Growing phyto

[jeffchapok]

I've finally perfected my phyto recipe. I put 5 qts into a plastic fish bowl along with 40 mL of F2 and a little dash of salt. Keep it lit 24 hrs/day for 5 days, then pull off a gallon, top off the water and salt, add another 40 mL of F2 and start all over again.

It is coming out so inky black now you can't even see through it. And it's a beautiful blue green. My earlier attempts were green at best, and sometimes a sickly yellowish green.

This is literally the easiest thing in the world. I think I spent $12 on an LED painters light, a couple of bucks on the fish bowl and throw in an airstone and pump that I had lying around. $16 for 16 oz of F2 and that's it.

I'll never pay for phyto again. In fact, I'm making so much now I'm giving it away. I don't want to stop and have to restart the culture again but I can't use it as fast as I'm making it.

 

[Spare time]

You put 40ml into 1.25 gallons???!! That is probably 30 to 60 times to recommended dose so no wonder its insanely dark lol

 

[ichthyogeek]

Amazing! What species are you culturing right now? It looks like Nannochloropsis...but if you could get Pavlova, Isochrysis, or Rhodomonas to do that, it'd be revolutionary!

 

[jeffchapok]

You put 40ml into 1.25 gallons???!! That is probably 30 to 60 times to recommended dose so no wonder its insanely dark lol

Oops, you're right! 4 ml, not 40. D'oh!

I can't edit the original post, perhaps because it's been replied to.

 

[jeffchapok]

Amazing! What species are you culturing right now? It looks like Nannochloropsis...but if you could get Pavlova, Isochrysis, or Rhodomonas to do that, it'd be revolutionary!

I have no clue. I just started with an unlabeled bottle from my LFS. The next time I'm there, I'll ask them what it is.

 

[csb123]

What salinity is your culture water?

 

[Damian reef boi]

That's so cool I'm going to try you're way for some reason mine is greenish yellowish

 

[jeffchapok]

What salinity is your culture water?

I don't even measure or test it. Whenever I harvest and refill with fresh water, I just reach into my salt bucket and grab *some* salt and toss it in. Maybe a few grams. I seem to recall reading somewhere that 1.014 was good for growing phyto.

 

[jeffchapok]

That's so cool I'm going to try you're way for some reason mine is greenish yellowish

After 4 or 5 days, if mine isn't as dark as I want, I'll add another ml or two of F2 and then let it brew 2 more days. I want to give the F2 time to be consumed before dosing it into my display tank.