Phyto growing
- Thread starter george
- Start date
I was thinking about doing this. I found some interesting articles on it. Check out this station that you can make it should be cheap and you can make the whole thing and then start adding bottles.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/ds/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/ds/index.php</a>
Plus I just like having equipment around.
I would worry if you are going to culture Rotifers also in fear of contaminating your main culture.
From what I understand is that you half your starting culture to feed or to start another culture. So on and so forth. I would think if you use it to culture rotifers you could spray paint the elbows above the corresponding bottles. Like green for the Green water brown for the brine shrimp and red for rotifers.
Does anyone happen to have this book?
[IMG]http://www.amazon.com/Plankton-Culture-Manual-Frank-Hoff/dp/0966296001/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product/104-8132430-0409550">http://www.amazon.com/Plankton-Culture-Manual-Frank-Hoff/dp/0966296001/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product/104-8132430-0409550</a>
I would love to borrow/rent/buy it from you. Mainly I just want to flip through it learn something new and what not.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/ds/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/ds/index.php</a>
Plus I just like having equipment around.
I would worry if you are going to culture Rotifers also in fear of contaminating your main culture.
From what I understand is that you half your starting culture to feed or to start another culture. So on and so forth. I would think if you use it to culture rotifers you could spray paint the elbows above the corresponding bottles. Like green for the Green water brown for the brine shrimp and red for rotifers.
Does anyone happen to have this book?
[IMG]http://www.amazon.com/Plankton-Culture-Manual-Frank-Hoff/dp/0966296001/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product/104-8132430-0409550">http://www.amazon.com/Plankton-Culture-Manual-Frank-Hoff/dp/0966296001/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product/104-8132430-0409550</a>
I would love to borrow/rent/buy it from you. Mainly I just want to flip through it learn something new and what not.
I'm culturing, but just about a 1/4 gallon at a time. I let mine get super thick before splitting. The trick is to just keep agitating it, and keep the water topped up. That way your culture doesn't crash and it keeps a steady flow of nutrients into the culture.
You talkin' to me?
If so, I'm just using a couple of quart (maybe bigger) rubbermaid jars with a hole drilled in the lid. Slide a bit of hard tubing in there, attach it to a air pump. Light the whole thing with a leftover flouresent tube and blammo, instant mad-scientist look
I honestly think the biggest thing is to keep it agitated, with both the bubbling motion and a daily shake (or so)... Then make sure you filter it when you split. I use one of those hard filters from a crappy little coffee maker.
If so, I'm just using a couple of quart (maybe bigger) rubbermaid jars with a hole drilled in the lid. Slide a bit of hard tubing in there, attach it to a air pump. Light the whole thing with a leftover flouresent tube and blammo, instant mad-scientist look
I honestly think the biggest thing is to keep it agitated, with both the bubbling motion and a daily shake (or so)... Then make sure you filter it when you split. I use one of those hard filters from a crappy little coffee maker.
I would love to some culture. But then what about the algae?
Seriously I would love to get some to start out. I figure that I'll be splitting an multiplying my cultures a while before I start actually using them. I figure that I can give away some so I can have some people around me that culture it too just in case of a crash.
I'm going to use the culture station that is in the link that I posted.
I might try to see if I can find shorter lights an just make it 6 positions. I want to grow rotifers and brine too in the future.
Just out of curiosity what algae are you culturing? Frank and George.
Seriously I would love to get some to start out. I figure that I'll be splitting an multiplying my cultures a while before I start actually using them. I figure that I can give away some so I can have some people around me that culture it too just in case of a crash.
I'm going to use the culture station that is in the link that I posted.
I might try to see if I can find shorter lights an just make it 6 positions. I want to grow rotifers and brine too in the future.
Just out of curiosity what algae are you culturing? Frank and George.
I started trying to do this this week-end, but didn't quite get to initializing the culture since I haven't set up my culturing area yet.
I am planning to shamelessly copy Rob Weatherly's method from Talking Reef. I am going to use the 6500K GE 26 watt PC bulbs I found in Wal Mart for my lighting.
