Dosing phytoplankton (for those of us not interested in culturing it)

[Crashjack]

Do you guys leave your UV on while dosing live phyto? Got some in the mail today to try.

I have a "feeding mode" set on my controller that shuts-down my skimmer and UV for 2 hours and invoke that every time I dose.

 

[SueAbu]

I'm interested in dosing phytoplankton for two major reasons: 1) I think it could be good for my corals and maybe even some of my fish (indirectly), and 2) I think it might actually be easier than messing with other coral foods.

Regarding #1, I've read some of the circulating studies and it appears traditional coral foods aren’t that beneficial for some corals, and even though phytoplankton isn’t really identified as the ultimate solution to feeding a lot of varieties of corals, it does seem to have strong benefits for some and possibly minor benefits for others. If nothing else, pods/plankton benefit from phytoplankton, which might indirectly benefit corals that don’t benefit from phytoplankton directly, while also benefiting several species of fish.

Regarding #2, I’m handicapped and operate out of a powered wheelchair (chair also elevates). I think pouring phyto into a small measuring cup and then pouring into my sump’s return pump chamber would be a little quicker/easier than mixing tank water and powdered food in a small bottle, shaking, and then elevating my wheelchair to the top of my tank to disperse (I don’t use my return pump chamber for dried coral food because I’m afraid a lot will settle there). I realize the time savings are minimal, but if I can save a little time for a better food source then why not?

Most of the information I’ve found on the internet is either oriented around culturing phytoplankton or written by the people who sell it. I haven't found a lot of information from users of phytoplankton products. Though I’m sure most of the sellers have good products, I also realize they are trying to sell those products. I’ve also found conflicting information from sellers regarding live versus non-living, how much to feed, how often to feed, nitrate/phosphate reduction, and even how long it will last in the refrigerator. Most sellers usually get around to recommending daily dosing (obviously the more we dose, the more we buy), but if you look around several also mention dosing 2-3 times per week. This isn’t to say that the sellers don’t give good information, only that some of the information is geared toward selling product, and it is a little hard to discern what is what.

I'm not really looking for the “best” brand. I'm really interested in the following:

1. What differences have users noticed between dosing phytoplankton and dosing traditional coral foods (good and/or bad differences)?
2. Is there a difference in the benefits of phytoplankton when comparing live to non-living?
3. How long will phytoplankton really last in the refrigerator (live and non-living)?
4. Is it necessary to dose phytoplankton daily (e.g. have folks seen a big difference dosing daily versus 2-3 timer per week)? Does living or non-living make a difference in dosing regimen?
5. Though this also relates to how often to dose, how much (volume) does it take to see benefits?
6. Assuming live phytoplankton, how long might it live in a reef tank and might it reproduce? I realize it will be consumed, die, be skimmed-out, etc. at some point, but how long might it remain viable once added to the tank (this would likely have a bearing on #4)?
7. When comparing phytoplankton to traditional coral foods, are there any benefits in regards to nitrates/phosphates?

I haven't read the replies yet, and I don't even know when you posted this... But THANK YOU!!! At the very least you have eloquently summed up every bit of conflicting information I've also encountered as a researching newbie!! Annnnnd the entire reason I officially joined R2R! (Now I'll go read what people answered you and hope there isn't more confusion, after)

 

[SueAbu]

consider using easyreef gel and a doser into the return pump, it def seems like a solid product to me (currently using their single serve packs to try them out and I really like the smell and density of the product, the packs are ridiculously convenient too, although pretty wasteful from a plastics standpoint and I won’t buy it again. I will prob switch to the dosable gel in a bag as a primary food)

Aggghhhhh another brand to research!!! Hahaha other than that, thank you for the results of your experience.