Proving the advantages of phytoplankton and Microbes

[sixty_reefer]

Been playing around With phytoplankton for over two years and I believe that am getting really close to prove that phytoplankton can be used as a method for carbon dosing, vitamins and amino acid in perfect doses.

this thread is a follow up from my previous thread

Continuous phytoplankton|rotifers reactor 24h food supply

Hi guys this is a little project I’ve been working on for a few months and now looking for your views on this subject. It all started with me getting a few non photosynthetic corals (gorgonians) and got me thinking in a way we’re I could give them a constant supply of food. The project started...

www.reef2reef.com

in this thread I intend to develop a new reactor that uses bacteria to break down phytoplankton into all those essential elements for a reef tank.

video of the initial reactor, in here we can see nitrogen being released by the bacteria further testing still to be made.

 

[reef lover]

Very cool idea!

 

[sixty_reefer]

Very cool idea!

it’s a cool idea based purely on a hypothesis. All I can do is observe.

so far I have noticed that the phytoplankton is being consumed by the bacteria in the tank. Not sure if it’s beneficial in any way, am just curious. Am sure @AquaBiomics and danna riddle will be able to bring us some proper data on the subject soon. I suspect that as phytoplankton gets broken down by bacteria a lot of beneficial traces and nutrients do get released into the water column.

 

[ScottR]

Thanks for doing this. This has always been an idea I’ve been pondering for a long time. My cheat on this was always supplementing NSW to my tank to add the diversity to tank; be it bacteria, phyto or anything. But phyto has always piqued my interest. Specifically because I believe that phyto also helps to consume NO3 and PO4 while at the same time providing a food source for corals, inverts and other zooplankton. I sort of see it as a link in the food chain.

 

[Silent]

Sometimes I feel like I'm part of a scientific community of researchers lol. Besides the world renowned geniuses of our hobby like Randy Holmes-Farley and others, we seem to have an entire community of hobbyist that are super intelligent. I just got done reading about using a Hanna checker being used for testing iodine. Amazed everyday at the level of knowledge we have here.
Thanks for contributing sixty_reefer to our quest for knowledge.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Thanks for doing this. This has always been an idea I’ve been pondering for a long time. My cheat on this was always supplementing NSW to my tank to add the diversity to tank; be it bacteria, phyto or anything. But phyto has always piqued my interest. Specifically because I believe that phyto also helps to consume NO3 and PO4 while at the same time providing a food source for corals, inverts and other zooplankton. I sort of see it as a link in the food chain.

Interesting you mentioned that, I have a theory that is purely anecdotal. And in that theory I believe that is actually the bacteria that is consuming the no3 and po4. I have no means to prove what I’ve just said. This experience is a vague idea to explore this tough by adding dead phytoplankton to a vessel and let tank water travel through it, hopefully allowing the bacteria to consume the phytoplankton. So far I have noticed that they can consume it rather quickly. Around 1.5grams per day.

I did a similar experience in the past With a live continuous culture

Continuous phytoplankton|rotifers reactor 24h food supply

Hi guys this is a little project I’ve been working on for a few months and now looking for your views on this subject. It all started with me getting a few non photosynthetic corals (gorgonians) and got me thinking in a way we’re I could give them a constant supply of food. The project started...

www.reef2reef.com

But I got to a point we’re I could control po4 because of the fertilisers. Am hoping with this experience I can remove the po4 issues.

 

[Samina]

First off, thank you for doing this experiment and for sharing it with us. Your experience with it, information, and insight you are providing, be it anecdotal or not, it is still very valuable and allows us to delve deeper into understanding these processes.

I followed your continuous build and read through the entire thread a while back and wanted to implement it into my system. Unfortunately, I simply have not gotten to it just yet. What I wanted to ask you was are you still continuing to dose live phyto and rotifiers into your system in conjunction with what is being dosed into your system after bacteria break down the phyto in this reactor? Also, are you adding dead phyto to this reactor or is it phyto that you are transferring from the live continuous feed reactor? Sorry for all the questions. I just love this concept and am super interested in it!

 

[ScottR]

Interesting you mentioned that, I have a theory that is purely anecdotal. And in that theory I believe that is actually the bacteria that is consuming the no3 and po4. I have no means to prove what I’ve just said. This experience is a vague idea to explore this tough by adding dead phytoplankton to a vessel and let tank water travel through it, hopefully allowing the bacteria to consume the phytoplankton. So far I have noticed that they can consume it rather quickly. Around 1.5grams per day.

I did a similar experience in the past With a live continuous culture

Continuous phytoplankton|rotifers reactor 24h food supply

Hi guys this is a little project I’ve been working on for a few months and now looking for your views on this subject. It all started with me getting a few non photosynthetic corals (gorgonians) and got me thinking in a way we’re I could give them a constant supply of food. The project started...

www.reef2reef.com

But I got to a point we’re I could control po4 because of the fertilisers. Am hoping with this experience I can remove the po4 issues.

This isn’t my strong-suit but nitrifying bacteria convert NH4 into NO2 then NO3. I believe there is a bacteria that converts NO3 into a gas which leaves the tank. As far as I know, there is not a product on the market that claims to convert NO3 into a gas which then leaves the tank. Again, not my expertise. But there are organisms which consume NO3 and PO4. However, controlling those numbers within a usable number is another topic.

 

[sixty_reefer]

First off, thank you for doing this experiment and for sharing it with us. Your experience with it, information, and insight you are providing, be it anecdotal or not, it is still very valuable and allows us to delve deeper into understanding these processes.

I followed your continuous build and read through the entire thread a while back and wanted to implement it into my system. Unfortunately, I simply have not gotten to it just yet. What I wanted to ask you was are you still continuing to dose live phyto and rotifiers into your system in conjunction with what is being dosed into your system after bacteria break down the phyto in this reactor? Also, are you adding dead phyto to this reactor or is it phyto that you are transferring from the live continuous feed reactor? Sorry for all the questions. I just love this concept and am super interested in it!

in all honesty I wouldn’t attempt in mimic the continuous reactor, even though I’ve seen a lot of good things there is also the fact that po4 can’t be controlled. I’ve stopped the reactor about a month ago and taking this approach now. Not sure if it will go anywhere but is just a bit of fun. In this one am using Phytoplankton freeze dried loose pure powde.

 

[sixty_reefer]

This isn’t my strong-suit but nitrifying bacteria convert NH4 into NO2 then NO3. I believe there is a bacteria that converts NO3 into a gas which leaves the tank. As far as I know, there is not a product on the market that claims to convert NO3 into a gas which then leaves the tank. Again, not my expertise. But there are organisms which consume NO3 and PO4. However, controlling those numbers within a usable number is another topic.

that’s true and again am just observing.I don’t have any background to support my suspicions. in the video i can see gas bubbles coming from the phytoplankton, I suspect it’s being converted into nitrogen in some way there’s only tank water and phytoplankton inside that vessel. This goes on 24/7.