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Any Phytoplankton Growers on Here


AUFishGuy

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Wondering if I can use DT's Phytoplankton to start my culture? What fertilizer do you recommend?

 

Yah you can use it to start a culture but it will end up being Nanochloropsis which is not worth the effort to grow.  Nutritionally it is not great.  What you will want to shoot for is Isochrysis and Tetraselmis.  These 2 have the most beneficial proteins/amino acids in them.

 

For starting cultures, I recommend ordering from Carolina.  Link.  just a note is they have both fresh water and saltwater phytos on the site.

 

As for a fertilizer for growing macro algae, use the Gullards F/2 recipe or if you don't feeling like doing the mixing you can guy it pre-mixed from Florida aqua farms. Fertilizer

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(edited)

Yah you can use it to start a culture but it will end up being Nanochloropsis which is not worth the effort to grow.  Nutritionally it is not great.  What you will want to shoot for is Isochrysis and Tetraselmis.  These 2 have the most beneficial proteins/amino acids in them.

 

For starting cultures, I recommend ordering from Carolina.  Link.  just a note is they have both fresh water and saltwater phytos on the site.

 

As for a fertilizer for growing macro algae, use the Gullards F/2 recipe or if you don't feeling like doing the mixing you can guy it pre-mixed from Florida aqua farms. Fertilizer

 

 

Thanks for the reply. I will be using just to cultivate pods, that is my intention anyway.

 

Is there anything to mixing the Gullards?

 

I originally ordered from Aqua-Farms but they cancelled my order due to an email with some criticism of the site as i found it hard to use. Seems that they took it personal

Edited by AUFishGuy
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OP, just curious what the end game is? I looked into this a few months ago for the sole purpose of feeding baby clams.

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OP, just curious what the end game is? I looked into this a few months ago for the sole purpose of feeding baby clams.

 

I will be using just to cultivate pods, that is my intention anyway.

  :)

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  :)

 

I read "gud!"

 

Thanks man.

 

OP, keep us updated on your success, and any trials and tribulations. Depending on the effort involved, I might like to follow suite.

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I read "gud!"

 

Thanks man.

 

HAHAHAHAHA   

 

 

I think I may have written a guide to growing phyto on the Colorado Fish club forums let me see if I can dig it up.

 

 

Found it!  http://www.marinecolorado.org/forum/reefkeeping/saltwater-plants-and-macro-algaes/38439-culturing-phytoplankton#post38439

Edited by sethsolomon
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I read "gud!"
 
Thanks man.
 
OP, keep us updated on your success, and any trials and tribulations. Depending on the effort involved, I might like to follow suite.

 

 

I agree.  I don't hear very often about people doing it long term, but it's something I'm interested in too.  It's like marine homebrewing, but you shouldn't drink the result.

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I will keep everyone updated. My intention is culture the phtyo to in turn culture copepods. From what i have gathered people usually will end up with extra phyto as the cultures grow so quickly you usually cannot use all of your stock. If/When this become the case id be more than happy to give extra to club members.

 

For the Copepods I am going to start with 2 separate cultures in 10 gallon tanks. If this goes well I am wanting to increase it to 2 Rubbermaid tubs so that i will have some to sell and trade. I have cultured pods before but always used shelf phytoplankton which eventually caused problems and became too costly. I am hoping by culturing my own phyto i can avoid these problems

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I will keep everyone updated. My intention is culture the phtyo to in turn culture copepods. From what i have gathered people usually will end up with extra phyto as the cultures grow so quickly you usually cannot use all of your stock. If/When this become the case id be more than happy to give extra to club members.

 

For the Copepods I am going to start with 2 separate cultures in 10 gallon tanks. If this goes well I am wanting to increase it to 2 Rubbermaid tubs so that i will have some to sell and trade. I have cultured pods before but always used shelf phytoplankton which eventually caused problems and became too costly. I am hoping by culturing my own phyto i can avoid these problems

 

 

Just a tip for the large containers, make sure they are white so they reflect as much light as possible back into the algae solution.

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+1 on using Guillard's F/2 as a fertilizer.  I use it to supply N,P, and traces for macroalgae in a fishless system.  Helps the macros grow, but there is also a perpetual bloom of phytoplankton.  Undesirable for me, but indicates how effective it is for microalgae.  Trying to reduce it with skimming and filter feeders.

 

I can send you some pdfs for recipes, but do yourself a favor and buy it from FAF as SethSolomon suggests.  Too much work to mix it up on a small scale, and I always feel good about supporting Frank Hoff.

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(edited)

Just a tip for the large containers, make sure they are white so they reflect as much light as possible back into the algae solution.

 

Are you referring to culturing the phyto or copepods? For the Phyto i am using 4 2-liter bottles. I didn't use any light last time when culturing the pods

 

+1 on using Guillard's F/2 as a fertilizer.  I use it to supply N,P, and traces for macroalgae in a fishless system.  Helps the macros grow, but there is also a perpetual bloom of phytoplankton.  Undesirable for me, but indicates how effective it is for microalgae.  Trying to reduce it with skimming and filter feeders.

 

I can send you some pdfs for recipes, but do yourself a favor and buy it from FAF as SethSolomon suggests.  Too much work to mix it up on a small scale, and I always feel good about supporting Frank Hoff.

 

Thanks for the input, unfortunately FAF is not an option for me. I did however find these 2 products on Amazon. Do you think they would be sufficient?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Guillards-concentrated-Nannochloropsis-Phytoplankton-Food/dp/B0150NH41O/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1454956691&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=gullards

 

http://www.amazon.com/Guillards-Growth-Medium-14x-Silica/dp/B00QJ4IXB4/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1454957026&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=gullards

 

Edited by AUFishGuy
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I was meaning for phyto

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

So could i just wrap them in paper or are there better containers to use?

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Are you referring to culturing the phyto or copepods? For the Phyto i am using 4 2-liter bottles. I didn't use any light last time when culturing the pods

 

 

Thanks for the input, unfortunately FAF is not an option for me. I did however find these 2 products on Amazon. Do you think they would be sufficient?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Guillards-concentrated-Nannochloropsis-Phytoplankton-Food/dp/B0150NH41O/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1454956691&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=gullards

 

http://www.amazon.com/Guillards-Growth-Medium-14x-Silica/dp/B00QJ4IXB4/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1454957026&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=gullards

 

Oops, I didn't read the part about your run-in with FAF.  Use the version without silica unless you are culturing diatoms.  

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AUFishGuy, what pods are you going to grow and where will you get the pod starters?

 

Last time I did this I started with a pack of Poseidon's Feast from Algae Barn. Other than that I haven't thought about it much. My LFS does sell Tigger Pods so I guess that is also an option

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Last time I did this I started with a pack of Poseidon's Feast from Algae Barn. Other than that I haven't thought about it much. My LFS does sell Tigger Pods so I guess that is also an option

Every mix algae you start with will end up with nanochloropsis because it is the most aggressive growth rate. They blend nano in so you can't start your own propogation.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

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Every mix algae you start with will end up with nanochloropsis because it is the most aggressive growth rate. They blend nano in so you can't start your own propogation.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

 

Oh no, the Poseidons feast is a pack of pods. I am ordering Tetraselmis from Carolina

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I have phytoplankton from Algaebarn if you want to start a culture.

Edited by RW09903
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