Quick phytoplankton culture question

[Niko219]

I am going to attempt to raise clownfish fry as a little school project for my independent study period. I am planning and figuring everything else out, for now im just trying to get a steady phytoplankton culture going. I will be using the F2 phyto fertilizer

-do i need to continue to dose the fertilizer in the culture, or can i just dose it at the start and let the phyto use light to do the rest?

 

[Formulator]

You need to replenish it weekly. Photosynthesis doesn’t magically create matter, the light provides energy to build cells, but the fertilizer provides the building blocks to make those cells.

 

[Niko219]

You need to replenish it weekly. Photosynthesis doesn’t magically create matter, the light provides energy to build cells, but the fertilizer provides the building blocks to make those cells.

Thank you

 

[Formulator]

Thank you

No problem. Sorry if I came off kind of dickish in my response. I was trying to respond really fast as my daughter was calling me from upstairs LOL. Reading it again, I was a bit patronizing. Happy Reefing!

 

[Niko219]

No problem. Sorry if I came off kind of dickish in my response. I was trying to respond really fast as my daughter was calling me from upstairs LOL. Reading it again, I was a bit patronizing. Happy Reefing!

Oh no not at all! I appreciate it

 

[Reef By Steele Verified Sponsor]

I am going to attempt to raise clownfish fry as a little school project for my independent study period. I am planning and figuring everything else out, for now im just trying to get a steady phytoplankton culture going. I will be using the F2 phyto fertilizer

-do i need to continue to dose the fertilizer in the culture, or can i just dose it at the start and let the phyto use light to do the rest?

Have you gotten it figured out? Best way to run a culture is to dose the amount of F/2 to match the culture volume and provide intense light for 12-18 hours per day. When it reaches maturity split it and restart with 1/4 of the culture and refrigerate the rest to use to create the green water for the BBS in the fry tank.

 

[Niko219]

Have you gotten it figured out? Best way to run a culture is to dose the amount of F/2 to match the culture volume and provide intense light for 12-18 hours per day. When it reaches maturity split it and restart with 1/4 of the culture and refrigerate the rest to use to create the green water for the BBS in the fry tank.

Thank you! Im gonna try to raise the babies without bbs, instead just rotifers and tdo chromaboost.

 

[Doctorgori]

Reading it again, I was a bit patronizing.

This happens to me constantly…I broke down and got the sponsor membership mostly so I can go back and edit my spell checker and/or soapbox sounding post

 

[b1llvance]

I raise mine without bbs. Rotifers to tdo in a couple of days. I would not try a continuous culture of phyto. You start running into issues where any contamination doesn’t get diluted. Reef by Steeles advice is what I would recommend. Split your culture about weekly to every 10 days. I culture isochrysis and rhodamonus and can use about 1 part inoculate to 8-9 parts new saltwater and the cultures stay very clean.

 

[deome]

I am going to attempt to raise clownfish fry as a little school project for my independent study period. I am planning and figuring everything else out, for now im just trying to get a steady phytoplankton culture going. I will be using the F2 phyto fertilizer

-do i need to continue to dose the fertilizer in the culture, or can i just dose it at the start and let the phyto use light to do the rest?

You will need to dose F2, but I dose based on color, not a schedule. When the jar turns light green, I add a capful (5ml? 10ml? Ish?).

 

[Reef By Steele Verified Sponsor]

I would harvest all but 16-32Oz per week and restart the culture every week with new F/2. If you want a continual culture (probe to crashing) you can add more F/2 on a schedule or as noted, if the culture starts to lighten.