Phytoplankton

[hipman]

Hi

Am about to try phytoplankton cuklture - awaiting delivery :)

Is it possible or necessary to strain / filter the phytoplankton once cultured before feeding it into the tank - trying to minimise the nutrient load

Cheers

Brian

[FUGU]

Hi Hipman

Thanks for the order I hope you have good success with the phyto culture; we've helped quite a few UR members to grow their own phyto and the satisfaction is a bit like cooking a good meal or growing your own veg! There should be no need to strain the phyto for nutrients just aim not to feed the culture 4-5 days before harvesting and you should be fine. You will also find the dilution effect of feeding a small amount of cultured phyto into a tank is a good safety net. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Cheers

FUGU

[hipman]

Thanks

[hipman]

Ok

hope u dont mind - next question ( or 2)

just set up first culture :)

how do i know when its ready to harvest?

when it is ready for harvest - was going to drip feed it into tank - how long will it last?

question or 3 or more? :)

what sort of rate do i feed it to tank - circulating tank volume prob around 900l total

would it be beneficial / possible to set up a mixed culture

Thnaks again in advance

Brian

[FUGU]

Hi Brian

Cultures can normally be harvested within 7-10 days providing conditions are not adverse. With Nannochloropsis and Tetraselmis you should aim for a really dense dark green colour so that you cannot even see a light tube through it.

If you see the thread by the guys in the Liverpool section they are happily hitting densities of over 10 million algal cells per ml:

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?t=283970

We are currently out of stock on the algae density sticks but have some more on order.

Re Drip feeds - I've set these up the past with aeration and lighting. For less than 24 hrs you can probably get away without.

Avoid growing mixed cultures - separate is best to avoid outcompeting spp. and development of a single culture.

For suggested tank dosing levels TBH I haven't done much work on this.

HTH

Best regards

FUGU