who grows there own food
 

anybody using a diy reactor for shrimp, phytotoplankton, etc , is it worth it i know some use a 2 liter bottle, any simple DIY reactors plans with pictures
thanks

2L bottles are cheap, if you want I'll sell you reactors to do the same thing :twised:

reactors
 

i use aquamedic reactors for my phyto and rotifers,and narrow brine shrimp hacheries.you can get away with inverted pop bottles(green tea ginger ale works best for colour and shape,but with a large opening(cutting the bottom off a pop bottle)your inviting contaminates.large jars or water jugs with rigid tubing work,but you end up smothering anything that settles on the bottom-hence dead cultures and eventual crashes.i have also tried a small pump at the bottom to move things but it doesn't work that well.a cone shape on the bottom,with an airline and drain work the best-no siphoning out product.if you use mirical grow for culturing-make sure you use the fruit and vegetable ones.personally i use micro algae grow from Florida aqua farms

how much for the whole setup light pump everything, plug and play

reactors
 

don't bother with the lit aqamedic reactor.save yourself $100 and use a cheap 2' t5,i myself use leds to light my reactor.it also depends on what phyto you are growing.red and white for nanochloropus and dunellia,red for tetraselmius and blue for isocrysis

phytoplankton
 

a good pump with the capability to have multiple outlets can cost around $200,but if your only growing the one, a cheap pump that can aerate is good enough.an aquamedic reactor is between $110-$120 without the light.a 62 oz jar can be free from a friendly restaurant,but make sure it's glass.a water jug is about a $10 deposit,but you would need multiple lights because of the depth.get the plankton culture manual before you start.info is king

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5632/9t72.jpg
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/1113/7rri.jpg

Going with a pitcher (with a lever spout) is a lot easier than 2L's.

You will need to extract liquids daily. When cleanliness determines whether your culture will crash or not, do you really want to be pulling out your airline and sitting it down on a counter that could be contaminated with chemicals, dust/dirt, rotifers, etc or just pull on on a lever?

Yes, the cost is much higher than the 25c deposit on a 2l, but its worth it.

Superstore, Costco, Walmart, Bed bath and beyond, etc all have tons of models. Find one that fits your space and dont look back.