Growing Plankton in the refugium

saintperez · Nov 9, 2014

I know this is a chemistry forum but I think this question applies for the water conditions needed.

Wanted to know if anyone has ever tried growing Plankton in their refugium, all types, in a netted box. Was looking into buying a Plankton net to go out the inlet and get fresh Plankton when I'm getting natural sea water for my water change. Then I thought If there's a net for it why couldn't I take all that Plankton and drop it with Net and all into my Fuge? Wouldn't in multiply in there as well?
Granted, needing the right lighting condition etc. such as a 30 watt LED floodlight 24/7.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 9, 2014

I've not heard of people specifically trying to contain and grow phytoplankton in a refugium, but commercial folks certainly grow phytoplankton in vats of various sorts.

I don't know exactly what conditions are best, but possibly more nitrate and phosphate than you'd normally keep in a reef tank, but it could grow at lower levels. Iron may be a useful supplement as well.

You could stock it with something like this, if you cannot collect ebnough of what you want:

Phyto Feast Live | Reef Nutrition - Premium Coral, Fish and Invertebrate Feeds for the Marine Ornamental Industry

Rjramos · Nov 9, 2014

I happen to use natural seawater in my tanks too. With whatever living organisms come with it. Never had any problems with parasites or diseases.All my fuge's contains a nice population of amphipods and a larger population of mysis shrimp swimming around. On occasion the main display at night is full of hatchling mysis. I have never netted plankton to add to my systems. I will say that I collect water right over the reefs 6 miles out or in the gulfstream. The intake to the pump I use is covered with a course foam, so I don't get weeds or larger debris but anything smaller goes through.

Cory · Nov 9, 2014

I've wanted to grow phytoplankton as a sort of algal turf scrubber with a plankton net but a few problems came to my mind:

1) with such a small pore size net it would get plugged with detritus fast. We are talking 20 microns to contain most phytoplankton.
2) the flow through the net would be too small to be useful for nutrient removal.
3) batch processing may work but may not be enough flow also.
4) will natural Rotifers eat it before it grows?

saintperez · Nov 9, 2014

Thanks RJ, the reason I was asking about the Plankton is because of a post I read recently of the importance of continous feeding for corals of Phyto & zooplankton. It would be interesting if possible to grow inside the right size net to be sort of a time release especially at night when Corals mainly feed.

saintperez · Nov 9, 2014

Cory, why not just do a DIY Algae Scrubber or get one? Not sure why you would go after the Plankton. I'm looking at as a continuous source of food for Corals. I'll keep searching to see if anyone has done this otherwise might start an experiment.

Rjramos · Nov 9, 2014

Cory said:
I've wanted to grow phytoplankton as a sort of algal turf scrubber with a plankton net but a few problems came to my mind:

1) with such a small pore size net it would get plugged with detritus fast. We are talking 20 microns to contain most phytoplankton.
2) the flow through the net would be too small to be useful for nutrient removal.
3) batch processing may work but may not be enough flow also.
4) will natural Rotifers eat it before it grows?

I grown phyto ( nanno) cultures. The 2 liter bottles used should be sterilized prior to use and then fresh mixed saltwater used at a lower salinity. I add Florida Aqua farms f2, a commercial fertilizer. If there is any plankton or rotifer present in the phyto culture,(contamination), you will not be successful. They will eat it before it gets a chance to multiply! I've used a 53 micron net to try to contain phyto in a larval tank, by the next morning, clogged, no flow. Macro algaes are more suitable for nutrient export. Phyto is the foundation of the food chain, IMO.

saintperez · Nov 9, 2014

Rjramos said:
I've used a 53 micron net to try to contain phyto in a larval tank, by the next morning, clogged, no flow.

So I wonder if a 100 micron would be small enough to contain the bigger ones and release the smallest larvae?

saintperez · Nov 9, 2014

Also , why the lower Salinity? I mean they are floating in the ocean...

Rjramos · Nov 9, 2014

Phyto is very small, all of it would go through a 100 micron. The 53 I've used probably allows it to go through but they adhere, stack up and clog the sieve. Sorry but I confused with rotifers which I culture at 1.019 salinity, this I learned from Matt wittenrichs book, Marine fish breeding, as being ideal for rotifer culture. The phyto I have found doesn't really matter, just avoid drastic changes in salinity with both. To find out more, try to read above book.