I won a bottle some months back and put in refrigerator. Came across it tonight and was wondering if it is still good (if it ever was). It has no expiration date, and I searched the net and found nothing stating if it goes bad and how soon. Was wondering if it might just be phosphate in a bottle.
Any knowledge of Kent Marine phytoplex?
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Who says? The guy that sells the live stuff?
If you look at them under a microscope, you cannot tell the difference between live and dead.
I know my opinion goes against the majority on this, but I've had a whiff of the "live" stuff when it has gone bad... :-X Nothing that can smell like that is EVER going into one of my tanks.
It's one thing if you're culturing your own live stuff but the "live in a bottle"... well it's pretty fragile and you don't know til you open it if it was properly kept before you got it.
If it has gone bad the stench will knock you over (and make you gag).
Shelf life of the Kent product is a couple or three years, provided it's not contaminated. You don't need to be afraid to take a whiff.
And you don't need to be afraid to use it.
Jenn
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I agree with you Jenn. Kind of like the difference between putting a bunch of raw cucumbers in a jar and selling them vs making pickles and selling them. Properly preserved, the phyto can last a long time and be nutricious. The raw cucumbers if not used or cared for properly will decompose.
That's an interesting analogy 
FWIW, I use the Kent coral foods in the store systems, and I have for 7+ years. No issues that can be attributed to their use, and the corals quickly go into 'feeding mode' when they are put in the tank.
Jenn
FWIW, I use the Kent coral foods in the store systems, and I have for 7+ years. No issues that can be attributed to their use, and the corals quickly go into 'feeding mode' when they are put in the tank.
Jenn
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I don't know where you get your live phyto from, but mine doesn't smell.
I have a bottle of Nannochioropsis oculata & one Tetraselmis chui.
Adding phyto both live or dead is most likely not necessary at all, and could just be adding excess nutrients.
I add live phyto due to my low nutrient system, insuring my pods my stay healthy. not prov-en though.
Adding DEAD Phyto? Dead phyto starts to decompose minutes after it enters 70-80 degree water. phosphates & nitrates. common sense.
is there a nutritional difference between fresh squeezed oj & concentrate? A cucumber and a pickle?
Jenn, my information doesn't come from a salesman, and that's kinda rude insinuating that I am that ignorant. maybe a little, but not that! lol
I have a bottle of Nannochioropsis oculata & one Tetraselmis chui.
Adding phyto both live or dead is most likely not necessary at all, and could just be adding excess nutrients.
I add live phyto due to my low nutrient system, insuring my pods my stay healthy. not prov-en though.
Adding DEAD Phyto? Dead phyto starts to decompose minutes after it enters 70-80 degree water. phosphates & nitrates. common sense.
is there a nutritional difference between fresh squeezed oj & concentrate? A cucumber and a pickle?
Jenn, my information doesn't come from a salesman, and that's kinda rude insinuating that I am that ignorant. maybe a little, but not that! lol
Ralph, no offense was intended - if you interpreted it that way, I apologize. I've heard about every pitch from every sales guy, and it seems that many spend most of their time slamming "the other product" rather than touting their own.
Bottled "live" products don't stay live if they aren't refrigerated.
Using the same logic though, unless you're feeding live foods to all of your inhabitants, it all starts to decompose once it hits (and it does).
The key is not over-dosing, and only feeding if you have things that need that type of food. Consider when dosing such products, that they end up as waste whether or not they are consumed, just like solid foods.
Jenn
Bottled "live" products don't stay live if they aren't refrigerated.
Using the same logic though, unless you're feeding live foods to all of your inhabitants, it all starts to decompose once it hits (and it does).
The key is not over-dosing, and only feeding if you have things that need that type of food. Consider when dosing such products, that they end up as waste whether or not they are consumed, just like solid foods.
Jenn
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A little good reading. I wish I knew what the effects (if any) that the preservatives that may be in some of the products might have on our systems. Kent makes great products IMO but why such a narrow band of microns in the phytoplex? Could it be that we then are enticed to purchase the "complementing products" such as chromaplex, microvert and zoo plex?
http://208.112.95.51/corlfdgprods.htm">http://208.112.95.51/corlfdgprods.htm</a>
This is where a healthy FUGE comes in so handy.
http://208.112.95.51/corlfdgprods.htm">http://208.112.95.51/corlfdgprods.htm</a>
This is where a healthy FUGE comes in so handy.
Chromaplex is the best bang for the buck as far as Kent liquid foods goes... more density/number of particles per ounce, and more variance in particle sizes.
Microvert is the smallest particle size, followed by Phytoplex, Chromaplex and Zooplex, the last of which is zooplankton not phytoplankton.
As far as preservatives... that's always in question.. plenty of flake/pellet foods contain Ethoxyquin... that opens up a whole new can of worms.
Jenn
Microvert is the smallest particle size, followed by Phytoplex, Chromaplex and Zooplex, the last of which is zooplankton not phytoplankton.
As far as preservatives... that's always in question.. plenty of flake/pellet foods contain Ethoxyquin... that opens up a whole new can of worms.
Jenn
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Absolutly, Nannochioropsis and Tetraselmis are great for keeping your zooplankton thriving. I personally prefer live.
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So what would yall recommend feeding a frag tank (mixed SPS, LPS, Zoas, etc) for optimum growth?
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All depends on how the system is setup and how long it has been setup, is there a fuge, is it tied to your main system, are there fish?
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Haha, no fish currently. Planning to pick up a six line next time I'm in town, but that will probably be the only fish (maybe an ocellaris clown). Tank has been up over a month, but has only recently had frags put in it. No fuge, just a HOB skimmer.
I did use Fuel on my main tank for a while in the spring but ran out and always forgot to pick up more in town. It did improve color and to tell you the truth, I had forgotten about it.
I did use Fuel on my main tank for a while in the spring but ran out and always forgot to pick up more in town. It did improve color and to tell you the truth, I had forgotten about it.
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Target feed
