Dosing, Storage, and Sizing Recommendations

[Dinkins Aquatic Gardens]

Amazing info!

Thank you for the kind words! Please feel free to reach out if we can ever assist in any way.

 

[Ghostweim]

I have to chime in and say your phyto is great stuff! I have a mixed reef with fish, coral, a clam and feather duster so this is a must! Algae on the glass is almost non-existent and my copepods are flourishing.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Hey everybody! One of our supporters mentioned that it would be handy to have everything you need for reference in a single place. So let's talk about dosing, storage, and sizing!

Dosing Phytoplankton

If this is your first time dosing phyto in your tank, we suggest starting with 5 ml per 10 gallons of system volume (tank + sump) every day. After a couple weeks, if you're seeing positive results and your nutrient levels are where you want them, we suggest increasing your dosage to 10 ml per 10 gallons of system volume, every day. All orders ship out with syringes to help with dosing!

What does live phyto do to my nutrient levels? Most people report that adding our live phyto causes their nutrient levels to drop (phyto consumes nitrates and phosphates, then the phyto gets eaten by your coral, causing your levels to drop). However, reef tanks are extremely complex ecosystems, and every tank is different.

Do I need phytoplankton if I don't have coral? Our live phyto can help your tank even if you don't have much or any coral. Phytoplankton feeds your microfauna, such as copepods, which keep your tank ecosystem balanced and keep your tank clean. Also, our six species blend of phytoplankton consists of living algae cells, so you're also adding biodiversity to your tank. Some have reported that adding good algae (phytoplankton) causes bad algae to be out-competed in their tanks. Phyto is also important for other filter feeders, such as clams and feather dusters.

Dosing Copepods

We suggest turning off all flow in your tank and adding your entire bottle or jug of copepods all at once. This gets them into your tank immediately, where they can begin consuming detritus and reproducing. After about an hour, it's safe to turn your flow back on. The copepods we sell tend to cling to surfaces, so relatively few will be swept into your overflows. As such, filter socks, skimmers, and UV sterilizers aren't usually a problem. While your filtration will likely remove a small percentage of your pod population, most will be clinging to rocks and sand and won't be bothered.

We suggest dosing half your pods into your tank and half in the refugium area of your sump, if you have one. Otherwise, just add them all to the tank. A sump is not necessary in order to create a self-sustaining population of copepods, although it does help.

Storage

Our live phytoplankton will last about 3-4 months in the fridge if shaken every couple days. Shaking the phyto is important; over time the living cells will tend to settle to the bottom, where they can be smothered by other cells becoming layered on top of them. Shaking your phyto periodically helps keep all the cells suspended. Phytoplankton is comprised of living plant cells, and like most plants, when put in the cold and dark, they go into dormancy. This allows them to last for months before dying.

We do not suggest storing our copepods, as they have a relatively short shelf life. Unlike phytoplankton, these are living animals and most of them don't go "dormant." They continue to need food and oxygen, and if left in the bottle they will eventually die due to lack of those resources. If you absolutely must keep your pods in their bottle for a few days, please take the lid off and feed them a few drops of phyto each day.

Sizing

The amount of phytoplankton and copepods you need will depend on the size of your tank. We have a handy guide here:

Sizing Guide

Great info! Thanks!!!

 

[Dinkins Aquatic Gardens]

I have to chime in and say your phyto is great stuff! I have a mixed reef with fish, coral, a clam and feather duster so this is a must! Algae on the glass is almost non-existent and my copepods are flourishing.

Thank you for saying so - it's wonderful to get reviews like this from customers. We're so glad that your reef is happy, and thank you for Thinkin Dinkins!

 

[alabella1]

So the 10 ml per 10 gallons is per day? Or is that per week…?

@Dinkins Aquatic Gardens - Why not simplify this... why say 10ml per 10 gallons? Can't we just say 1ml per gallon?

 

[Dinkins Aquatic Gardens]

@Dinkins Aquatic Gardens - Why not simplify this... why say 10ml per 10 gallons? Can't we just say 1ml per gallon?

We like to suggest a half dose for the first couple weeks just to make sure your tank's biome doesn't get overwhelmed. (It shouldn't, but I know people like to be cautious with their tanks.) So for the first two weeks, it's either 5 ml per 10 gal or 0.5 ml per gallon. But doing decimals can be confusing at times so I try to avoid them lol. You are absolutely right of course - 1 ml per gallon is our suggestion after that first two weeks.

 

[alabella1]

We like to suggest a half dose for the first couple weeks just to make sure your tank's biome doesn't get overwhelmed. (It shouldn't, but I know people like to be cautious with their tanks.) So for the first two weeks, it's either 5 ml per 10 gal or 0.5 ml per gallon. But doing decimals can be confusing at times so I try to avoid them lol. You are absolutely right of course - 1 ml per gallon is our suggestion after that first two weeks.

Cool cool. Getting ready to place an order so I can try some of that new food!

 

[SauceyReef]

Cool thread. I have found live phyto has massively been helping my tank, and really the only thing that organically drops my PO4 long term without noticeable problems (even if I go really slow).

I also wonder about storage though. I have some now that is over a month old and just keeps settling and clumping at the bottom. WHen I shake it up and administer in the tank, its liek little green clumps. I feel safe though because it has not caused problems, has not caused a change in my nutrients, and does not smell bad yet. That is what I am going off of haha.

I guess if a lot of the phyto is dead, but not spoiled there's no real problem adding it in the tank for some extra nutrients.

 

[Dinkins Aquatic Gardens]

Cool thread. I have found live phyto has massively been helping my tank, and really the only thing that organically drops my PO4 long term without noticeable problems (even if I go really slow).

I also wonder about storage though. I have some now that is over a month old and just keeps settling and clumping at the bottom. WHen I shake it up and administer in the tank, its liek little green clumps. I feel safe though because it has not caused problems, has not caused a change in my nutrients, and does not smell bad yet. That is what I am going off of haha.

I guess if a lot of the phyto is dead, but not spoiled there's no real problem adding it in the tank for some extra nutrients.

That is really unusual - the clumping bit - and I'm not entirely sure what's going on with it. We would be more than happy to send you another bottle or jug if you'll just shoot us a PM with your name.

 

[SauceyReef]

That is really unusual - the clumping bit - and I'm not entirely sure what's going on with it. We would be more than happy to send you another bottle or jug if you'll just shoot us a PM with your name.

I think this just happens when it gets old and is not disturbed enough.

For free?!

 

[Dinkins Aquatic Gardens]

I think this just happens when it gets old and is not disturbed enough.

For free?!

I imagine that you are correct about that, but just to be on the safe side, we'd be happy to replace the phyto free of charge. (We always like to err on the safe side - we like to make happy customers!)