advice pls on phyto...

[sharuq1]

Everything I don't know about phyto...


would surely fill a book, lol


Ok, so I think my filter feeders, my x-mas tree worms in particular would benefit greatly from the addition of phyto to the tank. (should have really been doing it from the start) I don't live in one of the big cities though, so pickings are slim on products I could use to dose with/or start a culture of my own without having to order something or spend at least $55 on gas.

I went to the pet store today and all they have is Kent products (chromaplex, phyto-something-or other, etc.) None of these bottles are refrigerated, have no expiry date and who knows how long they have been sitting on that shelf. Are my instincts right and this stuff is not to be trusted and/or is crap? Or would it possibly work in a pinch?

Second: for those of you who use phyto or make your own what is your favorite product? (either starter culture, your recipe and secrets for dyi phyto, straight out phyto product or what have you)

thank you!!!!

[urbanhellfire]

I think I will stick around to hear this

[justinl]

if you want to start a phyto culture you'll need to order live phyto of a quality that is needed for starting a culture. Pastes and dry stuff will not cut it. You'll need the watery stuff... preferably from a decent reputable source. And think about what phyto you decide to use. I personally prefer the stability offered by a tri-mix of different phytoplanktons. I also avoid pure nannochloropsis solutions... the nutritional profile of it is poor and it has a thick cell wall. you probably don't want to do a culture at all though.

IMO filter feeders like our corals (sps or otherwise) and worms do not benefit directly from phyto. If anything, the phyto is food for small critters like rotifer or copepods (the former only if you actually feed it) which proliferate with the extra food availability and serve as food themselves in turn. phyto is just too small imo. For this purpose you may use any kind of phyto in any form, but i still wouldn't choose a dry product or anything not refrigerated.

soooooo long story short, in your case i dont think it is at all necessary. you need to give them good water quality and environment (light, flow, w/e). food is not vital. If you really want to though, look for coral food like oyster eggs, or coral frenzy. arguably those products are less nutritious than the live food indirectly provided by real algae doses, but i think the convenience of formulated coral food wins out in this case.

also think about what the things will eat. example: SPS needs very small food whereas LPS like duncans will take anything from cyclopeeze to krill.

[michika]

If you still want to culture phyto, or pods, etc. let me know. I literally have a manual on culturing. Best starter culture I've found are those from Florida Aquaculture farms. There are a few other live cultures you can order from different sources, like DTs, however if you choose to culture them yourself, they seem to have a higher crash rate.

I also have a few websites if you are interested on culturing details and set ups.

[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