Live phytoplankton

[Robin316us]

Hi wanted to know if any benefit in dosing live phytoplankton and which live phytoplankton to dose for 120 gallon tank..

 

[Zach B]

Absolutely beneficial in my opinion. @Eldredge sells some of the best phyto in the country! Best of luck :)

 

[AydenLincoln]

It’s great for corals and filter feeders. Plus it’s at the bottom of the food chain in the ocean and very important. Just don’t overdose it and go slow/follow the directions.

 

[Uncle99]

I use reef nutrition live pyhto.
Very beneficial as it feeds everyone,

 

[Eldredge]

Hi wanted to know if any benefit in dosing live phytoplankton and which live phytoplankton to dose for 120 gallon tank..

There are many benefits to dosing live phyto. In a natural reef, phytoplankton is at the base of the food chain. It converts sunlight into food via photosynthesis. The phyto is then consumed by other organisms which are consumed by other organisms and so on up the food chain. Without phytoplankton, our ocean’s reefs would not exist.

In a closed reef aquarium with filtration and a concentrated number of organisms, it isn’t really feasible to sustain a steady amount of phytoplankton. So, dosing is needed. There are many benefits observed by aquarists including higher pH, lower nutrient levels, less nuisance algae, increased growth of NPS corals and filter feeders, increased feeding response from many corals, increased numbers of pods and filter feeders, and increased bio-diversity in general.

The benefits of dosing phyto will vary somewhat from system to system, and not every reefer will observe every benefit. I tend to think of phyto as a very basic food that makes the system more diverse, robust, and healthy.

It would probably be helpful to consider your specific needs when determining which phyto is "best". If you are raising a specific organism, you can likely find information on it's nutritional needs if it is commonly raised. Different organisms have different nutritional needs. Since we have many organisms in our systems - and we really know very little about many of there dietary needs - there are a few things you might want to consider when choosing a source of phyto for dosing a reef tank.

- Is the phyto dead or alive? For some organisms, it won't matter, but for others it is critical to have live feed. It is also very difficult to overdose healthy, live phyto while dead phyto requires caution like any other dead food.
- Is there a variety of cell sizes? Different organisms have different requirements as far as cell size goes.
- Is there a blend of phyto species that have different nutritional profiles. Certain species have certain nutrients and lack others. Varying organisms need varying nutrients to thrive.
- Does the mix include motile and non-motile species. Again, some organisms don't care, others need motile cells, and some need non-motile cells. It is also important to know that the cells of the motile species are still motile and actually "swim" around.
- Does the mix include green and brown algaes as well as diatoms. In my opinion a good blend should have all three.

I believe that dosing phyto is one of the best things you can do for your reef. Properly dosing any good phyto will be beneficial, and dosing a top-quality blend of fresh live phyto is ideal in my opinion.

 

[GarrettT]

I would recommend nanno and a motile algae like tetra or iso (preferably iso). Eldredge is a well known and trusted source.

 

[flagg37]

There are many benefits to dosing live phyto. In a natural reef, phytoplankton is at the base of the food chain. It converts sunlight into food via photosynthesis. The phyto is then consumed by other organisms which are consumed by other organisms and so on up the food chain. Without phytoplankton, our ocean’s reefs would not exist.

In a closed reef aquarium with filtration and a concentrated number of organisms, it isn’t really feasible to sustain a steady amount of phytoplankton. So, dosing is needed. There are many benefits observed by aquarists including higher pH, lower nutrient levels, less nuisance algae, increased growth of NPS corals and filter feeders, increased feeding response from many corals, increased numbers of pods and filter feeders, and increased bio-diversity in general.

The benefits of dosing phyto will vary somewhat from system to system, and not every reefer will observe every benefit. I tend to think of phyto as a very basic food that makes the system more diverse, robust, and healthy.

It would probably be helpful to consider your specific needs when determining which phyto is "best". If you are raising a specific organism, you can likely find information on it's nutritional needs if it is commonly raised. Different organisms have different nutritional needs. Since we have many organisms in our systems - and we really know very little about many of there dietary needs - there are a few things you might want to consider when choosing a source of phyto for dosing a reef tank.

