Phyto Culturing Setups

[fryman]

Inline filters. I wouldn't waste them for something like Nannochlorpsis sp., but if you are trying more demanding cultures or are recovering a rather contaminated one they do a good job keeping the culture clean for longer.

The air pumps hate it though , especially if the filters don't get replaced frequently.

I recommend vacuum cleaner bags and tetra whisper 100 air pumps. These will last much longer than syringe filters, although technically a syringe filter should be better due to smaller pore size (0.22 micron or 0.45micron).

If you are set on the syringe filter, using vacuum cleaner bags as a "pre-filter" should allow them to last longer before clogging. I did this for a long time but now I just use the vacuum cleaner bags. It seems to be good enough.

The tetra air pumps also have replaceable diaphrams that cost $15. This one I replaced just a couple weeks ago. The diaphrams in air pumps will tear eventually, leading to low/no airflow.

 

[martin.a]

I recommend vacuum cleaner bags and tetra whisper 100 air pumps. These will last much longer than syringe filters, although technically a syringe filter should be better due to smaller pore size (0.22 micron or 0.45micron).

If you are set on the syringe filter, using vacuum cleaner bags as a "pre-filter" should allow them to last longer before clogging. I did this for a long time but now I just use the vacuum cleaner bags. It seems to be good enough.

The tetra air pumps also have replaceable diaphrams that cost $15. This one I replaced just a couple weeks ago. The diaphrams in air pumps will tear eventually, leading to low/no airflow.

Do you mean his pump: Tetra T284AU Whisper 300 Quiet Aquarium Air Pump? Thanks!

 

[fryman]

Do you mean his pump: Tetra T284AU Whisper 300 Quiet Aquarium Air Pump? Thanks!

I don't know the model number, sorry.

It's the biggest model on this website:
https://www.tetra-fish.com/products/aeration/whisper-aquarium-air-pump

It has 2 air outlets and on the box it's labelled "up to 100 gallons", or something like that.

I like this pump because it puts out alot of air and fits in a standard vacuum cleaner bag. I cut the bag about in half, gently put the air pump inside the bag (have to be careful about the liner, it's very fragile), and tape it shut with duct tape. Since there's alot of surface area it doesn't stress the pump as much as a syringe filter, but still probably does stress the pump. But it should last at least a year, and when airflow declines I buy a new diaphram kit from Amazon.

 

[martin.a]

I don't know the model number, sorry.

It's the biggest model on this website:
https://www.tetra-fish.com/products/aeration/whisper-aquarium-air-pump

It has 2 air outlets and on the box it's labelled "up to 100 gallons", or something like that.

I like this pump because it puts out alot of air and fits in a standard vacuum cleaner bag. I cut the bag about in half, gently put the air pump inside the bag (have to be careful about the liner, it's very fragile), and tape it shut with duct tape. Since there's alot of surface area it doesn't stress the pump as much as a syringe filter, but still probably does stress the pump. But it should last at least a year, and when airflow declines I buy a new diaphram kit from Amazon.

Great! Thanks!

 

[SunBumChris]

This has been working very well. I repurposed a lamp STL and designed it to fit a Voss water bottle. Simple LED from Amazon.

 

[Chocka]

Aquaculture kings setup and then DIY harbor freight special which actually works quite well for making sure culture keeps going. Phyto is nanno and tetra pods are tisbe and tig might switch the tig out for apocyclops as tig seems to be very slow maturing and just all around tough to culture while tisbe is amazingly fast to reproduce. Also have a brine shrimp culture that has really taken off in 3 weeks time you can see it in the background but tons of them first round of adults starting to die off a little but the hatch rate is crazy amongst the inhabitants and put some in the display last night anthias and Cardinals went spastic for them my 3 tangs were like meh.

 

[DmitryB]

Aquaculture kings setup and then DIY harbor freight special which actually works quite well for making sure culture keeps going. Phyto is nanno and tetra pods are tisbe and tig might switch the tig out for apocyclops as tig seems to be very slow maturing and just all around tough to culture while tisbe is amazingly fast to reproduce. Also have a brine shrimp culture that has really taken off in 3 weeks time you can see it in the background but tons of them first round of adults starting to die off a little but the hatch rate is crazy amongst the inhabitants and put some in the display last night anthias and Cardinals went spastic for them my 3 tangs were like meh.

I put some freshly hatched baby brine for my 3 Tangs and I swear I saw them yawn and roll their eyes.

 

[Chigoody]

thanks for all the pictures. I try culturing phyto, is white light the best for phyto? could red/purple color light also work?

 

[DmitryB]

thanks for all the pictures. I try culturing phyto, is white light the best for phyto? could red/purple color light also work?

I think full spectrum white light is what's necessary. I wish I could use blue - easier on the eye. But alas.

 

[Chocka]

Any plant gro light should work harbor freight has them cheap then i made a wooden frame and attached a mirror vinyl sheet to reflect it back from the dark side grows like gangbusters under these. I split every 6 days 1 gallon jar put about 40 percent back into new culture and the other 60 percent for use. I grow my aquaculture kings setup basically to feed my pods as they eat around 40 ml per day each so around 550 to 600 ml to them every week which is perfect for that purpose leaving an appropriate amount to restart those cultures also.

 

[DmitryB]

Any plant gro light should work harbor freight has them cheap then i made a wooden frame and attached a mirror vinyl sheet to reflect it back from the dark side grows like gangbusters under these. I split every 6 days 1 gallon jar put about 40 percent back into new culture and the other 60 percent for use. I grow my aquaculture kings setup basically to feed my pods as they eat around 40 ml per day each so around 550 to 600 ml to them every week which is perfect for that purpose leaving an appropriate amount to restart those cultures also.

