Culturing and feeding Phytoplankton to Coral, Pods and Fish

[User]

Can anyone recommend what style and size container works best? I’m tentatively thinking 1 gallon size plastic cylinders for both phyto and Tisbe pods, but am open to other ideas. Also, how helpful or not is having a drain spigot on the container?

YIu mean, like a gallon cheee puff container abs a plastic spigot?

Pretty good.

 

[sde1500]

Can anyone recommend what style and size container works best? I’m tentatively thinking 1 gallon size plastic cylinders for both phyto and Tisbe pods, but am open to other ideas. Also, how helpful or not is having a drain spigot on the container?

I’ve used plastic 2 liter bottles. But speaking from experience in home brewing beer, glass is easier to sterilize so switching to gallon glass carboys.

YIu mean, like a gallon cheee puff container abs a plastic spigot?

Pretty good.

Bonus points for still having the Utz label on it?

 

[User]

With a 1:8 split I get 10 days until I hit stationary phase, using 1.020 water and f2. My cell counts are putting me at 1.1x10(7) nanno cells per ml. That's 11 million.

At the 10 day point, I drain 3500ml, leaving 500ml, then too it back up with 3500 fresh saltwater and f2.

That's 3500 gets split between a 4g Tigriopus culture (2500) and the other 1000 gets put it n my DT at a rates of 50ml/day (300g system). I end up with 500 that I keep in fridge in case I get a crash- I can just pull it out and start again fast. I haven't had had to do that in 6 months so I keep the most recent one, and bleach the rest.

Once I get my apocalypse pods going too- I'll double up the cultures and just run them parallel

 

[User]

I’ve used plastic 2 liter bottles. But speaking from experience in home brewing beer, glass is easier to sterilize so switching to gallon glass carboys.

Bonus points for still having the Utz label on it?

No.

It's a light shield. You need to scrub that puppy off, like I did. Stop being lazy.

Im teasing. I scrubbed the labels off of 3 of mine, took hours to get the fglue residue off- then realised I couldn't just rotate the containers and the label would have actually reflect some light back in (negligible gain)

 

[User]

I use these for the pods - 4g. Like $4 from Target

with a spigot I added

That lets me add 3 weeks of phyto before I have to to harvest some.

 

[sde1500]

No.

It's a light shield. You need to scrub that puppy off, like I did. Stop being lazy.

Im teasing. I scrubbed the labels off of 3 of mine, took hours to get the fglue residue off- then realised I couldn't just rotate the containers and the label would have actually reflect some light back in (negligible gain)

Yea they use some darn good adhesive on those stickers. This one I used for rotifers for a bit. Definitely wouldn’t bother with the sticker even for phyto lol

 

[User]

Anyone count their cells right beforehand harvest to determine density?

Or just use a Seetchi disk? I prefer numbers personally

 

[User]

I would just use a weak bleach solution and let air dry completely....I’ve been doing that with all mine with good results.

I use a couple denture cleaning tabs and leave it overnight, then air dry. Works fine

 

[sde1500]

Anyone count their cells right beforehand harvest to determine density?

Or just use a Seetchi disk? I prefer numbers personally

Never tried either. I’ve considered a disc but usually just said “dark enough” and split it. What do you use for cell count?

 

[Thespammailaccount]

I've exhausted myself over the course of several months researching this and still can not seem to find the answers I'm looking for.
I did order "Ocean Majic" Phyto from Algae Barn (4 strain mix) and have been doing their recommended dosing once a day by adding to my refugium for just over 1 week now. It may be my imagination, but my Non-Photosynthetic coral such and sea rod and fans seem to be extending their polyps a lot more and color seems to be better.

If this is really that beneficial, I would like to start culturing my own to feed display tanks pod population and also feed coral, but....

Here are my questions;

1. Should I culture and dose only 1 strain ?
If culturing you're own several strains at first, only one strain will eventually survive, unless you
separately culture different ones and mix together to match the 4 that Ocean Majic has in it.
2. Has dosing phyto really been proven to be beneficial for overall growth / health of coral and pods in
tank ?
3. Does dosing phyto really decrease nitrates ?
4. If I would start culturing my own, can I do any damage to my existing setup by just winging it the
way my research seems to be telling me most hobbyists do ?