- Is the phyto dead or alive? For some organisms, it won't matter, but for others it is critical to have live feed. It is also very difficult to overdose healthy, live phyto while dead phyto requires caution like any other dead food.
- Is there a variety of cell sizes? Different organisms have different requirements as far as cell size goes.
- Is there a blend of phyto species that have different nutritional profiles. Certain species have certain nutrients and lack others. Varying organisms need varying nutrients to thrive.
- Does the mix include motile and non-motile species. Again, some organisms don't care, others need motile cells, and some need non-motile cells. It is also important to know that the cells of the motile species are still motile and actually "swim" around.
- Does the mix include green and brown algaes as well as diatoms. In my opinion a good blend should have all three.

I believe that dosing phyto is one of the best things you can do for your reef. Properly dosing any good phyto will be beneficial, and dosing a top-quality blend of fresh live phyto is ideal in my opinion.

Do you know the approximate size of the phytoplankton? I know you said it varies by species but is there a range? I’ve been looking at using a roller mat but don’t want all this live phytoplankton getting caught in the media.

 

[GarrettT]

Do you know the approximate size of the phytoplankton? I know you said it varies by species but is there a range?

4-17 microns. Nanno, which is the most popular, is around 4-6 microns.

 

[CoralB]

Abosolutly !!! IMO yes !!! :smiling-face-with-sunglasses:

 

[Eldredge]

Do you know the approximate size of the phytoplankton? I know you said it varies by species but is there a range? I’ve been looking at using a roller mat but don’t want all this live phytoplankton getting caught in the media.

The species I culture range from 1 to 14 microns. I would have to check which species are which sizes, but that’s the range of all of them. I’m sure GarrettT is correct.

 

[flagg37]

The species I culture range from 1 to 14 microns. I would have to check which species are which sizes, but that’s the range of all of them. I’m sure GarrettT is correct.

4-17 microns. Nanno, which is the most popular, is around 4-6 microns.

Thanks guys, that's good to know. The media I've been looking at is in the 30-50 micron size so I think I'm good to go for it.

 

[Mikedawg]

Eldredge's phyto blend is the best I've found, and you can't beat his customer service. Regular dosing has significantly improved the health of my tanks.

 

[rusty dowell]

I recently have been dosing phytoplankton in my 265 mixed Reef I made phytoplankton for my rotifers.
1. My cheato is melting
2 I had lots of bubble algae in display tank
Almost all gone(good thing)
Question is phytoplankton killing off my Cheato!

 

[flagg37]

I recently have been dosing phytoplankton in my 265 mixed Reef I made phytoplankton for my rotifers.
1. My cheato is melting
2 I had lots of bubble algae in display tank
Almost all gone(good thing)
Question is phytoplankton killing off my Cheato!

I wouldn’t suspect it to have any detrimental effects on chaeto; only beneficial.

 

[wickedtuna]

The species I culture range from 1 to 14 microns. I would have to check which species are which sizes, but that’s the range of all of them. I’m sure GarrettT is correct.

Eldridge, I'm looking for ways to combat green hair algae in a commercial tank that has elasmobranchs. How long does dosing live phyto take to outcompete hair algae? Are there any incidents of live phyto doses harming teleosts and elasmobranchs?

 

[Eldredge]

Eldridge, I'm looking for ways to combat green hair algae in a commercial tank that has elasmobranchs. How long does dosing live phyto take to outcompete hair algae? Are there any incidents of live phyto doses harming teleosts and elasmobranchs?

Hello! Sounds like you have an interesting project going. I am not aware of any incidents of harm. It is hard to imagine that phyto could harm the adults, but I don't know much about raising them.

As far as outcompeting hair algae, I think it will be quite variable depending upon the nutrients being added to the tank. If there are enough nutrients to support all of the algae, the phyto will probably never completely rid the system of the hair algae. There are some great benefits to adding live phyto, but there are probably better ways to combat hair algae. While the phyto will compete for nutrients until it is consumed or filtered out, the effect will be somewhat limited in most cases (I think).

Good luck with the fish! I'm sorry I can't give you more solid information, but please let me know if you have any other questions.