First Time Culturing Phytoplankton

[Shadows Reef]

Hey guys so this is my first culture I’ve tried to be as sterile as possible and and followed instructions to a T.

This is day 4 think it crashed?

Have a live culture and f2
Mixed to 1.024 SG
Using the bags and air filters from Poseidon reef systems phytotank but with my own vessels.

 

[Shadows Reef]

I shook it up and it look a little better now actually.

 

[Shadows Reef]

I have the output running through carbon to reduce the smell cause my wife was like what the heck is that smel lol

 

[Saltyreef]

I shook it up and it look a little better now actually.

It needs to stay suspended, your airpump may not be keeping it in suspension enough but i havent had it crash from not staying mixed.
What culture brand and blend did you start off with?
I noticed this using oceanmagik it looked nearly white until i shook it. Then it stayed mostly gold.

 

[Silent]

Is that all the filled with water?
I find it much easier to gradually increase the volume of water every few days. It would take me 2 weeks before I would have that bottle full.
And I feel you dont have enought light. I have two 3 liter bottles lit by a black box led on high.

 

[Shadows Reef]

thanks man the LEDs I’m using put out about 3-4x more light then traditional LED strips. I had the brightness at 40% but I’ll crank it up to 100 now that you said that.

 

[Shadows Reef]

Is that all the filled with water?
I find it much easier to gradually increase the volume of water every few days. It would take me 2 weeks before I would have that bottle full.
And I feel you dont have enought light. I have two 3 liter bottles lit by a black box led on high.

Cranked that sucker up to 100. I like to have everything g go through my apex if possible

 

[Thespammailaccount]

That culture has crashed unfortunately

 

[Silent]

You cant really have too much light for phyto. Unless I guess it is multiplying faster than you want.

 

[Thespammailaccount]

You cant really have too much light for phyto. Unless I guess it is multiplying faster than you want.

Yes you can depending on the strain being cultured

 

[Shadows Reef]

It needs to stay suspended, your airpump may not be keeping it in suspension enough but i havent had it crash from not staying mixed.
What culture brand and blend did you start off with?
I noticed this using oceanmagik it looked nearly white until i shook it. Then it stayed mostly gold.

I used the live phytofeast from reef nutrition, seen a few threads of people using that as long as it’s new and my LFS got them on this last Thursday, maybe it’s just the strongest culture fighting to survive since it’s a mix?

 

[Shadows Reef]

That culture has crashed unfortunately

Thanks man, Well that may be possible but I’m going to keep it going for a few more days just to see if it may change for the better

 

[Shadows Reef]

You cant really have too much light for phyto. Unless I guess it is multiplying faster than you want.

That’s one of the reasons I wanted to control the brightness from my apex , for the just in case moment I leave town I can turn it down a little

 

[Thespammailaccount]

I used the live phytofeast from reef nutrition, seen a few threads of people using that as long as it’s new and my LFS got them on this last Thursday, maybe it’s just the strongest culture fighting to survive since it’s a mix?

There are two types does your bottle say live on the front of the bottle? That color means that the culture has crashed due to contamination. If using that brand the nano will be the dominate strain so if you are out of Phyto it will be much cheaper to start with a bottle of nanno

 

[Silent]

Yes you can depending on the strain being cultured

He is not going to have too much with that led strip light.

 

[Shadows Reef]

There are two types does your bottle say live on the front of the bottle? That color means that the culture has crashed due to contamination. If using that brand the nano will be the dominate strain so if you are out of Phyto it will be much cheaper to start with a bottle of nanno

Yes had to wait for my LFS to get the live one in cause he was trying to sell me the non viable version.... lol

 

[Thespammailaccount]

He is not going to have too much with that led strip light.

I agree was just stating that some types of phytoplankton do not do well in high light

 

[Thespammailaccount]

How are you sterilizing equ/container?

 

[Shadows Reef]

How are you sterilizing equ/container?

I used rubbing alcohol on the lid, container and on everything used including my hands but I also put a prefilter for my air lines I got from Poseidon reef systems for their phytotank,

 

[Saltyreef]

+1 start with a single strain per jar.
That live phyto feast has some other additives not to mention its 4 strains of phyto in 1 product. More marketed towards end use vs culturing.
They likely mix it all up then ship it out. Their cultures are seperate.