How i can make Phytoplankton from 0

[Abdelrazak]

hello,

i want to start make Phytoplankton at home but i am from Lebanon and i can't find the starter and any product can help me to start

so there any way to start without starter culture from 0 ?

Thank you.

 

[Nano_Man]

Buy some live plankton Lfs or online get a plastic bottle say 2 litres or whatever you want to use. Put some bleach in it and warm water and wash it out then rinse 2 or 3 times with fresh water. You also need a rigid bit of plastic pipe fulll length of your bottle this needs bleached also. Put quarter of the live plankton in the bottle and three quarters salt at a salinity of 1.019 and a cap full of fertilizer I use natural seaweed . You will need a light to shine at the bottle I don’t use one I just sit it next to the window. You will see it get greener and greener as time goes on should be ready to harvest on day 12
Keep stored in the fridge
4 to 6 weeks shelf life

 

[Abdelrazak]

Thanks for your reply
i tried to buy live plankton online but i can't find sipping to Lebanon

 

[Nano_Man]

Thanks for your reply
i tried to buy live plankton online but i can't find sipping to Lebanon

If you were in the uk I would of gave you plankton for nothing

 

[Abdelrazak]

i am in lebanon in MEA :D

 

[Mhamilton0911]

i am in lebanon in MEA :D

I realize you are not in the US, however, this farm in Florida does starter cultures in a shelf stable way. You might try to contact them to see what shipping will look like for you. Or, you might try to search for this type more locally for you.

https://floridaaquafarms.com/shop/microalgae-disks/

 

[Abdelrazak]

that means no way to start make phytoplankton without starter

 

[GARRIGA]

Started with water, 24/7 high intensity lights and miracle grow although F2 better. This was fresh but don’t see why marine life wouldn't eat it although add salt and get same results.

 

[GARRIGA]

Here’s my saltwater culture outdoors from water and rocks off dismantled experiment.

 

[Abdelrazak]

Here’s my saltwater culture outdoors from water and rocks off dismantled experiment.

you mean i can start from salt water and rock and put outdoor under sunset ?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

that means no way to start make phytoplankton without starter

you mean i can start from salt water and rock and put outdoor under sunset ?

You have to have some sort of phytoplankton to start the culture, yes - you can't get something from nothing.

However, if anything you add to your aquarium happens to be carrying a little bit of phytoplankton on it when it comes in, that can act as a starter.

Alternatively, if you have access to natural seawater, you can try collecting some of the seawater, and there's a good chance it'll contain some phytoplankton in it (especially if it's a bit greenish in color) to use as a starter.

 

[GARRIGA]

you mean i can start from salt water and rock and put outdoor under sunset ?

Yes. Need to fertilize it with nutrients. Miracle grow works. Guillard’s F2 best. Latter might be available in your area in Amazon. Don’t know. It’s just an open source recipe that others sell and you could make your own.

Don’t need the rock. I brought it over because I kept my snails.

Just a vessel. Sunlight. Nutrients. Nature takes care of the rest.

 

[Abdelrazak]

You have to have some sort of phytoplankton to start the culture, yes - you can't get something from nothing.

However, if anything you add to your aquarium happens to be carrying a little bit of phytoplankton on it when it comes in, that can act as a starter.

Alternatively, if you have access to natural seawater, you can try collecting some of the seawater, and there's a good chance it'll contain some phytoplankton in it (especially if it's a bit greenish in color) to use as a starter.

i can get water from sea it's near to me

 

[vahegan]

You need to find a starter somewhere. Ask around, some other hobbyists in your area might have it. I am in Armenia, and here too it is not easy to order live cultures from abroad, however I know at least two people in the city who culture phyto. You might be able to find someone too.
You can't use seawater or tankwater to start the culture - you are likely to get other organisms in the culture, which will result in a crash - either bacterial bloom, or other planctonic organisms which are always present in tank water will eat the phyto faster than it reproduces. If you check the second post in this thread with recommendations, you can see that he tells to use bleach on all the equipment and freshly made saltwater - never use water from the tank. This is essential.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

I realize you are not in the US, however, this farm in Florida does starter cultures in a shelf stable way. You might try to contact them to see what shipping will look like for you. Or, you might try to search for this type more locally for you.

https://floridaaquafarms.com/shop/microalgae-disks/

Saving that link for later

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

You need to find a starter somewhere. Ask around, some other hobbyists in your area might have it. I am in Armenia, and here too it is not easy to order live cultures from abroad, however I know at least two people in the city who culture phyto. You might be able to find someone too.
You can't use seawater or tankwater to start the culture - you are likely to get other organisms in the culture, which will result in a crash - either bacterial bloom, or other planctonic organisms which are always present in tank water will eat the phyto faster than it reproduces. If you check the second post in this thread with recommendations, you can see that he tells to use bleach on all the equipment and freshly made saltwater - never use water from the tank. This is essential.

I would disagree. It may be possible, but not as likely as you would think. It may not be a pure strain, but if it is for feeding, it doesn’t matter as much. one strain will dominate. (probably Tet). Right now in one of my fry nursery's I am using NSW and growing phyto to feed the rotifers. I have to split the culture every three days. It's dirty, but the rotifers don't care.

 

[vahegan]

I would disagree. It may be possible, but not as likely as you would think. It may not be a pure strain, but if it is for feeding, it doesn’t matter as much. one strain will dominate. (probably Tet). Right now in one of my fry nursery's I am using NSW and growing phyto to feed the rotifers. I have to split the culture every three days. It's dirty, but the rotifers don't care.

My main concern is not the phyto strain purity, but if you get a couple of those rotifers or other zoo in the culture, they would likely ruin it in no time.

 

[Joseph_Joe]

Buy some live plankton Lfs or online get a plastic bottle say 2 litres or whatever you want to use. Put some bleach in it and warm water and wash it out then rinse 2 or 3 times with fresh water. You also need a rigid bit of plastic pipe fulll length of your bottle this needs bleached also. Put quarter of the live plankton in the bottle and three quarters salt at a salinity of 1.019 and a cap full of fertilizer I use natural seaweed . You will need a light to shine at the bottle I don’t use one I just sit it next to the window. You will see it get greener and greener as time goes on should be ready to harvest on day 12
Keep stored in the fridge
4 to 6 weeks shelf life

I read that steering and air pump were needed.
Can a simple bottle under the Sun be enough ? Is the system self sustained and we Can regularly extract some plankton from it ? Dors it need regular water changes or fertilizing ? Thanks

 

[Nano_Man]

Yes of course you need an air pump to bubble the bottle keep things moving in the bottle. When you’re ready to harvest take three quarters of the bottled plankton for using and the other quarter sets up your next culture and yes in summer time with long day light you can. Produce plankton will just day light in winter months you will need a light



This is mine do you see a light

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

My main concern is not the phyto strain purity, but if you get a couple of those rotifers or other zoo in the culture, they would likely ruin it in no time.

Now you got me thinking, because I am growing to feed. So the more in the mix the better. But if I was going to start from scratch with NSW. I would filter the water with a 10µ to 20µ sieve which would take care of probably most if not all of your zooplankton. Then you could scope and separate some strains if you wanted to take it a step further.