DT's and skimming

[gregvabch]

what is the best way to feed with DT's? should i turn my skimmer off, and if so, for how long after i add a portion to the water? also, will carbon affect them, (i.e. pull them out of the water?) also, how about pre-filters on powerheads and overflows? and finally, is the brand DT's the best product for the money or is there something better out there?

 

[j-cal]

how do u grow it?

 

[tyr-sog]

Originally posted by FranknBerry
There's plenty of homegrown phytoplankton available. I grow my own - it's not that difficult. Not quite as dense - but WAY cheaper and more likely to be fresh. You can never tell how long the LFS has had their DT's, or if it's been shaken regularly, or if it was hot during transport, or even if the fridge it's been in has been working the whole time.

Yeah, i got a bottle before and it was pretty rank. Most likely spoiled or whatever. What do you want for $40.

 

[overanalyzer]

OK I grow my own. Just started .... it is fairly simple.
I use a 75 watt grow bulb suspended a few inches above the green water. (will be adding a 13 watt PC bulb when I get around to it here soon)
I have some 2 litter bottles with holes drilled in the lid.
I slid air tubbing into the bottom of the bottle (will eventuall replace with rigid line)
I mix about half a 2 liter bottle of salt water with some starter green water (nanocl. and DT's mix is what I started with) and some tap water
I add 1 CC of fertilizer (very little).
I keep the 2 liter bottles in the garage (not heated) and in an old plastic file crate.
Harvested 1/2 the bottle in my first batch and refridgerated it ... then I started a new bottle and kept the old bottle going.
PErsonally gang I don't think it is that hard .... just need to give the bottles a shake now and again and keep the airline tubes in the bottom.
Of course this all could be beginners luck - but my stuff gets pretty dark (not as dark as the DT's that I used to help start the cultures though).
Plus my Nano loves the dose I give it!!

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by FranknBerry
eeek! DT's can't be used as a starter culture!
Stick to 1 kind of phyto per culture..
Are you sure you're not growing green cynobacteria?
Yup!
A guy that posts here on occasion (Dinhouse) got me started ....
No slime - nice look algea ... if your into that sort of thing ...
Why would you not be able to use DT's to start a culture?? it is simply several different macro algea's cutlured in a high light warm environment with lots of water motion .....

 

[overanalyzer]

Hmmmm i would think this is the key line:
"The old DT's live phytoplankton that contained only one species of phytoplankton were very much alive and it was possible to start new cultures, and many people used to do so."
Which could be followed with : Since we are in this business to make money and people could buy one bottle of our stuff and then make their own we need to do something to stop them.
My culture never gets super dark green like DT's ....
It gets fairly green - with no suspended algea strings or slimy bubbles. It is a nice dark green like a good nanoclasporia (sorry can never remember the pronunciation nor spelling).
Plus when I feed the critters come out of the woodwork for a little capful or two ... don't think they would be doing that for green cyano (would they??)
I am no algea authority by any means so tread with caution .....

 

[overanalyzer]

I shot dinhouse a message - after reading and checking into things I think that it was the old DT's that he used .... based on the smell and the posts when he started out culturing his stuff ......
NOW - I'd still like a scientific explanation why you could not culture multiple types of algea in one container ... I've not read anythign but the warnign by DT's to say that hte algea's will out compete and cause a mysterious bacteria bloom of cyano bacteria .....
Anyone have any links or other support or explanation for DT's position?? (other than my cynical POV?)
Thanks.....

 

[sandman12]

Wow i dont think i could do this, so how about this u guys make it and i wil l buy it from u? milkmanf12@aol.com if interested
Or give me better directions on how to do it.

 

[overanalyzer]

Sandman - seriously - my 2 1/2 year old helped me do the set-up and I did exactly what I said above. I held hte bottle caps and she drilled the holes .... I held the funnel while she filled the bottles (except the initial nanocl. green water I got from a local reefer).
really pretty simple and since I have such a small tank I don't worry about keeping it warm so it will grow quickly....

 

[sandman12]

Haha ok i guess i will give it a try. WOW i feel stupid

 

[overanalyzer]

nana- whatever is a green water - it is a type of micro or free floating algea that consumes the organics in the water and will eventually clump together and choke out life to create more waste and thus more algea.
Of course that is if it is left unchecked. but all kinds of tiny tiny critters will come out and eat the stuff. Rotifers will eat it and I am hoping to culture rotifers to feed to baby fish (someday if my clowns ever start getting busy) .....
Uhhhh yeah fertilizer ... I got some from some guy locally who who gave me a tiny bit ... which goes a long way. Check out florida aqua farms ....
Personally I am going to just use tap water and see if I can slow down production ....
Anyone in KC need some green water???

 

[overanalyzer]

bump to see other opinions

 

[joemack]

Im using this spectra vital crap. I dono if its crap but it makes my skimmer shoot out bubbles and stop skimming. I want to start my own so keep on talking guys.

 

[cathbad]

I think I remember reading a post some time ago about someone using a rubbermaid tub and old tank water to grow phytoplankton outside in the sun during the summer. I may be wrong or it may have been macro growing but that would be an ideal situation with respect to ease.

 

[joemack]

I ordered the kit and it should be here Thursday, Next week. Im going to try and grow it in the soda bottles on the side of my tank against the wall and tank. Hopefully I dont have to run any more lights. I will take pictures and tell you guys how it goes.

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by JoeMack
I ordered the kit and it should be here Thursday, Next week. Im going to try and grow it in the soda bottles on the side of my tank against the wall and tank. Hopefully I dont have to run any more lights. I will take pictures and tell you guys how it goes.
I light mine 24X7 - some people have them on a photoperiod - but I think the key is to make sure you keep it bubbling 24X7 .....

 

[joemack]

Cool. Im going to tap into my sea monkey internal hatcherys air line. I only have 1 bubble a second going out and the rest is going out an open valve.
When I get my kit do I use all of it or do i store it in a refrigerator? How long is the food going to last before I need to order more? Thanks !

 

[overanalyzer]

OK when I got my phyto samples I split them all up into different 2 litre bottles.
Mine bubbles at more than once per second .... more like 3 or 4 ....
I have not needed any more algea starters or cultures. As a matter of fact I need to off load some of this to people or just start dumping some ....
In terms of food - are you talking about the liquid fertilizer? I use very little and I think I will continue using very little - and on one 2 litre bottle I will be going without fertilizer to see if takes longer.

 

[joemack]

how long will my liquid fertilizer last? I purchases the 2 items off of that reefcentral howto....
two 2oz nanochloropsis disks (product number AA-NCP)
one 8.5oz bottle of micro algae grow (product number FA-MIS)
holy crap.. in google I searched for "cc to ounce conversion" and it told me
1 cc = 0.0338140226 US fluid ounce
More about calculator.
Google gets better and better everyday.. anyways.
It looks like there is 251.375002 Doses per bottle (for a 2 litter) at 1 cc. So thats nuff to make 132.8269496
gallons if im not on crack
So even if my answer is off by a lot. I always failed math I dont think im going to run out soon