Accidental Phyto vs. Green-water-that-isn't-Phyto?

[Densityman]

Greetings all.

So I have a 5gal bucket that I use for culturing rubble/frag-plugs and various bugs. Over the past few weeks it has turned a very exciting shade of PHYTO-green.

Under the microscope it looks very similar to the store-bought variety, but have to admit that I don't have a degree to differentiate "good" phyto strains from "green water" that could be something not-tasty. Is there such a thing; bad green water?

 

[Rmckoy]

Green water other than phytoplankton Can possibly be any strain of algae ?

 

[KrisReef]

Have any mobile frags? Put one in a glass filled with tank water, let it acclimate in the glass ( polyps should open in the quiet water) and put in a few ml’s , watch the reaction if it’s still trying to feed add enough to tint the glass water.
If the frag dies it was probably antifreeze in the bucket?

Likely algae contamination from the tank that caused the barrel to turn green, by it does look like Prestone in the picture.

 

[Densityman]

Have any mobile frags? Put one in a glass filled with tank water, let it acclimate in the glass ( polyps should open in the quiet water) and put in a few ml’s , watch the reaction if it’s still trying to feed add enough to tint the glass water.
If the frag dies it was probably antifreeze in the bucket?

Likely algae contamination from the tank that caused the barrel to turn green, by it does look like Prestone in the picture.

I guess I should mention the bucket was inoculated with several sources of phyto, apocyclops, tisbe, other copepods, and even a few "scuds".

Current SG is 1.030 other parameters are not yet tested as it is just bugs in green water.

I can verify that no anti-freeze has been anywhere near the bucket.

 

[damsels are not mean]

I guess I should mention the bucket was inoculated with several sources of phyto, apocyclops, tisbe, other copepods, and even a few "scuds".

Current SG is 1.030 other parameters are not yet tested as it is just bugs in green water.

I can verify that no anti-freeze has been anywhere near the bucket.

If you inoculate with more than one type of plankton, eventually a species or two will come to dominate. In this case i'd expect a boom in copepods and then scuds and then a slow fizzle out or perhaps they'll stabilize to have some sort of phyto at the bottom of the food chain and scuds at the top.

Any green water is phytoplankton. The distinction between phytoplankton and algae is simply that phytoplankton is in the water and not growing like a plant. And no matter the species it is likely usable to something, be it filter feeders, zooplankton, or corals. But it may not be the right kind if you are trying to culture something specific or say raise larvae which may respond to specific species differently.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I guess I should mention the bucket was inoculated with several sources of phyto, apocyclops, tisbe, other copepods, and even a few "scuds".

Current SG is 1.030 other parameters are not yet tested as it is just bugs in green water.

I can verify that no anti-freeze has been anywhere near the bucket.

If you put Phyto in the bucket, why wouldn't you think that it might not be Phyto? The strains of Phyto I get grow like weeds, so if there is enough nutrients in the water and you have a light on it and I assume you have a bubbler.
Wait... Did your parents ever explain the "Birds and the Bees" to you? It's kinda like that, but with Phyto.

 

[KrisReef]

I think yuma's and zoa's would be happy with a splash of your "antifreeze water."

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

You'll never know what it is until you taste it see if it needs more salt, happy Thanksgiving!!