Starting a phyto culture.

[HankstankXXL750]

I have purchase 5 gallon buckets and les strip lights to attach in the bucket for lighting then going to place a 1 gallon water bottle in each of the two buckets with air supply. Ordered 16oz live phyto for culture but it is a 4 species blend link attached. I’ve read conflicting opinions and seeking advice.

So here are my questions

1. is 1.020 a good salinity some say can run at tank salinity which would be easier as I always have 1.026 mixed

2. will a 12’ led from light strip over heat the water in the confines of a 5 gallon bucket

3. Is 8 Oz enough to start a 1 gallon culture

4. Is liquid miracle grow as good as the f/2

5. I’ve read the multi species isn’t good as one will prevail. Can I go ahead and start this culture when it arrives, or should I just use it and reorder two single species starter.

6. If starting fresh which species should I get for the best performance with pods and sps. Going to start a pod culture as well.


Thanks for the assist.

 

[Saltyreef]

I have purchase 5 gallon buckets and les strip lights to attach in the bucket for lighting then going to place a 1 gallon water bottle in each of the two buckets with air supply. Ordered 16oz live phyto for culture but it is a 4 species blend link attached. I’ve read conflicting opinions and seeking advice.

So here are my questions

1. is 1.020 a good salinity some say can run at tank salinity which would be easier as I always have 1.026 mixed

2. will a 12’ led from light strip over heat the water in the confines of a 5 gallon bucket

3. Is 8 Oz enough to start a 1 gallon culture

4. Is liquid miracle grow as good as the f/2

5. I’ve read the multi species isn’t good as one will prevail. Can I go ahead and start this culture when it arrives, or should I just use it and reorder two single species starter.

6. If starting fresh which species should I get for the best performance with pods and sps. Going to start a pod culture as well.


Thanks for the assist.

Heres a good starting point for good info.

Any live blend you find was started out with single strain cultures.
You wont want to waste time trying to culture more than one strain in one jae as the larger cells will eventually prevail and outcompete the smaller.

Choosing the Right Live Phytoplankton Reef Tank Blends

Many common reef aquarium animals are filter-feeding phytoplanktivores. In other words, they eat tiny (usually single-celled) algae that they capture

www.algaebarn.com

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I've tried with the multistrain phyto before, I had no luck. Its easier to do a single strain, nannochloris is the easiest IME.

I've tried with miracle grow and had no luck. F2 makes the whole difference.

My cultures are all at 1.020

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Heres a good starting point for good info.

Any live blend you find was started out with single strain cultures.
You wont want to waste time trying to culture more than one strain in one jae as the larger cells will eventually prevail and outcompete the smaller.

Choosing the Right Live Phytoplankton Reef Tank Blends

Many common reef aquarium animals are filter-feeding phytoplanktivores. In other words, they eat tiny (usually single-celled) algae that they capture

www.algaebarn.com

That’s what I have read also. Didn’t know if in the short time I would get a culture reproducing to use while waiting for single strain to arrive.

 

[Saltyreef]

That’s what I have read also. Didn’t know if in the short time I would get a culture reproducing to use while waiting for single strain to arrive.

I tried to culture oceanmagik once and it worked for the first culture harvest but the coloration after using half for the next culture went almost clear gold and im assuming crashed. I had to keep shaking the bottle vs my mercers culture never needing to be stirred aside from the airline.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Here is what I have set up for the culture.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

@Saltyreef is there a particular reason that you add the cultured phyto to a new jar of saltwater vs adding saltwater to the existing culture?

 

[bradreef]

I culture tetra and i use walmarts version of miracle grow. It works great and it multiplies weekly. Yes 8oz can def start a gallon. Your setup is great but limits you to the one bottle.

 

[Saltyreef]

@Saltyreef is there a particular reason that you add the cultured phyto to a new jar of saltwater vs adding saltwater to the existing culture?

I actually would go 2-3 rounds of culturing before cleaning everything to sterelize it and start over with everything fresh.
This negates contamination. Some guys use bags inside the jars to make cleaning easier.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I culture tetra and i use walmarts version of miracle grow. It works great and it multiplies weekly. Yes 8oz can def start a gallon. Your setup is great but limits you to the one bottle.

Have what I need to do two stations as I thought I would try to stagger my harvest times but am now looking at getting 4 strains. If it is successful I have plans to upgrade to 5 gallon cultures. But of course then I will have to reconfigure. Thinking I might pull the lights and reverse them on the outside of clear 5 gallon buckets or food storage containers.

 

[bradreef]

I would put those lights on a flat long strip and have it next to multiple bottles of cultures. Lighting doesnt need to be intricate or expensive.

 

[reefsaver]

I'll do my best to answer these:

1. is 1.020 a good salinity some say can run at tank salinity which would be easier as I always have 1.026 mixed

It should be fine, start 1.019 to account for a salinity increase in the event of evaporation.

2. will a 12’ led from light strip over heat the water in the confines of a 5 gallon bucket

It's possible, although I have seen a lot of people have success with LED strips in contact with their containers. I myself was worried about this once and made a gap between the LED's and the Container so they wouldn't be heating it.

3. Is 8 Oz enough to start a 1 gallon culture

Yes, I haven't really seen anyone go too big, I think for sanitary reasons.

