. HTH Flower. :D

 

The best time to feed is as soon as you pull the air hose out of it. You can use it to enrich rotifers and brine too, so it's an all around good meal. :D

 

 

I went to the site he mentioned, it's the Instant Ocean guys. It sure beats buying it from the stores. I'm going to look into what it takes to get things set up and try it. Does it need a plant grow light?

I chose a couple of 13w CFL Bulbs with a 2700k spectrum of lighting for my 3, 2 liter bottles.

How do you maintain your mother culture? Do you take a swab from your culture disk every time you start another culture or do you pour a little bit of the old mix with the new mix and add some fertilizer?

Quote:

Originally Posted by cameraman954 

I ran to the nearest home depot and grabbed 2 - 15w light fixtures. It requires light for 16 hours, and darkness for 8.

 

You will need:
1. Culture of Phytoplankton (helps because its already mature)
2. Instant Ocean Salt Mix (they say mixing salt is better than natural water)
3.R/O Water (I never use tap because it can be harmful and you never use tap in saltwater)
4. Micro Algae Grow (Found Here) http://florida-aqua-farms.com/secure/agora.cgi?cart_id=87...
5. 2 - Liter bottles (if its for yourself then 2 is fine)

6. Air Pump (helps if it has 2 airlines)
7. Airline tubing
8. 15w Light Fixtures
9. Funnels (when pouring and spliting its hard to pour without a funnel)
10. Hydrometer
11. Syringe
12. Aluminum Foil
13. Measuring Cup ( for meauring salt)

 

 

Thanks guys, it doesn't sound too difficult. Once I get my horse tank all set that will be my next project. I saved this list so I wioll be all set when the time comes. That's a helpful tip on the copepods too.

I did this for several months, but stopped because I was worried about all of the fertilizer that I was putting in my tank.  It's super easy to do.  Here's how I did it:

- Mixed up a batch of saltwater to a SG of 1.019

- Rinsed out a couple of emtpy 2 liter bottles of Pepsi.

- Drilled two holes in each cap.  One hole was just wide enough to fit rigid tube.  The other slightly smaller to let air escape.

- Poured half a bottle of Dr G's phyto into each 2 liter bottle

- I added 3ml of miracle grow and 1ml kents essential elements (I've read some people use 1ml of miracle grow)

- Filled the 2 liter bottles the rest of the way with the 1.019 water.  Leaving a couple of inches at the top for bubbles

- Inserted about 18 inches of rigid tubing into each bottle cap so that it reached the bottom of the bottles

- Connect an air pump to the rigid tubing and adjust air flow to a slow boil

- I placed a standard GE 20W CFL bulb in between the bottles about 3 inches from each bottle

- I set my timer so that the light was on from 8 AM - Midnight

- Give the bottles a gentle shake each day to stir up any phyto that has gathered on the bottom

- I think I let the first batch grow for two weeks before splitting and then I split weekly after that.

- To split I would rinse out two new 2 Liter bottles.  I would poor half of each of my bottles of phyto into the new bottles.  I would then top off with 1.019 Water into the new bottles, 3ml of miracle grow and 1ml of kents essential elements.  Write the date on the half full bottles and put them in the fridge.

I actually split one of my bottles on Wednesday and one on Saturday.  It all worked out pretty well for me.  It just seemed like I was putting an awful lot of miracle grow into my tank.  So I stopped dosing phyto.

The water/phyto was always a light translucent green right after a split.  It would darken and become opaque enough that I couldn't see the light coming through the bottle from the bulb after a week.

Thanks for the tips, Tur4k.

I'm going to be growing a lot of phyto for my little 20g, but I will have to carefully monitor the salinity levels in my tank.

Damn good thread guys. Myself and Snake have been discussing (rather he's been teaching and ive been attempting learning) raising brine shrimp and the benefits of Phytoplankton culturing. Ive been fascinated by snakes advice and have been reading this thread with vigour. Thankyou for the thread. I am getting some aquaculture books to study and will be culturing phytoplankton.

I agree with all the posts above and culturing phyto is easy.

I also used the phyto to feed and maintain rotifers also.

FWIW I had 2 sets of 3 2 liter bottles.  1 set phyto 1 set rotifers.

I would take a mason jar and harvest 600 ml of phyto and another jar and take 300ml of rotifers.  Then add 300ml of phyto to the rotifer jar and the other 300ml phyto to the rotifer 2 liter.

Add the phyto/rotifer to the display and take 600ml from the sump. 

I would them microwave for a minute of boiling the 600ml from the sump and let cool then add the micro algae  grow and return that water to the phyto culture.

I also found out that not adding the micro algae grow crashed the culture in a few days.

And every month or so clean the cultures and check salinity.

my .02