advice pls on phyto...

[dareefguy]

I spent good money for years buying live phyto. Now I grow my own. it is easy to do, but requires more time spent on the hobby.

all I use is a rigid air tube in a bottle with air running to the bottom bubbling the water for curculation, salt water, fertilizer, and the live culture. and a regular flouresent on a 12 hour timer.

Pm me if your interested in the culture I use.

[michika]

Dareefguy,

Do you happen to have photos of your set up? I'm really interested in seeing how people have set up their culturing system.

[sharuq1]

Well it isn't the corals I'm worried about-it's the x-mas worms. (though the gorgs might also benefit) According to what I had read even something as tiny as brine shrimp eggs will not fit into their little radioles for food.

On one hand I can pollute my tank (I call it that because phyto does have fertilizer in it) but feed the worms, but on the other hand would they be fine without it? I have had them since winter and they have not lost their crowns or anything, but I am a perpetual worry-wort when it comes to my reef, lol.

I'm not setup to start culturing my own as of yet, but I want to gather as much info. as possible so I can judge whether I really even need to. If I don't, great! If I do, well I guess I will need to get my butt in gear,

The main reason I am worried is because of the coming upgrade into the 120g. The worms might be doing ok in my 48g because it always has diatoms in it (read about that too) ..now if I put that same reef into much more water I will dilute my nutrients which means less diatoms. Everything else will be happier for the cleaner water of course (including me, haha)--but it could mean less food for those actually using the diatoms. (presuming what I read about that relationship is not tripe).

Dareefguy,

and hillbillyreefer

Do you happen to have photos of your set up? I'm really interested in seeing how people have set up their culturing system.

I'll second that!

[PoonTang]

There is a video over on talkingreef.com that shows you how to grow phyto and rotifers and BBS.

[hillbillyreefer]

http://www.melevsreef.com/phytoplankton.html

My setup looks just like the one on the top of the page. The only difference is I have a regular plant growing CFL with a reflector over the top of my bucket.

[dareefguy]

Originally Posted by michika

Dareefguy,

Do you happen to have photos of your set up? I'm really interested in seeing how people have set up their culturing system.

I don't have a picture of my setup but it is basically like this one from melsreef.

2g_phyto_0319.jpg