Auto Dosing Phytoplankton - Mag Stirrer

[dr1271]

I've set up a GHL Mag Stirrer to "churn up" the phyto 10secs before each scheduled dosing. Each bottle is 400ml and will last about (7) days before emptied.

My question is, with having the bottled exposed to room temperature am I defeating the purpose and feeding dead phytoplankton? After each dose, should I run a reverse cycle to empty the line back in the bottle? Contamination issues?

 

[a.t.t.r]

Could have saved money and ran a reverse cycle to make bubbles to stir.
Yes your photo will be dead quickly if it isn’t kept cold. Get one of those thermoelectric mini fridges perhaps and run a line into it? Keep it cold and as long as line isn’t submerged in tank you don’t really need to worry much about contamination.

 

[ariellemermaid]

I’ve thought about ways to do this; nice ideas here. Especially with the stirrer. Keeping it cold is one way. But I also wonder about adding aeration to the bottle and a small light or LED strip to allow for some photosynthesis. Is that a refugium next to the bottle? I wonder if the light spillover plus aeration would be enough to keep it alive for 7 days. In other words, either keep it cold and dormant, or warm, oxygenated, and fed.

I doubt anyone can tell you exactly how long it can live in those conditions. I’ve really been wanting a microscope lately and here’s another use case to find out.

 

[dr1271]

I’ve thought about ways to do this; nice ideas here. Especially with the stirrer. Keeping it cold is one way. But I also wonder about adding aeration to the bottle and a small light or LED strip to allow for some photosynthesis. Is that a refugium next to the bottle? I wonder if the light spillover plus aeration would be enough to keep it alive for 7 days. In other words, either keep it cold and dormant, or warm, oxygenated, and fed.

I doubt anyone can tell you exactly how long it can live in those conditions. I’ve really been wanting a microscope lately and here’s another use case to find out.

I’ve thought about setting up a similar continuous culture/auto doser to the tank. A lot of set up for an “experiment”, but have the same with dose heads to feed phyto to tank, add F2, top off with fresh SW, and bubbler action.

I’m liking the setup I have now, and haven’t seen any adverse reactions from coral yet. Great polyp extension from my spider sponge so someone is happy!

 

[ariellemermaid]

I’ve thought about setting up a similar continuous culture/auto doser to the tank. A lot of set up for an “experiment”, but have the same with dose heads to feed phyto to tank, add F2, top off with fresh SW, and bubbler action.

I’m liking the setup I have now, and haven’t seen any adverse reactions from coral yet. Great polyp extension from my spider sponge so someone is happy!

I mean if it works, it works. Even if you’re feeding dead phyto after a few days there’s nothing wrong with that per se. You can buy live phyto or dead phyto to feed (probably with preservatives). The only concern I can see would be die-off in the absence of refrigeration producing enough ammonia to matter but in 7 days I just don’t see that being a huge deal. So long as your tank parameters aren’t moving as a result it doesn’t sound like there’s a problem there.

 

[Delloman]

I am running 2 phytotanks https://poseidonreefsystems.com/products/phytotank-complete-kit
its a sweet setup and it's clean No contamination. they have a dosing cap and so week one you grow phyto week 2 you take 10% and start to grow out. The other 90% you feed over the next week to 10 days with dosing pump the phyto will continue to grow as it has light and food so no refrigerator needed. Week 3 you repeat and discard what's left of the doing container.

 

[ariellemermaid]

I am running 2 phytotanks https://poseidonreefsystems.com/products/phytotank-complete-kit
its a sweet setup and it's clean No contamination. they have a dosing cap and so week one you grow phyto week 2 you take 10% and start to grow out. The other 90% you feed over the next week to 10 days with dosing pump the phyto will continue to grow as it has light and food so no refrigerator needed. Week 3 you repeat and discard what's left of the doing container.

Holy cow! $125 for a bottle, cap, and light, extra $30 for an air pump, $55 for a second bottle and cap. I really need to get into the aquarium equipment business! Plus they worked in disposable items that’ll have to be replaced. Thanks for sharing though; aside from the price and a way to mix up the phyto that settles on the bottom it looks like a good system and kind of what I envisioned.

 

[Delloman]

Ya you can definitely diy but it just works out the box. everything is pre cut and you pay for convince. My free time is limited and the amount needed to recreate what they offer would cost me more then what they sell it for. They do Sell all the parts so you could pick and choose.

 

[elysics]

You could just feed straight from the still growing culture as long as you have a backup of the strain and don't mind dosing small amounts of nitrate and phosphate and trace elements in quantities several order of magnitude less than what icp would detect as a side effect

Planning to do that myself once i finally overcome my lazyness and build additional dosers

 

[Dabcrusher]

I did this on a tank at work and I used a 6 pack mini fridge drilled 2 holes in the top one for an aeration tube and one for the dos tube and had it programmed to stop the bubbles about 10seconds before the cycle turn off the return pumps and skimmer and dose the amount needed. After dosing it would feed the phyto left in the tube back into the mini fridge. If it's not refrigerated and it's still growing you can run the risk of contamination and if you leave it in the tube it will start to metabolize and die off. It's a pretty easy setup if you have a versa or apex dos ND the fridge is only about 35$ on Walmart.com or amazon and use the 1/4 in bulkhead push to connects. I think we made a video on it.

 

[Dilan Patel]

I dosed phyto that I cultured w/o refrigeration. My thinking was since I culture in room temp the phy to as long as I kept it stirred 24 hours a day on a magnetic plate the photo should be perfectly fine. I left mine no longer than 7 days worth as it took 4-7 days to culture. I did the smell test ano smelled as it should no death smell. I personally believe no need for refrigeration only when storing for long amounts of time.

 

[G Santana]

Ya you can definitely diy but it just works out the box. everything is pre cut and you pay for convince. My free time is limited and the amount needed to recreate what they offer would cost me more then what they sell it for. They do Sell all the parts so you could pick and choose.

That's way too much money, period.
I drink alot of seltzer, there are my containers, I use an old shop light and an old 32 year old air pump, all I pay for is the initial bottles of phyto and fertilizer.

I have been splitting the bottles for months off of my initial 28 dollar investment.

These bottles I drank last week (seltzer) and now they are reborn as Phyto Bottles lol 4 liters a week

 

[Dabcrusher]

I dosed phyto that I cultured w/o refrigeration. My thinking was since I culture in room temp the phy to as long as I kept it stirred 24 hours a day on a magnetic plate the photo should be perfectly fine. I left mine no longer than 7 days worth as it took 4-7 days to culture. I did the smell test ano smelled as it should no death smell. I personally believe no need for refrigeration only when storing for long amounts of time.

You can deffiniatly do it like that especially if you change it out every week. I work at algaebarn so I have phyto at the ready . but if it is refridgerated it will go dormant. if it does get contaminated it does downhill pretty fast. But it's not going to affect much I t will be like dosing any other brand of phyto that's not live I would guess I've never used them. But is say other than the benefits of live unless it's for clams there not big on phyto from the bottle (except live botles)

 

[dr1271]

You can’t go wrong with the Poseidon kit! Definitely a clean system and starter pack to get anyone up and going. Plus sell off your excess Phyto to local reefers to recoup some of money back over time.

My tank has never looked healthier since starting to dose phyto and will continue to culture as much as I can with my Poseidon set up. One day, if I have the room and time I want to set up a continual culture system to grow, feed, and replenish a new culture system to auto dose into the tank. That includes adding new lower salinity top off water and dosing F2 automated as well……one day, one day.

 

[Delloman]

Now that would be cool