I got my cultures from https://3kserver7.com/~frank/secure/agora.cgi?product=LIVE_CULTURES">Florida Aqua Farms</a>. I couldn't find any local suppliers. I got Nanochloropsus and Tetraselmis.
Eventually, once I get it all streamlined, I'll do rotifers as well. My plan is to set up the cultures in my garage and build a housing for the system.
I am planning to shamelessly copy Rob Weatherly's method from Talking Reef. I am going to use the 6500K GE 26 watt PC bulbs I found in Wal Mart for my lighting.
I got my cultures from https://3kserver7.com/~frank/secure/agora.cgi?product=LIVE_CULTURES">Florida Aqua Farms</a>. I couldn't find any local suppliers. I got Nanochloropsus and Tetraselmis.
Eventually, once I get it all streamlined, I'll do rotifers as well. My plan is to set up the cultures in my garage and build a housing for the system.
Well if you see some of my other post usually like above put in links or try to quote and site. I'll definitely be sharing what I learn. What I really wanted to do is try to cultivate a variety of live food so I can put it in the tank. And it seems if its not too much trouble then it maybe cheaper then trying to buy the stuff at the store with less preservatives. Maybe we can swap for different live cultures of ones we don't have.
I wondering if I can just order one rotifer. it seems like I only need one live one to start a culture of billions. I wondered what the places would say if I asked them for pricing on just one rotifer.
I wondering if I can just order one rotifer.
it seems like I only need one live one to start a culture of billions. I wondered what the places would say if I asked them for pricing on just one rotifer.Well I haven't started any up since I've been here but for a couple years I cultured pyhto and rotifers in Dallas in 2 liters in a bucket in the closet with the above referenced light.
get an air pump with a splitter and some rigid tubing. Drill a small hole in the 2 liter cap big enough for the rigid tubing. attach the air output to the riid tubing. Add the culture to freshly made saltwater (I recommend against using tankwater unless you nuke it to kill everything) and 1.5mL of Micro Algea Grow from FAF (others use Miracle Grow and Kent essentials). Keep strong airation (bubble like crazy, but big bubbles) and make sure you topoff so salinity doesn't get out of whack. Within a couple weeks it will be real dark and then you spit into 1/2 or 1/3 your culture and 1/2 or 2/3 fresh saltwater and do it again. It shold take 10-20 days to become dark again. Do that in perpituity. Really really easy.
Here is a good link by the way.
http://melevsreef.com/phytoplankton.html">http://melevsreef.com/phytoplankton.html</a>
Oh ya, frewl I do have that book. So I wish I would have seen this earlier!
get an air pump with a splitter and some rigid tubing. Drill a small hole in the 2 liter cap big enough for the rigid tubing. attach the air output to the riid tubing. Add the culture to freshly made saltwater (I recommend against using tankwater unless you nuke it to kill everything) and 1.5mL of Micro Algea Grow from FAF (others use Miracle Grow and Kent essentials). Keep strong airation (bubble like crazy, but big bubbles) and make sure you topoff so salinity doesn't get out of whack. Within a couple weeks it will be real dark and then you spit into 1/2 or 1/3 your culture and 1/2 or 2/3 fresh saltwater and do it again. It shold take 10-20 days to become dark again. Do that in perpituity. Really really easy.
Here is a good link by the way.
http://melevsreef.com/phytoplankton.html">http://melevsreef.com/phytoplankton.html</a>
Oh ya, frewl I do have that book. So I wish I would have seen this earlier!
Its cool. I ended up getting the mini-culture kit. I changed my order. I figure feed the fuge and have it dumping into the tank and everything gets feed. I want to try feeding from the bottom up. Well up to the corals and then feed from the fish down. I'll see how it all goes. I need to set up my culture station. I'm going to do rotifers too. I don't know if I want to try a continuous culture of rotating cultures of rotifers.
As I understand it, the final act of a dying rotifer is to dump eggs (or cysts or something like that) that can be used at a later date to restart the affair. Might be able to just run some. Use them. Start again. Repeat. Without having to continuously culture them.