Definitely not your imagination! Non photosynthetic corals and filter feeders love it as a good source such as sun coral feather dusters sponges etc! I have tried both brands and several others and the best I have found is the 6 type of phyto from Rusalty. It is as thick as a soup and makes far more phyto for your money. Phyto is easy to culture just clean the glass and ridged airline tubing with alcohol. Mercer of Montana has a nice kit that includes everything you need but a 10 buck grow light and air pump

 

[Thespammailaccount]

I culture the same strain but got my stuff from Florida aqua farms. I can't tell you how much feeding it to my system has helped because there are too many other factors in play, but I feel like I have more pods in my system than I used to have.

Yes pods eat phyto!

 

[User]

Never tried either. I’ve considered a disc but usually just said “dark enough” and split it. What do you use for cell count?

a hemocytometer to make proper counts. im a cell biologist, so if i dont count cells under the scope at least 2-3 times a week i fell like my head is about to explode

i just wanted to get an idea of where peoples efficiencies are, to maybe offer tips or something

 

[Brad Miller]

here’s the latest with some not so good news...

Over the course of maybe 2 months, I’ve noticed that my Nano culture would get lighter on about day 3 of a new batch, with accumulating more junk in the bottom.

I later also noticed that when cleaning the culture container out, I would have to rub some rough stuff off of the sides and bottom, this gradually got worse.

At first, I started adding fertilizer on the 2nd day, then after another day or two until the density improved to harvest.

Today I took a swab of the accumulating stuff on inside and looked at it under the microscope.
I saw some large pods that looked like they were eating the Nano along with what I will assume to be a lot of algae growth.
Guess this culture is junk now...same is slowly happening to my Tetra.

t

 

[Nanorock1970]

After my 2nd culture split, it turned yellow.
I was being really anal and using vinegar to clean out everything and I think I may have overdone it


So I decided to replicate the PhytoTank idea of led lights and a bag now, but am still taking off leds (I put 4 wraps around the jars and am monitoring the temp rise of water as I do this to get it right)and am putting it on hold for a week or so to renovate my fish room.

What type of LEDs are you using, plain cool white? Or are you using grow light color?

 

[Nanorock1970]

Split went well.
We’ll see how my new sterilization technique works....
Am cuturing a full jar this time (using 64oz., lucky leaf Raspberry iced tea bottles to store in the refrigerator)

NICE, culture straight from the tap. Must make things really easy that way to draw off what you need. I think my LFS has theirs like that also but a much larger container.

 

[Nanorock1970]

No.

It's a light shield. You need to scrub that puppy off, like I did. Stop being lazy.

Im teasing. I scrubbed the labels off of 3 of mine, took hours to get the fglue residue off- then realised I couldn't just rotate the containers and the label would have actually reflect some light back in (negligible gain)

Peanut butter does wonders for sticky glue removal....I use it all the time on glass and plastic containers I am repurposing.

 

[Hal3134]

As I do my research I see that some people are feeding their pod cultures with only spirulina and no phyto. Is this legit? If I’m only interested in pods this seems much simpler than growing phyto.

If I use phyto I’ll grow it rather than buy it for cost reasons.

how much happier will a mixed reef tank (no non-photosynthetic corals) with phyto vs no phyto?

 

[Hal3134]

What size containers for phyto and pods works best (that’s two questions)? I see everything from 1 gallon to 20 gallons.

 

[sde1500]

What size containers for phyto and pods works best (that’s two questions)? I see everything from 1 gallon to 20 gallons.

Truthfully size doesn’t matter. It’s simply how much you can handle.













That’s what she said.

 

[Brad Miller]

What type of LEDs are you using, plain cool white? Or are you using grow light color?

using white led and let them on 24/7 since there in a cooler room and I need the heat from the lights...
may change how m doing that