How long will live bottled phytoplankton actually survive

[Narideth]

So I've been doing a lot of looking around on how long a bottle of live phyto will actually live for, given the proper care. Proper care being - kept at appropriately refrigerated temperatures, and given the wake-up shake every day or so.

I've seen some sites say that they survive for only 7 days, some say a month, some say 2 or more months even up to 6. This may be indicative of different production methods, liquid mixtures etc, but I'd like to see what people here think or what they're experiencing. I've been dosing to 1. help neutralize my fading dyno problem, 2. feed and bolster the copepods I added and 3. help balance out the other nuisance algae. I've been dosing Ocean Magic from Algaebarn, though I'm going to look for other local sources, but even their information is skewed based on where you look. The website says 3-4 weeks, the bottles say up to two months from arrival, which is also stamped on the bottle itself as a current date.

So what is the actual time? My bottle came smelling strongly of -green-, that is to say, it smelled like broccoli but not rotten broccoli as was described as a 'bad' indicator but that scent faded and it doesn't smell like anything now. I'm well outside of the 4 week window but within the 2 month, and my 16oz bottle is nearly empty as I'm only using it on two small tanks. What are your experiences with bottled live phyto?

 

[ForTheLoveOfCoral21]

If the phytoplankton are kept in a nutrient-rich, light-exposed, and temperature-controlled environment, they can continue to photosynthesize and reproduce for a period of weeks to months.

However, bottled phytoplankton are often refrigerated to prolong their shelf life. When refrigerated, they may stay alive for several months, but they are essentially in a dormant state and their population does not grow. Once the bottle is opened and the phytoplankton are exposed to light and nutrients (often by adding them to an aquarium), they can begin to multiply again.

 

[Allaric]

So I've been doing a lot of looking around on how long a bottle of live phyto will actually live for, given the proper care. Proper care being - kept at appropriately refrigerated temperatures, and given the wake-up shake every day or so.

I've seen some sites say that they survive for only 7 days, some say a month, some say 2 or more months even up to 6. This may be indicative of different production methods, liquid mixtures etc, but I'd like to see what people here think or what they're experiencing. I've been dosing to 1. help neutralize my fading dyno problem, 2. feed and bolster the copepods I added and 3. help balance out the other nuisance algae. I've been dosing Ocean Magic from Algaebarn, though I'm going to look for other local sources, but even their information is skewed based on where you look. The website says 3-4 weeks, the bottles say up to two months from arrival, which is also stamped on the bottle itself as a current date.

So what is the actual time? My bottle came smelling strongly of -green-, that is to say, it smelled like broccoli but not rotten broccoli as was described as a 'bad' indicator but that scent faded and it doesn't smell like anything now. I'm well outside of the 4 week window but within the 2 month, and my 16oz bottle is nearly empty as I'm only using it on two small tanks. What are your experiences with bottled live phyto?

I can usually get 6-8 weeks out of a bottle in the fridge. I got a bottle recently from AB with a "Best By" date set a few days after I received it. I hit them up and they said it would last at least 4 weeks after that date.

 

[kurbanas]

I have used phtoplankton well outside the 4 week window that was refrigerated and unopened.

 

[Dinkins Aquatic Gardens]

Phytoplankton should enter dormancy and easily survive several months in the fridge. You’ll just want to give it a shake every day or two to keep the cells from settling out and smothering one another.

 

[Narideth]

The timing of these replies are great, I'm sitting on three bottles of fresh phyto and about to try to start my own cultures. Thanks a bunch!

 

[rowdyreefing]

I went out of town for three weeks. So I cultured my phyto put it in container and stuck it in the refrigerator. after returning home and checking, all of it had settled to the bottom. I shook it up and seems to be normal. Can I assume this is dead?

 

[AlgaeBarn]

I went out of town for three weeks. So I cultured my phyto put it in container and stuck it in the refrigerator. after returning home and checking, all of it had settled to the bottom. I shook it up and seems to be normal. Can I assume this is dead?

Just because it has settled does not mean that it is dead. The best way to determine a dead culture is how it smells. If it has an earthy, somewhat sulfuric smell (bi-product dimethyl sulfide), it is still good to use. If it starts to smell like old rotten broccoli, then you should toss it out.

~Sam