AK Culturi-S Pro

[Ken S]

Does anyone have one of these?

https://aquaculturekings.com/produc..._campaign=culturi-s&utm_source=shareable_link

 

[JonoH]

I have the Medium size, use it for culturing phyto.

Works amazingly well, i think i'm on about my 6th batch now, basically just re-start it each week, and it gives me about 2L of phyto to dose each week.

Yes technically you can just make your own...but this was honestly so easy to set up and use.

 

[Ken S]

I have the Medium size, use it for culturing phyto.

Works amazingly well, i think i'm on about my 6th batch now, basically just re-start it each week, and it gives me about 2L of phyto to dose each week.

Yes technically you can just make your own...but this was honestly so easy to set up and use.

Nice! I'm all about easy! So, please explain further if you don't mind. How easy? Do you have to clean it every week, wipe & spay everything down with alcohol? How do you start up a new culture? Have you had any crash?

 

[JonoH]

Nice! I'm all about easy! So, please explain further if you don't mind. How easy? Do you have to clean it every week, wipe & spay everything down with alcohol? How do you start up a new culture? Have you had any crash?

The only one i ever had not work was my first, i really want to eventually culture Tiso so stupidly bought a bottle of it from my LFS thinking thats all i needed. Not so, Tiso cant be refrigerated for a starting culture.

Anyway i ended up just trying Nanno to start, and that has been so easy, never had a crash from it.
I just clean my jar and the beaker between batches with a 50/50 mix of Vinegar and water, takes about 20-30mins to get it all ready.

 

[BR260354]

Looks interesting. Came up on my Facebook page. Ordered the S for Phyto.

 

[125mph]

Where do u get starter culture from? After you make your first batch h, do you kist use that batch as starter culture?

How come every diy does 50/50 ratio and this product days 10/90 for starter?

 

[DmitryB]

As far as the F/2 fertilizer, do you really only need a tiny amount? Like a milliliter? Can you overdose it?

 

[midgetracer]

Looks interesting. Came up on my Facebook page. Ordered the S for Phyto.

How did it work for you i checked out three sight and watched a video from Australia looks very simple. Is this true and where do you find cultures to start off your first batch?

 

[BR260354]

How did it work for you i checked out three sight and watched a video from Australia looks very simple. Is this true and where do you find cultures to start off your first batch?

Just received. I first received the system earlier in the week, but when I picked up the box from my doorstep, I can tell the glass jar was shattered. I emailed AquaCulture Kings and they got right back with me and sent me a new jar (thanks Dustin!).

Just waiting to pick up some phytoplankton to start.

 

[midgetracer]

Just received. I first received the system earlier in the week, but when I picked up the box from my doorstep, I can tell the glass jar was shattered. I emailed AquaCulture Kings and they got right back with me and sent me a new jar (thanks Dustin!).

Just waiting to pick up some phytoplankton to start.

Let us know how it works out for you. I’m very interested. Want to know how it works before I pull the trigger.

 

[Chocka]

Get your starter culture and some f2 from mercer of montana. Works great I have both nanno and tetra going from them in seperate S pros. You will harvest around every 7 days and do a hot water and vinegar disinfection of all parts that touch the phyto. I use around 700 ml of saltwater and 300 ml of culture with 1.2 ml of F2 and am on batch 10 of nanno. The tetra seems to be a little more tempermental and after 3 batches it crashed and I just started that over yesterday. This amount of 2L weekly then reusing 600 ml leaves me just the right amount to feed my tank and my 2 copepod cultures only problem is a crash throws all that into chaos. Mercer has some simple yet effective glass containers for pretty cheap and just add a couple of 17 dollar plant gro lights from harbor freight and your in business. This is interesting and Dustin said it is coming soon to US only available in AU right now but might help keep cultures from getting infected if hooked up to the front end of your air pump. The S pro comes with a built in cheap little Hygger pump to make it all in one but I removed that immediately and use my own pump just personal preference but that cheap little pump quit on me in one unit the 1st day and I don't trust it so did not replace even though they sent one right out to me.
https://aquaculturekings.com.au/products/ak-culture-guard-4mm-inline-air-filter

 

[DmitryB]

I got one of each (even though I have other culture makers on order from ReefBySteele) because I'm a glutton. I started running these, pods in M and phyto in S. It's easy enough to set up, I love the all-in-one design, it looks great too. I also had issues with the pump in the M model. It's just crazy loud. So I ripped it out and am just running a separate pump outside. Defeats the purpose of all in one, but at least the light is part of the unit. So far I did manage to get a culture of Nano and pods are on week 3. I'm told first culture should go long. I'm pretty happy with it overall, although the pumps are not great. Dustin has been a great help along the way.

One thing constantly surprised by is how sensitive phyto is. Such a simple organism and needs more pampering than I do.

 

[Chocka]

Yes let your pods go longer than you think and be a little heavy handed on feeding them phyto I had issues until I took that approach now cranking out 2 jars packed with pods for the tank with plenty to reset the culture every 2 weeks. Now doing both tig and tisbe in seperate cultures should have done this a long time ago with the money i have spent on pods and phyto. Live and learn

 

[dustinc]

Hey Peeps! I'm the Dustin a couple of you have mentioned. Been head down building units so much I never even thought to check to see if people have asked any questions I can answer. We greatly appreciate the support and the absolutely overwhelming response we've had in the states. Would love to see some of your photos of cultures as well. We are very proud of the units and love how many reefers are now able to create a never ending supply of fresh phyto for their tanks. Happy Reefing!

 

[dustinc]

As far as the F/2 fertilizer, do you really only need a tiny amount? Like a milliliter? Can you overdose it?

Depends on the specific fertilizer, but the AK F2 is 1ml per 1L of phytoplankton.

 

[dustinc]

Where do u get starter culture from? After you make your first batch h, do you kist use that batch as starter culture?

How come every diy does 50/50 ratio and this product days 10/90 for starter?

Nanno will be available soon direct, TSA is also another great source with their "Green Pasture" Tetraselmis.

Technically you can start a culture with a single phyto cell, but obviously risk it not making it in that scenario. So 10/90 is more than enough with a sterilized vessel.

 

[BR260354]

Hey Peeps! I'm the Dustin a couple of you have mentioned. Been head down building units so much I never even thought to check to see if people have asked any questions I can answer. We greatly appreciate the support and the absolutely overwhelming response we've had in the states. Would love to see some of your photos of cultures as well. We are very proud of the units and love how many reefers are now able to create a never ending supply of fresh phyto for their tanks. Happy Reefing!

I just started one. Got nanno from Steele...but I waited a couple of days before I started. So, not a great start but we'll see.