4. Is liquid miracle grow as good as the f/2
It's not, but it works. Miracle Grow would have a bit more Copper in it than F/2

I was so interested in this once upon a time I made a pretty popular thread involving the use of any other fertilizer for Phyto other than F/2.
Some people in the chat even dose the raw chemicals and know exactly what's going into their cultures. Ref: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/culturing-phytoplankton-without-f2-fertilizer.823077/

5. I’ve read the multi species isn’t good as one will prevail. Can I go ahead and start this culture when it arrives, or should I just use it and reorder two single species starter.

As people have stated, the strongest phyto will usually prevail eventually.
I don't think mixed phyto cultures are cultured together, but are separately grown in photoreactors then mixed for distribution.

6. If starting fresh which species should I get for the best performance with pods and sps. Going to start a pod culture as well.

I would try Nano first but Tetra and others can be great.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I would put those lights on a flat long strip and have it next to multiple bottles of cultures. Lighting doesnt need to be intricate or expensive.

Current issue for me is space, and flexibility. Need to be able to move them if necessary and hoping to cut down on light pollution as they will be in with my Frag tanks and running 16 hours a day. May not cause a problem just a thought. If it works good I will be able to remove them from the buckets and redesign.
Went with this after seeing the $274 system someone is offering for two tanks. I’m going to be much cheaper for 4.

But yes, if I hadn’t used up all my space with my tanks I would set up a bench and eliminate the bucket. With this I can actually tuck them under the stand on my frag system and not have to work around them except when I’m harvesting etc.

I'll do my best to answer these:

1. is 1.020 a good salinity some say can run at tank salinity which would be easier as I always have 1.026 mixed

It should be fine, start 1.019 to account for a salinity increase in the event of evaporation.

2. will a 12’ led from light strip over heat the water in the confines of a 5 gallon bucket

It's possible, although I have seen a lot of people have success with LED strips in contact with their containers. I myself was worried about this once and made a gap between the LED's and the Container so they wouldn't be heating it.

3. Is 8 Oz enough to start a 1 gallon culture

Yes, I haven't really seen anyone go too big, I think for sanitary reasons.

4. Is liquid miracle grow as good as the f/2
It's not, but it works. Miracle Grow would have a bit more Copper in it than F/2

I was so interested in this once upon a time I made a pretty popular thread involving the use of any other fertilizer for Phyto other than F/2.
Some people in the chat even dose the raw chemicals and know exactly what's going into their cultures. Ref: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/culturing-phytoplankton-without-f2-fertilizer.823077/

5. I’ve read the multi species isn’t good as one will prevail. Can I go ahead and start this culture when it arrives, or should I just use it and reorder two single species starter.

As people have stated, the strongest phyto will usually prevail eventually.
I don't think mixed phyto cultures are cultured together, but are separately grown in photoreactors then mixed for distribution.

6. If starting fresh which species should I get for the best performance with pods and sps. Going to start a pod culture as well.

I would try Nano first but Tetra and others can be great.

been told that nano and tetra are easy grower by Eldridge who sells on here. Probably going to get my starts from him as really can’t find much diversity available online. Think their selling mixes to keep people from starting their own.
He thinks nano isn’t as good (nutritious etc) but says the other three he is recommending are harder to grow. Tetra he recommended as both nutritious and easier.
Im looking them up to see what I can find out and then going to have him ship
Me.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Well plan A was a bust. Gallon jug got to at least 84-85 degrees. Bottle became slightly pressurized. Filled airline hose a little oversized but not enough so added 1/8” vent hole in the lid. Then removed the lights from 5 gallon bucket and put them in a larger tote. Now have 4 gallon cultures “running”. Just salt water as of now, but cultures coming next week so trying to work out all the kinks before hand. Just filled the bottles from a batch of 1.020 that I have made so starting temp 77.8. Will check throughout the day to see where it stabilizes. Lights aren’t as close and less dense so we’ll see. Ordering a different light set in case this doesn’t work as very little choice in town.

 

[bradreef]

Yrs, you definitely need to let air easily escape. Even with a small gap you will get close to zero evap. My room with my cultures is probably 65-67 degrees at most.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Yrs, you definitely need to let air easily escape. Even with a small gap you will get close to zero evap. My room with my cultures is probably 65-67 degrees at most.

Don’t know if I have a room that cool. I thought the hole I drilled would be sufficient and it may actually be when the riding tubing comes as it is smaller diameter than the airline tubing. But figured the little hole would be best in case the airline hole colosseum up with salt creep, Algea etc. But also assuming I will keep it much cleaner than that to avoid any contamination.

 

[bradreef]

I keep it in a cold basement room. They dont need heat, just reasonable temp. Even with a little wiggle room in the hole fir the tubing. I shake them a little every day and the water will bubble out the top. I have to wipe it off after.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Mine will
Probably have to be in the bedroom in the basement I converted to a frag tank. No unfinished areas except my furnace room and under the stairs but both of those are used for water storage and mixing stations.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

The new setup remained below 79 degrees all night so assume it will work.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Update, my phyto cultures and F/2 arrived, I previously sterilized 5 gallons of 1.020 instant ocean, so I transferred to gallon jugs minus 16 Oz added my cultures, F/2 added light and air and we are off to the races. I was told Isochchrysis is a little weaker so I moved it a little further away. Once I know they are up and running I will move them into the basin for more light.