phytoplankton culture

regmes · #1 03-08-2008, 05:28 AM

Does anyone have any idea why my phyto culture does'nt seem to be growing? I made the pop bottle set up with air bubbling through acrilic tubes preped water at 1.019 sal. mixed .5 cup of Phyto Feast phytoplankton, 1ml of Kent additive and 5ml of miracle grow. Just like the reciepy I've read about online, and it's been 1 week now and I have not seen any difference in the color or consistency.

untamed · #2 03-08-2008, 05:36 AM

You didn't mention the lighting...I think it is 16hrs on..8hrs off. (something like that) It took about 3 weeks for me to achieve a good dark batch.

regmes · #3 03-08-2008, 05:45 AM

Oh ya. The lighting 2x 6500k pc 16/8 hours, but I thought I'd see some difference in 1 week. But if it took you 3 weeks I guess I'll gust have to be patient.

michika · #4 03-08-2008, 03:17 PM

What is it doing now? What color is it?

wetcoast · #5 03-08-2008, 06:16 PM

When I cultured I used a regular Flourescent tube from Home Depot (don't even remember the color temperature)

16 Hours on, 8 hours off with vigorous bubbling as well and had no issues. I was using Florida Aqua Farms Fertilizer and Starter Cultures which may be the overall issue here?

regmes · #6 03-09-2008, 07:10 AM

Right now it's light green, the same color and consistency as the first day I started the culture. I'll be patient I guess and wait and see what it does in the next few weeks.

fishmaster · #7 03-09-2008, 07:16 AM

You DID use the LIVE phyto feast? Right?

nanoreefer · #8 03-09-2008, 07:47 AM

the first time it might take a wile but wonce you get going and start spliting them they should grow realy well or die, ive had mine crash afew times now i dont think miracle grow is ideal food but its all i have, ive had some going realy dark green(couldent see light threw em)for two months its either realy easy or realy hard, is there stuff collecting in the bottom of the bottles? you need to shake them every day to get the stuff off the bottom until it starts to grow, also i dont think light length realy matters i turn mine on when i get up and off when i go to bed i think it mostley matters what culture you start with and your source water, i use tap water out of a well with high calcium ALK and PH and TDS about 130