Culturing Phyto

[Hallowhead]

Howdy,

I am struggling big time to successfully culture phyto. I've watched ten thousand videos, I have swapped starter cultures, no luck. I am going to describe my setup and let someone tell me what I am doing wrong, at this point I am wasting so much phyto.

I have an acke light 12 watts off amazong
I use water bottles for vessels as I don't need that much on hand, I rinse each container with boiling water and than rinse again with fresh salt water
I use an air pump and valves to ensure I have a boiling amount of air
I use Mercer of montana starter
I use Mercer of montana f/2 (stored in the fridge)
My basement ambient temperature is roughly 68 farenheit.

My process:

I started with a normal 16 ounce water bottle putting 1/4 a bottle of culture and 1/4 a bottle fresh salt water at 1.020ish. I put .25ml F/2 and let it run for 4 days, after the 4 days it was dark, so I took a new bottle sanitizer it as mentioned above, and filled up with new "starter" culture and than half water, the water bottle was full now so I added .5ml of F/2. To ensure I was producing enough phyto I started a whole separate culture back at 1/4 starter 1/4 fresh salt water. After 4 days both were dark so I said hey let's split it again, thinking I mastered phyto now, I took a liter water bottle sanitized as mentioned above and filled halfway with the bottle and half with fresh salt water, I used 1ml of F/2 as it was a full liter. I brought the other culture to a full bottle adding .5ml of F/2. After 4 days now, they're both clearer than day.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[trevorhiller]

I've been using isopropyl alcoho on a paper towel l to sanitize my bottles and then rinsing with tap once I cleaned them out. If there is visble crud, then I use dawn dish detergent and rinse well then the alcohol and rinse again a couple time. I think the cleanliness thing is key and I wear gloves when I split them just to be safe.

My saltwater is 1.020 and I mix it fresh and use fresh (non-stored) RODI for it. f2 at 1 mL/liter. When I split I add 2 Liters of phyto to 2 liters of 1.020 water and add 4-5 mL of f2. I have my airline set to max/unrestricted to make it a rolling bubble and a little white grow light bulb from Lowes. It basically sounds like what you are doing, but I only add the f2 at the beginning and split on day 7.

I completly clean the bottles between cultures maybe try that? I clean out a bucket to pour my finished phyto into as a holding tank while I clean out the culturing vessel. Then I fill the culturing vessel halfway with saltwater and top it off with finished phyto and the appropriate amount of f2.

You might have gotten something in there contaminating it or maybe your light isn't right - although it sounds like anything works for a light.

 

[Hallowhead]

I've been using isopropyl alcoho on a paper towel l to sanitize my bottles and then rinsing with tap once I cleaned them out. If there is visble crud, then I use dawn dish detergent and rinse well then the alcohol and rinse again a couple time. I think the cleanliness thing is key and I wear gloves when I split them just to be safe.

My saltwater is 1.020 and I mix it fresh and use fresh (non-stored) RODI for it. f2 at 1 mL/liter. When I split I add 2 Liters of phyto to 2 liters of 1.020 water and add 4-5 mL of f2. I have my airline set to max/unrestricted to make it a rolling bubble and a little white grow light bulb from Lowes. It basically sounds like what you are doing, but I only add the f2 at the beginning and split on day 7.

I completly clean the bottles between cultures maybe try that? I clean out a bucket to pour my finished phyto into as a holding tank while I clean out the culturing vessel. Then I fill the culturing vessel halfway with saltwater and top it off with finished phyto and the appropriate amount of f2.

You might have gotten something in there contaminating it or maybe your light isn't right - although it sounds like anything works for a light.

See if I waited until day 7 it would definitely crash, makes me think possibly too strong of a light ? Idk

 

[trevorhiller]

See if I waited until day 7 it would definitely crash, makes me think possibly too strong of a light ? Idk

Perhaps try moving the distance of the light a little bit father away. Although I’ve heard it’s hard to give nano too much light.

 

[Hallowhead]

Perhaps try moving the distance of the light a little bit father away. Although I’ve heard it’s hard to give nano too much light.

I was thinking of this or a whole new light hur just don't wanna waste any more phyto

 

[trevorhiller]

I was thinking of this or a whole new light hur just don't wanna waste any more phyto

If you need some, I can send you a bottle if you want to cover the shipping fee. I’ve got liters of it that I’m not going to end up using.

I’ve been culturing a gallon weekly and only have a 60 gallon tank.

 

[Hallowhead]

If you need some, I can send you a bottle if you want to cover the shipping fee. I’ve got liters of it that I’m not going to end up using.

I’ve been culturing a gallon weekly and only have a 60 gallon tank.

Please !