Setting up a phytoplankton culturing system. Any advice?

reret10 · 10/28/2014, 12:20 PM

Hey everyone. I just purchased a baby tridacna clam and my clown have paired off and will hopefully mate in my 30 gallon tank so I decided it would be good to have a phytoplankton culture running. I plan on having 2 separate cultures running in case one crashes. I think I'm going to just use 2 litre bottles and some Old plant grow lights from my freshwater days. Any advice for increased growth? Where should I get my Phytoplankton? Any other tips?

MondoBongo · 10/28/2014, 01:02 PM

i'm not quite clear on why you want the phyto?

phyto cultures are easy. buy a bottle of phyto from pretty much anywhere. then get some rigid airline, empty 2 liter soda bottles, normal airline, extra saltwater, and some liquid miracle grow.

fill up your bottles, add in some fertilizer, add your seed phyto, and sit them on a windowsill with the rigid airline tubing in them through a hole you drilled in the cap. shake and stir every other day or so to keep them from settling. in roughly 4 - 8 weeks it will be thick enough to harvest and either dose to the tank, feed pod cultures with, split in to new cultures, or share with friends.

melev's reef has a pretty good write up, but if you go with a window sill that gets good light, you don't even need additional lighting:

http://www.melevsreef.com/node/1614

MondoBongo · 10/28/2014, 01:04 PM

oh, and if you're going to save it for later use, refrigerate it. it will last about a month give or take.

hkgar · 10/28/2014, 01:49 PM

Another Melvins reef link re Phyto growing
http://www.melevsreef.com/phytosteps.html

vikubz · 10/28/2014, 04:43 PM

I was growing phyto for rotifers a while back. While it is easy to grow, you also get culture crashes for no apparent reason. Check out Reed Mariculture/Reef Nutrition. They have super concentrated phyto blends that are way easier to deal with. Some can be frozen for long term storage. Worked great for me!

reret10 · 10/28/2014, 05:01 PM

The idea is to feed my Clam phytoplankton as well as have an established colony to feed rotifers if my clown lay eggs

10/28/2014, 12:20 PM	#1
reret10 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Riverside, California Posts: 421	Setting up a phytoplankton culturing system. Any advice? Hey everyone. I just purchased a baby tridacna clam and my clown have paired off and will hopefully mate in my 30 gallon tank so I decided it would be good to have a phytoplankton culture running. I plan on having 2 separate cultures running in case one crashes. I think I'm going to just use 2 litre bottles and some Old plant grow lights from my freshwater days. Any advice for increased growth? Where should I get my Phytoplankton? Any other tips? __________________ Some people take things with a grain of salt, others take it with a half a cup per gallon.

10/28/2014, 01:02 PM	#2
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	i'm not quite clear on why you want the phyto? phyto cultures are easy. buy a bottle of phyto from pretty much anywhere. then get some rigid airline, empty 2 liter soda bottles, normal airline, extra saltwater, and some liquid miracle grow. fill up your bottles, add in some fertilizer, add your seed phyto, and sit them on a windowsill with the rigid airline tubing in them through a hole you drilled in the cap. shake and stir every other day or so to keep them from settling. in roughly 4 - 8 weeks it will be thick enough to harvest and either dose to the tank, feed pod cultures with, split in to new cultures, or share with friends. melev's reef has a pretty good write up, but if you go with a window sill that gets good light, you don't even need additional lighting: http://www.melevsreef.com/node/1614 __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

10/28/2014, 01:04 PM	#3
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	oh, and if you're going to save it for later use, refrigerate it. it will last about a month give or take. __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

10/28/2014, 01:49 PM	#4
hkgar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Dewitt MI Posts: 5,051	Another Melvins reef link re Phyto growing http://www.melevsreef.com/phytosteps.html __________________ Gary 180 gallon, 40 gallon sump, 3 250 W MH + 4 80W ATI T5's, MTC MVX 36 Skimmer, Apex controller Aquamaxx T-3 CaRx Current Tank Info: A 2 Barred Rabbitfish, Red Head Salon, Yellow/Purple, McMaster Fairy, Possum, 2 Leopard Wrasses, Kole, & Atlantic Blue Tangs, 2 Percula Clown, 3 PJ and 1 Banggai Cardinalfish , Swallowtail, Bellus and Coral Beauty Angels

10/28/2014, 05:01 PM	#6
reret10 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Riverside, California Posts: 421	The idea is to feed my Clam phytoplankton as well as have an established colony to feed rotifers if my clown lay eggs __________________ Some people take things with a grain of salt, others take it with a half a cup per gallon.

10/28/2014, 04:43 PM	#5
vikubz Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Cedar Falls, IA Posts: 599	I was growing phyto for rotifers a while back. While it is easy to grow, you also get culture crashes for no apparent reason. Check out Reed Mariculture/Reef Nutrition. They have super concentrated phyto blends that are way easier to deal with. Some can be frozen for long term storage. Worked great for me!