might be "living room ugly," but that's a pretty clean and sharp looking setup! Next time, go with the expensive schedule 80 colored pipe.. lol.1) Culturing a mix will result in one variety taking control over time. I cultured multiple varieties but they were in separate systems.
2) No real hard data on this. Most was for pod tanks but I definitely saw an increase in microfauna in the DT when I added some there. My dosing wasn’t consistent though. I wouldn’t dose one week, I’d consistently dose small amounts the next week, and the week after that I’d dump a half gallon in at one time which I always regretted lol.
3) Never measured but I don’t think so. You’re adding life and food to the tank.
4) it isn’t hard. Get a light source, a air pump, rigid tube, 2L bottle and a starter culture. Don’t need food but it’s helpful, get some guliards from Florida aqua farms. Follow directions on starting the culture. Then, once a week remove half the culture and add NSW to it. Use the other half for dosing the tank. Won’t hurt. Keep an eye on nutrient levels if you’re concerned/interested to see results. Don’t add it all at once it just makes your tank cloudy for days.
Picture of my now shut down set up below. I got too busy to devote time to splitting weekly, dosing 3 pod tanks. Harvesting pods and dosing the DT. Plus it was in my sitting room and it’s ugly. I have plans for a hidden version that I may get around to setting up this year.
Nvm found it here if anyone else is curious
10 days later....
Lights on 24/7 to keep temp of culture stable.
Just harvested a full 64 oz bottle.
Since this culture is so dark, I’m using 1/3rd of what I just cultured, then adding 2/3rd fresh made 1.019 saltwater with 3 ml of F2 for this next culture (I was doing 1/2 old culture with 1/2 saltwater previously)
When I harvested the last batch, I weak bleached everything needed to harvest and start next culture, let it air dry, then put it all in a cupboard above my culture station, so it was really easy to do this time.
This culture was rich and very dark compared to last one and it even got off to a rocky start ;Happy
Again, I’m weak bleaching everything for my next harvest and sitting it in a cupboard awhile.
When I first started dosing my cultured phyto, my coral and filter feeders perked up on the 2nd day.
Pods are multiplying rapidly on the glass and am having to clean the glass a bit more often.
Overall....VERY HAPPY with the process and end results so far !
I just got a male McCoskers Flasher Wrasse from Live Aquaria and he’s in my frag tank for observation....he ate all my pods crawling around the frag racks in 3 days...he’s so cool !
