Phyto ressurection or other dust algae?

[kilnakorr]

I know that noone can give a definitive answer here, so just looking for a 'most likely' at best.

I got some phyto from a local hobbiest, but both my bottles seemed to be at a stand still for two days then turning yellow.
Was using what was left of some old f2, so thought that might be it.
I made one new bottle with brand new f2, but same thing happened.
I then learned the phyto was mix of fresh phyto added to a larger container of older phyto, before I got some.

What puzzled it me is soon after the one original bottle from my setup started turning green again:

Question is, is this most likely the living phyto or some random dust algae thriving in there?

 

[fryman]

Not sure what "dust algae" is but I would consider that phytoplankton. It could still be nanno, it might be synechococcus, or something else. But still a type of phytoplankton, imo. Reasonable people may disagree.

Even if not nannochloropsis any more this may not be a deal breaker, depending what you intend to do with it.

Only way to know for sure what you have is with a microscope.

 

[kilnakorr]

Not sure what "dust algae" is but I would consider that phytoplankton. It could still be nanno, it might be synechococcus, or something else. But still a type of phytoplankton, imo. Reasonable people may disagree.

Even if not nannochloropsis any more this may not be a deal breaker, depending what you intend to do with it.

Only way to know for sure what you have is with a microscope.

Thanks for the insight.
I'm not sure where another type of phyto would come from?
By 'dust algae' I simple mean whatever free floating algae, that can randomly appear and turn your water green.

At this point, it is simply for feeding my pod culture, so it is not really that important.

 

[fryman]

Thanks for the insight.
I'm not sure where another type of phyto would come from?
By 'dust algae' I simple mean whatever free floating algae, that can randomly appear and turn your water green.

At this point, it is simply for feeding my pod culture, so it is not really that important.

Contamination comes from everywhere / anywhere. Unless you buy axenic starter cultures ($$$$$), you have some contamination from the get-go. Also you have a reef tank, I assume? Could come from there, all kinds of things growing in a typical reef. Do you live near the ocean? Could even be from particulate in the air. Who knows

Copepods would prolly eat that. I would use it, personally.

 

[kilnakorr]

Contamination comes from everywhere / anywhere. Unless you buy axenic starter cultures ($$$$$), you have some contamination from the get-go. Also you have a reef tank, I assume? Could come from there, all kinds of things growing in a typical reef. Do you live near the ocean? Could even be from particulate in the air. Who knows

Copepods would prolly eat that. I would use it, personally.

Exactly why I asked, as algae can come from anywhere. I have no issue using it for my pods.
But I'm a bit surprised to see phyto die over a few days, just to become alive again.
I guess it is not impossible, that just a small part of the phyto was alive and growing, but the amount was to small to notice the first days.

 

[sde1500]

I believe a phyto culture recovering green again typical suspect is green cyano.

 

[fryman]

I believe a phyto culture recovering green again typical suspect is green cyano.

Yes, ime it's often taken over by cyanobacteria from the genus synechococcus but this is edible by copepods.

It's not "the best" option as a single feed but neither is nanno, really. A mix of phyto types is best but Synechococcus is used in commercial mixes sometimes. Phyto-feast from Reef Nutrition has it in their mix. Granted we don't know if it's the same species. But I've used unknown synechococcus to feed tigriopus and apocyclops. They definately ate it.

 

[kilnakorr]

Yes, ime it's often taken over by cyanobacteria from the genus synechococcus but this is edible by copepods.

It's not "the best" option as a single feed but neither is nanno, really. A mix of phyto types is best but Synechococcus is used in commercial mixes sometimes. Phyto-feast from Reef Nutrition has it in their mix. Granted we don't know if it's the same species. But I've used unknown synechococcus to feed tigriopus and apocyclops. They definately ate it.

Interesting. Synechococcus is available for sale like other types of phyto. Why buy this if it pretty much appear on it's own?
Anyway, I'll probably order a few types of phyto, once I find a seller with everything in stock. For now, I'm just glad I have some green stuff to feed my pods.

 

[fryman]

Interesting. Synechococcus is available for sale like other types of phyto. Why buy this if it pretty much appear on it's own?
Anyway, I'll probably order a few types of phyto, once I find a seller with everything in stock. For now, I'm just glad I have some green stuff to feed my pods.

I actually do not see synechococcus starters very commonly except from maybe the big phyto repositories like bigelow. I don't see many other hobbyists culture it, at least on purpose.

My personnal experience with synechococcus has been something of a roller-coaster. I used to hate the organism with a passion because it kept taking over my other phyto cultures. I upped my sanitization to include equipment and media, and even filtering the air (everything really) and this solved my problem. I eventually figured out it had gotten in my f/2 somehow, even though I was always very careful with handling the f/2 and it came from a reputable source.

It grows very well for me, faster than anything else and gets really dense. It does not like low pH, however. I've killed it by accident using CO2 injection. This seemed about the only way it will die tho. Very easy to grow.

 

[kilnakorr]

I actually do not see synechococcus starters very commonly except from maybe the big phyto repositories like bigelow. I don't see many other hobbyists culture it, at least on purpose.

My personnal experience with synechococcus has been something of a roller-coaster. I used to hate the organism with a passion because it kept taking over my other phyto cultures. I upped my sanitization to include equipment and media, and even filtering the air (everything really) and this solved my problem. I eventually figured out it had gotten in my f/2 somehow, even though I was always very careful with handling the f/2 and it came from a reputable source.

It grows very well for me, faster than anything else and gets really dense. It does not like low pH, however. I've killed it by accident using CO2 injection. This seemed about the only way it will die tho. Very easy to grow.

Interesting. Looking at stores 'near' her, which is mostly Germany, synechococcus is pretty much everywhere, while others are not.
It is branded as effective against cyano in the tank?
I appreciate your replies in insight.

 

[fryman]

Interesting. Looking at stores 'near' her, which is mostly Germany, synechococcus is pretty much everywhere, while others are not.
It is branded as effective against cyano in the tank?
I appreciate your replies in insight.

Actually I've heard people do that in europe. It's not common practice in the US. Soon as people learn it's a type of cyano they usually want nothing to do with it. But it's a different organism than the nuisance cyano common in the hobby. It lives primarily in the water column, not on surfaces. I guess it could out-compete other types of cyano in a reef tank? Not sure about that but I've fed alot of it before and didn't have problems, for whatever that's worth.