What is growing in my phytoplankton?

[Reefen]

I am on my second batch of nannochloropsis. I noticed that there is something growing on the side of the bottle at the bottom, I shook it and it came off in sheets them clumped up. It looks like it is very light in color. What could it be?

 

[G Santana]

I've cultured about 20 liters so far and only lost 1 liter, and the same thing happened on the one loss. Keep an eye on it, if its starts turning coffee tan dump it.

 

[ZoWhat]

Phyto will clump together in sheets/flakes and "cake-on" on the sides of the container and then die off. once nearly dead it turns a light tan color

Best to have two containers. If you pour the green liquid from "caked-up" container into the clean container, you can keep the brewing/culturing going.

Any sheets/flakes/caking should be scrubbed out using a toilet brush you bought fir such a job. Rinse and dump all that caked-up crap down the drain.

.

 

[Reefen]

an interesting development, my air line came off last knight and the stuff that was growing on the sides is gone, some clumps floating around but they are a lot smaller than before and when the air is back on it starts to build up again on the sides

 

[Jason Kelsey]

I think that the only way to really know the health of your culture is to look at it under a microscope. Prior to my last split, I had a dense, healthy population of nannochloropsis. Now, a week and a half later, It's dark again, and really great. I thought it looked great! And ready to split again. I looked at it last night and the nannochloropsis cells are far and few and there are several spots in the image where a few dozen cells have clumped together. But the worst part is, there are what look like tiny little hairs everywhere!!! about 25-45 microns in length. Not branching. Upon a closer look at 100x, they look like you're looking at a train from an airplane. Best I can think of how to describe them. Cells are square / rectangle shaped and make a long chain. I dont know what they are, but they are not nannochloropsis. Does anyone have any insight to this???

 

[edd59]

I think that the only way to really know the health of your culture is to look at it under a microscope. Prior to my last split, I had a dense, healthy population of nannochloropsis. Now, a week and a half later, It's dark again, and really great. I thought it looked great! And ready to split again. I looked at it last night and the nannochloropsis cells are far and few and there are several spots in the image where a few dozen cells have clumped together. But the worst part is, there are what look like tiny little hairs everywhere!!! about 25-45 microns in length. Not branching. Upon a closer look at 100x, they look like you're looking at a train from an airplane. Best I can think of how to describe them. Cells are square / rectangle shaped and make a long chain. I dont know what they are, but they are not nannochloropsis. Does anyone have any insight to this???

i think thats what cyano looks like under a scope, like a chain.

 

[Jason Kelsey]

Here is a photo to go with my last statement. I ran all of my phyto through a 24 micron sieve and got 80% of the unwanted strands out, but you can see they still outnumber the nanno. Is there any way to save this culture? Or will the strands just keep using up the nutrients / food and outcompete the nanno. I feel like for every one I removed, I cut another in half which will just continue to grow accomplishing nothing

 

[Jason Kelsey]

i think thats what cyano looks like under a scope, like a chain.

added a couple photos

 

[Jason Kelsey]

Just ran it thru 23 micron sieve like 10 more times each time pulling more and more out to where the water almost passes right thru and its not even putting a dent in it. It is cool to watch the cells as they are splitting too though

 

[Reefen]

I think that the only way to really know the health of your culture is to look at it under a microscope. Prior to my last split, I had a dense, healthy population of nannochloropsis. Now, a week and a half later, It's dark again, and really great. I thought it looked great! And ready to split again. I looked at it last night and the nannochloropsis cells are far and few and there are several spots in the image where a few dozen cells have clumped together. But the worst part is, there are what look like tiny little hairs everywhere!!! about 25-45 microns in length. Not branching. Upon a closer look at 100x, they look like you're looking at a train from an airplane. Best I can think of how to describe them. Cells are square / rectangle shaped and make a long chain. I dont know what they are, but they are not nannochloropsis. Does anyone have any insight to this???

after seeing this and the pics,I just ordered a microscope, to check my phyto and pod cultures