Are you having any issues with the pump in the larger Aquaculture Kings unit? Is the pump super loud/full on rattling inside the unit? I had that problem and no longer use that air pump at all. (The smaller unit works fine.)

Also out of curiosity, which pods do you culture?

 

[atoll]

 

[Chocka]

Are you having any issues with the pump in the larger Aquaculture Kings unit? Is the pump super loud/full on rattling inside the unit? I had that problem and no longer use that air pump at all. (The smaller unit works fine.)

Also out of curiosity, which pods do you culture?

I pulled those cheap little air pumps right away and use my external ones. One of the hygger ones failed right away out of the box so I don't trust that set up. I culture both tisbe (easy) and tig (harder/slower) but I am switching the tig culture to apocyclops in 2 weeks

 

[Reef Rhino]

The color of some of these Phyto posts make me think you would be a Marvel Villain or maybe the Hulk if you drank it ...

Here is a four by Reef Legends brewing:

 

[DmitryB]

I pulled those cheap little air pumps right away and use my external ones. One of the hygger ones failed right away out of the box so I don't trust that set up. I culture both tisbe (easy) and tig (harder/slower) but I am switching the tig culture to apocyclops in 2 weeks

Yep same issues with those pumps!

I've only done apocyclops with mixed results. My first batch did well. Second batch... I'm not seeing a whole lotta pods in there and the Phyto is barely being consumed. No idea what's up. How do you start a new culture? Save some of the water with the pods and restart or another method?

 

[DmitryB]

The color of some of these Phyto posts make me think you would be a Marvel Villain or maybe the Hulk if you drank it ...

Here is a four by Reef Legends brewing:

Question on the red light you're using. Is that a refugium light?

 

[Chocka]

I pulled those cheap little air pumps right away and use my external ones. One of the hygger ones failed right away out of the box so I don't trust that set up. I culture both tisbe (easy) and tig (harder/slower) but I am switching the tig culture to apocyclops in 2 weeks

Yep same issues with those pumps!

I've only done apocyclops with mixed results. My first batch did well. Second batch... I'm not seeing a whole lotta pods in there and the Phyto is barely being consumed. No idea what's up. How do you start a new culture? Save some of the water with the pods and restart or another method?

Actually after a little more research the design of this light when raising tig culture actually works against us as it draws the adults down into the mulm as they are attracted to the bright white light on the bottom and they then cannabilize their own young who are trying to grow in the mulm. The recommendation is to turn on the red light at 5 % so they are not attracted down into there allowing the young to propagate. I am going to see if I can save this culture I already have using that method. The tisbe culture grows like crazy and i have split that one many times already. As far as harvesting i have been actually using clean water and cleaning the vessel then adding back in anything I catch in the 53 anything in the 120 I was putting in my display except for a few i would throw back in. This practice also appears to be wrong as you want that layer of mulm on the bottom so will have to be more careful here in the future and probably leave that layer along with a little water. Will let you know how i get along.

 

[DmitryB]

Actually after a little more research the design of this light when raising tig culture actually works against us as it draws the adults down into the mulm as they are attracted to the bright white light on the bottom and they then cannabilize their own young who are trying to grow in the mulm. The recommendation is to turn on the red light at 5 % so they are not attracted down into there allowing the young to propagate. I am going to see if I can save this culture I already have using that method. The tisbe culture grows like crazy and i have split that one many times already. As far as harvesting i have been actually using clean water and cleaning the vessel then adding back in anything I catch in the 53 anything in the 120 I was putting in my display except for a few i would throw back in. This practice also appears to be wrong as you want that layer of mulm on the bottom so will have to be more careful here in the future and probably leave that layer along with a little water. Will let you know how i get along.

Huh so wait, for pods it's best to have a red light?? Some suggestions just say they don't need any light. The pods pod is sitting next to the Phyto pod, so they get a lot of spillover from there. Perhaps I should isolate the pods vessel.

 

[Chocka]

Actually after a little more research the design of this light when raising tig culture actually works against us as it draws the adults down into the mulm as they are attracted to the bright white light on the bottom and they then cannabilize their own young who are trying to grow in the mulm. The recommendation is to turn on the red light at 5 % so they are not attracted down into there allowing the young to propagate. I am going to see if I can save this culture I already have using that method. The tisbe culture grows like crazy and i have split that one many times already. As far as harvesting i have been actually using clean water and cleaning the vessel then adding back in anything I catch in the 53 anything in the 120 I was putting in my display except for a few i would throw back in. This practice also appears to be wrong as you want that layer of mulm on the bottom so will have to be more careful here in the future and probably leave that layer along with a little water. Will let you know how i get along.

Huh so wait, for pods it's best to have a red light?? Some suggestions just say they don't need any light. The pods pod is sitting next to the Phyto pod, so they get a lot of spillover from there. Perhaps I should isolate the pods vessel.

Not necessarily for pods but for tig pods specifically because they eat their young if they cannot hide and most cultures would have light coming from the top not the bottom so that particular culture in this setup use red

 

[Reef By Steele Verified Sponsor]

Here is our new culturing station. Have a few fresh starts in there as we added 4 new strains a couple days ago.

Yes you can have too much light, we toasted our first run of gold and browns, but the greens grew super strong. Made an adjustment and this batch as well as the last was awesome across the board.