Hi, I like your experimenting and I wish you success, but we wary as I recently came across this article on the forum about culturing your own phytoplankton and it was specific about not using an Airstone as the phyto will get stuck to the bubbles, float to the surface and be done. Kind of like a skimmer.Did my daily dose of phytoplankton. After a gallon dose my tank looks like this. Added an airstone to my phyto tank to hopefully increase CO2 and get denser cultures.
reefcoaquariums.com
I completely agree with what you are saying. An airstone that produces small bubbles will definitely do that. Mine produces larger bubbles and doesn't cause any accumulation at the top of the tank. I disagree with what the article said about adding oxygen. The phytoplankton should produce their own oxygen during photosynthesis. I was doing it more to add CO2 back into the water from the air.Hi, I like your experimenting and I wish you success, but we wary as I recently came across this article on the forum about culturing your own phytoplankton and it was specific about not using an Airstone as the phyto will get stuck to the bubbles, float to the surface and be done. Kind of like a skimmer.
How To Grow Your Own Phytoplankton
Growing your own phytoplankton at home is simple. Set up the growing vessel. Organize the lighting. Fill the container with FRESH salt water. Add air. Add fertilizer. Add the phytoplankton starter culture. Split and store the phytoplankton culture.
Right on. Yeah, a lot of people mistakenly say air pumps and stones are to put oxygen in the tank. They are to break the surface tension and create surface area for gas exchange. The water will work naturally towards the equilibrium it wants given the available surface area, I understand.
I do wonder if putting a CO2 diffuser system from a freshwater setup would increase phytoplankton growth like it increases plant growth in freshwater.
