Phytoplankton

[cubbyman60]

Does anyone use SdAquarist phytoplankton in their reef tank? Any benefit?
Thanks.

 

[mcarroll]

Phytoplankton is the base of any respectable marine food web.

Is it a live phytoplankton you could culture, or just a feed (dead/inactive)?

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

From my understanding, SdAquarist is a "live" phyto that has been treated in a way it can't be cultured to obtain the densities they can supply it at.

I don't feed it to my tank but I do use it for rotifer cultures as well as ApBreed.

If you're looking for an easy product for your tank without having to culture I personally use and recommend Reef Nutrition's PhytoFeast. I find that all my filter feeders show great polyp extension using a combo of PhytoFeast and OysterFeast.

 

[cubbyman60]

How much phytoplankton do you typically feed and do you notice and detrimental effects like increased nutrients?

 

[Reef Nutrition]

Does anyone use SdAquarist phytoplankton in their reef tank? Any benefit?
Thanks.

SDaquarist is based on the blend that we sell to our shellfish customers. We decided to come out with a smaller volume for individuals with smaller systems containing animals with similar feeding styles and needs. It is a great feed and is comparable to Phyto-Feast; however, it lacks Nannochloropsis spp., which is the dominant algae in Phyto-Feast. Look here for more information: http://apbreed.com/product_sdaquarist.php.

The algae in SDaquarist are non-viable (not able to replicate). The cells are fully intact but in a state of quiescence (not alive or dead, but inactive).

This blend is great for zooplankton, growing out brine shrimp, and for any bivalve or NPS coral you might have or are thinking about adding.

Due to the high amount of biomass in our products, we recommend you be very conservative. Start off at the lowest recommended dose and go from there. As usual, make sure to monitor water quality. Also, remember that what goes in must come out, so make sure you have the proper filtration for exporting waste.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Cheers,
Chad

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

How much phytoplankton do you typically feed and do you notice and detrimental effects like increased nutrients?

The recommended feeding range on the bottle is 1-5 teaspoons/100gal. I alternate between feeding 5 ml (~1 teaspoon) and 10ml depending on what else I am feeding that night into my 125g. I have not noticed any increase in my NO3 or PO4 levels based on my weekly testing.

 

[cubbyman60]

The recommended feeding range on the bottle is 1-5 teaspoons/100gal. I alternate between feeding 5 ml (~1 teaspoon) and 10ml depending on what else I am feeding that night into my 125g. I have not noticed any increase in my NO3 or PO4 levels based on my weekly testing.

What filter feeders to you notice a response from?

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Mainly my gorgonian and zoas. Usually my zoas open up larger as I feed the combination and the gorgonian will extend its polyps out farther. I also noticed my clam would normally open/extend upwards more shortly after adding the PhytoFeast to the tank.

 

[cubbyman60]

Cool. Thanks.