growing phytoplankton
- Thread starter fish2
- Start date
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
I don't know if this is a competitors site or not, but it's a great source of info...
http://www.melevsreef.com/phytoplankton.html
http://www.melevsreef.com/phytoplankton.html
tvoydan
New Member
You have to feed it.
Like any algae (or plant) it needs nitrogen and phosphorus (aka common household plant fertilizer or Miracle Gro). I use, and highly recommend adding 1ml of Miracle Algae Grow per 2 litre bottle from Florida Aqua Farms rather than Miracle Gro plant fertilizer. It's all balanced and has trace elements added. My cultures really took off when I switched to this. I also recommend starting with their algae disk. It's about $8.
It's really easy to do once you get the hang of it. Part of the key is to make sure all your equipment is sterile when you start, or you're going to end up growing other things in your culture.
Like any algae (or plant) it needs nitrogen and phosphorus (aka common household plant fertilizer or Miracle Gro). I use, and highly recommend adding 1ml of Miracle Algae Grow per 2 litre bottle from Florida Aqua Farms rather than Miracle Gro plant fertilizer. It's all balanced and has trace elements added. My cultures really took off when I switched to this. I also recommend starting with their algae disk. It's about $8.
It's really easy to do once you get the hang of it. Part of the key is to make sure all your equipment is sterile when you start, or you're going to end up growing other things in your culture.
tvoydan
New Member
Here's the quick start.
1). Get some empty 2 liter pop bottles. Wash and sterilize.
2). Mix some saltwater to 1.015 and bring to a boil to sterilize. Let cool down to room temp. Remember it has to sit overnight to dechlorinate or use dechlorinator (unless you used RO water).
3). Add 1ml of Miracle Algae Grow (MAG) per bottle and fill with saltwater mix and starter algae colony.
4). Set airline bubbling to keep the water moving and keep culture under light.
After about 3-4 days you should really notice the cultures getting darker.
By day 8-10 it should max out. After that I think it will crash. Before that, you can split the culture with fresh sterile saltwater and 1ml of MAG or store it in the fridge.
Cooler temps make the process run slower. Warmer temps will speed up the process. I use warm water mixed with Clorox bleach to sterilize and final rinse everything with tap water real good before I start.
You can start with Phyto from the store, but.. A). make sure it's live phyto and B). not a mix of different types. You want Nanochloropsis.
Keep in mind the more sterile you are, the better things will turn out. But you can get by with cutting corners. Fresh salt mix with RO water or tap water would probably work ok.
Also, a single copepod or rotifer can wipe out the whole bottle. Try to keep your cultures far enough away from your tanks to prevent contamination.
Hope this helps.
Tom
1). Get some empty 2 liter pop bottles. Wash and sterilize.
2). Mix some saltwater to 1.015 and bring to a boil to sterilize. Let cool down to room temp. Remember it has to sit overnight to dechlorinate or use dechlorinator (unless you used RO water).
3). Add 1ml of Miracle Algae Grow (MAG) per bottle and fill with saltwater mix and starter algae colony.
4). Set airline bubbling to keep the water moving and keep culture under light.
After about 3-4 days you should really notice the cultures getting darker.
By day 8-10 it should max out. After that I think it will crash. Before that, you can split the culture with fresh sterile saltwater and 1ml of MAG or store it in the fridge.
Cooler temps make the process run slower. Warmer temps will speed up the process. I use warm water mixed with Clorox bleach to sterilize and final rinse everything with tap water real good before I start.
You can start with Phyto from the store, but.. A). make sure it's live phyto and B). not a mix of different types. You want Nanochloropsis.
Keep in mind the more sterile you are, the better things will turn out. But you can get by with cutting corners. Fresh salt mix with RO water or tap water would probably work ok.
Also, a single copepod or rotifer can wipe out the whole bottle. Try to keep your cultures far enough away from your tanks to prevent contamination.
Hope this helps.
Tom