phyto dead?

[1mbrews8]

hey all!
is my phyto dead? i started them both on 6/1/11 at about 2pm.. i used one faf petri dish for both (1/2 in one, 1/2 for other bottle). looks kinda pale some angles, darker others.. lmk!

thanks!
mike

 

[CJO]

How much micro algae grow did you add? What kind of lighting do you have? Has it changed at all since you added the innoculant?

CJ

 

[1mbrews8]

i put in maybe 20-25 drops in each..
i am doing the lighting for 16hr on, 8 off. it is a cheap light from walmart.
it has gotten a bit greener, but still looks a bit yellow to me...

should i scrap it to start over with my other petri culture? i want to make sure i dont screw up again... thanks
mike

 

[ficklefins]

What type of water did you use and what was the salinity?
Did you use any fertilizer like Micro Algae Grow?

I think your current culture is dead, 8 days is a long time and it should at least be green by now. I'm sure you've seen Melev's information on the subject but here is a link just in case:
Melevsreef.com - Phytoplankton

 

[1mbrews8]

i did 20-25 drops per 2l and sal was 1.20

i did see the article.. thats why i was iffy on if it was ok.. i did not sterilize the water.. it was tank water..?

 

[CJO]

What kind of cheap lights from walmart? Fluorescent? How many watts? I'm not sure what 20-25 drops are in milliliters.

You didn't do yourself any favors by not sterilizing the water.

The good news is that any culture starts off relatively slowly when you start it from a petri dish. Also, assuming that you are trying to culture Nannochloripsis oculata, it is a fairly hardy and forgiving strain.

It might be OK, but it's hard to say. It could be the start of the phytoplankton or it could be the start of something else. Since you posted this in the fish breeding forum, I assume that you want to breed fish. If so, you need to invest in some equipemnt and time to culture the phytoplankton correctly. Try taking a look at this thread and see if it helps:
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/do-yourself-diy/59497-culturing-phytoplankton.html

CJ

 

[1mbrews8]

it is a 75w, 2 foot light from there.. single long tube flouresent bulb i believe.. i have the 2 L about 3-4" away from it..
i think it said to add that many drops on the bottle
nice article..

so basically heat the water in the microwave or boil it first? if i dont have any declorinater, can i just use white vinager to keep the bottles "sterile"?
thanks
mike