Phytoplankton culture crashed ?

Yates273

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
1,619
Reaction score
1,170
Location
NJ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Does it smell? If not add more fertilizer and see what happens. May be no more food for them to consume.
 

Yates273

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
1,619
Reaction score
1,170
Location
NJ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It will have a really foul smell. If not, it smells like, algae Hard to explain. Try adding some F2 fertilizer and see if you can get color back. They may have consumed everything.
 

Derrick0580

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 6, 2022
Messages
1,707
Reaction score
1,897
Location
Lafayette Indiana
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I use 4ml per 3 liters of culture. When I split mine I try and use close to 1 liter of live phyto and 2 liters of 1.020 rodi saltwater. I try and harvest on the 7th day as the longer you wait the more likely a crash can happen.
 
OP
OP
SahnCH

SahnCH

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 23, 2022
Messages
25
Reaction score
8
Location
Begnins - Switzerland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks both, I've added 15 ml of Grotech Phytofood, which is rated for 1.5L of new culture.

I Keep you updated.

I think the foul smell started, though my brain refuse to process the signal xD
 

Kmst80

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 27, 2021
Messages
602
Reaction score
814
Location
Ipswich, Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks both, I've added 15 ml of Grotech Phytofood, which is rated for 1.5L of new culture.

I Keep you updated.

I think the foul smell started, though my brain refuse to process the signal xD
Did you sterilize all equipment? I use 5 mg miracle grow on 1.5 lt and leave the culture 2 weeks, gets really dark green.
Have been doing this for half a year reusing half of the culture.
 
OP
OP
SahnCH

SahnCH

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 23, 2022
Messages
25
Reaction score
8
Location
Begnins - Switzerland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No I did not sterilize... I originally though the sterilization was only needed when you change culture - big mistake obviously :) According to my GF the culture doesn't stink, just slightly smell like algae - let's see!
Thanks again for your tips!
 

Derrick0580

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 6, 2022
Messages
1,707
Reaction score
1,897
Location
Lafayette Indiana
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No I did not sterilize... I originally though the sterilization was only needed when you change culture - big mistake obviously :) According to my GF the culture doesn't stink, just slightly smell like algae - let's see!
Thanks again for your tips!
Yeah major sterilization is an absolute must! Every time I harvest and split I wipe down the countertop, harvesting buckets, my hands, basically anything that may come into contact with the phyto with 70% alcohol, do not use 90% as it doesn’t work as well due to the fact it will burn the outside of the bacteria before actually killing it.
 

Derrick0580

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 6, 2022
Messages
1,707
Reaction score
1,897
Location
Lafayette Indiana
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hydro Algal Fertilizer, Guillard f/2 Formula, 32 oz Bottle https://a.co/d/8ExN6rS

This is the f2 fertilizer I use, directions say 1ml per liter of culture, however I have been using 4ml per a 3 liter culture and haven’t lost a culture in months.
 
OP
OP
SahnCH

SahnCH

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 23, 2022
Messages
25
Reaction score
8
Location
Begnins - Switzerland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I took a video with a microscope :
The (I assume it's the nanno round stuff) plankton doesn't seems to move at all, also what at the weird straight line ? I've never seen that in plankton microscopic images :/
 

Anthony Scholfield

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 13, 2019
Messages
1,000
Reaction score
1,260
Location
Eau Claire
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I took a video with a microscope :
The (I assume it's the nanno round stuff) plankton doesn't seems to move at all, also what at the weird straight line ? I've never seen that in plankton microscopic images :/


You likely have a contamination issue. It’s not likely lacking fertilizer if you added some at the beginning unless it was a very small amount. I use 1.5ML F2 for 3L total and at 7 days it’s ready.

Here’s a tip for denser cultures. At day 7 add .5ML more fertilizer and harvest on day 9. All my experimenting and I find I get the densest cultures this way.

As mentioned above I find contamination to be your biggest enemy for clean successful harvests.

The round spots in the microscope appear to be nannochloropsis which will not be mobile, they sit suspended in the water column, unlike isochrysis and tetraselmis which have a flagella and do move. The hair like strands I don’t know but should not be there. You should only see the green cells.

Microscope slides I took:
Nannochloropsis
9A51D795-F7E4-40EF-8F84-1636E8E7B06D.jpeg


Isochrysis
E3F604C6-734E-4F50-8B50-5F94EEEE0C28.jpeg


Tetraselmis
A721E39A-FE5C-44EA-AD3D-7B331706CF74.jpeg



If you’re on Instagram I have a lot of videos and info that may be helpful concerning culturing phytoplankton. @doubleadeejay

Otherwise feel free to reach out here.
 

((FORDTECH))

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
4,838
Reaction score
4,270
Location
Chicago
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I took a video with a microscope :
The (I assume it's the nanno round stuff) plankton doesn't seems to move at all, also what at the weird straight line ? I've never seen that in plankton microscopic images :/

Is the top of your phyto vessel covered ? Maybe those are dust from floating I. The air and it contaminated your culture
 

Derrick0580

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 6, 2022
Messages
1,707
Reaction score
1,897
Location
Lafayette Indiana
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You likely have a contamination issue. It’s not likely lacking fertilizer if you added some at the beginning unless it was a very small amount. I use 1.5ML F2 for 3L total and at 7 days it’s ready.

Here’s a tip for denser cultures. At day 7 add .5ML more fertilizer and harvest on day 9. All my experimenting and I find I get the densest cultures this way.

As mentioned above I find contamination to be your biggest enemy for clean successful harvests.

The round spots in the microscope appear to be nannochloropsis which will not be mobile, they sit suspended in the water column, unlike isochrysis and tetraselmis which have a flagella and do move. The hair like strands I don’t know but should not be there. You should only see the green cells.

Microscope slides I took:
Nannochloropsis
9A51D795-F7E4-40EF-8F84-1636E8E7B06D.jpeg


Isochrysis
E3F604C6-734E-4F50-8B50-5F94EEEE0C28.jpeg


Tetraselmis
A721E39A-FE5C-44EA-AD3D-7B331706CF74.jpeg



If you’re on Instagram I have a lot of videos and info that may be helpful concerning culturing phytoplankton. @doubleadeejay

Otherwise feel free to reach out here.
Listen to what Anthony tells you, he is my phyto guru I always message when I have questions! Good dude and very knowledgeable!
 
OP
OP
SahnCH

SahnCH

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 23, 2022
Messages
25
Reaction score
8
Location
Begnins - Switzerland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi both,

Yes the phyto vessel is covered.
Though..... I went back from Ikea, didn't even cleaned the vessel and started the culture straight...
Sometime being impatient and excited makes you stupid :)

I will start again with a new batch this week end, this time I will clean everything meticulously and sanitize the vessel with bleach before starting. I will keep you updated ! Thanks both !
 

((FORDTECH))

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
4,838
Reaction score
4,270
Location
Chicago
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi both,

Yes the phyto vessel is covered.
Though..... I went back from Ikea, didn't even cleaned the vessel and started the culture straight...
Sometime being impatient and excited makes you stupid :)

I will start again with a new batch this week end, this time I will clean everything meticulously and sanitize the vessel with bleach before starting. I will keep you updated ! Thanks both !
I’m not sure if bleach works for this but I do know 70% rubbing alcohol does…
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 64 37.0%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 34.1%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 24 13.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 15.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top