Phytoplankton Culture Experiment

[dakar]

Here's my very low-tech phytoplankton culture experiment. Started with 1/2 cup of phyto water (not very densely populated) from LFS. Added to 1/2 gallon fresh SW @ 1.019(ish)SG. Add in a 15W T-8 Coralife 50/50 bulb, timered to burn 16 hours on and 8 off. Tiny air pump to rigid tubing to keep the water moving. We'll see how things turn out, if it works in a week or so I should have 1/2 gallon of very green water, which I'll split in half and start again.

Total costs:
1/2g rubbermaid container - $2 (wallyworld)
1/2cup phyto populated water - $5

here's a shot of it today after 24 hours, already starting to turn a bit green.

[Reptoreef]

After you get the hang of growing the green water, you can add the rotifers in another container and raise all your own goodies.

[peregrinus]

looks cool. i was going to do that with 2 litters. just need to find some more space.

[Reef_Angel]

If someone goes down in our basement and doesn't understand saltwater reefing, and they whisper about it in this one horse town....lol....we'll be arrested and calling one of you to help us out. Our family doesn't know anything about this hobby of ours either, so they'd be hard pressed to explain it to the police to colaborate our story! They just think the tank is pretty and they love to come see it, but that's about it. :) Whether they'd bail us out of jail or not would be another story! hehe :) We're the couple in our family that loves to try adventure. We've been oil painters that made Bob Ross roll over in his grave...Bless his heart... , Hunters which Dave always kicks butt at, l but I go out and manage to get pneumonia the first day...bummer, waterskiiers....I drive the boat because I know better than to even attempt it ,but good 'ol Dave get's back there and holds on for dear life...even when he's down. We have to keep yelling at him to let go of the rope ....lmbo....oooohhh...and now we raise English Springers, or they are raising us. Before we got them we had put beautiful hardwood down on all the floors, bought a brand new $1000 nature/deer sofa, and the dogs ate the middle back rest while we were out one day. Now the hardwood looks awful and the floors have to be replaced badly again! These 5 spoiled dogs now stay outside in the day, but come in at night. They would all love to sleep with us. Dave and I get told to behave by strangers in the grocery store for 'misbehaving' and having to much fun with each other while we shop. Woah... I'm sorry...I really got way off topic here. I'm sorry, but I just had to. The funny part is, I could go on, and Dave is probably reading this and thinking of a bunch of stuff too! lol Heck, you only live once! I'll try to stay on topic. Just can't help it sometimes! It's just that there's a side to Mr. Straight and Narrow Computer Man that is so funny, and his secret is NOT safe with me! hehehe

Angel :)

[Reptoreef]

Dave "wild thing" Cochran!!! Bad to the bone.

[dakar]

looks cool. i was going to do that with 2 litters. just need to find some more space.

2 Liters or 1/2G, not much difference :LOL: These are easier to come by as we don't by soda pop in bottles, instead we empty the shelf at wally world of these and the 1G's anytime they get them in, thousands of uses, everything from acclimating new critters, moving water, fragging, now to culturing phyto, going to start a brine shimp hatchery in a couple weeks to feed, and freeze myself as well.

Angel&Repto..... :oops: & :roll: respectively..... Just give me something to kill , blow up, or let the smoke out of and I'm a happy camper.

[dakar]

One week later, starting to see a lot more green in there.... think if i'd started with one of those petri dish cultures things would have progressed a little quicker, but I'm learning to be a bit more patient. We'll see how the next week progresses, maybe have something viable by then. Might need to change the lighting, the 50/50 is 10K & actinic spectrums, may get better results with something down around 5K or lower.

[Reptoreef]

Yea... try a plant grow light.

[dakar]

Thinking of trying one of those power compact floodlights like I have over my fuge. The fuge needs another anyhows, they burn @ 2900K might do just the trick.

[Reptoreef]

Good heck... should work really well. Mind your distance for the warm factor.

[dakar]

Yep, just did some more reading, actually looked at the package that FL tube came in, its a 50/50 only 6500 and actinic not the 10K i thought, but the floodlight one is at 2900K, it's one of those cool power compact jobbers, only eats 19W of power and yields ~75W light, with very little heat. Everything down in the fuge seems to like it, even a bit of coraline growing, thats something I didn't expect from such a low kelvin rated bulb. We'll see how the phyto likes it next trip through HD.

[condiman]

If someone goes down in our basement and doesn't understand saltwater reefing, and they whisper about it in this one horse town....lol....we'll be arrested and calling one of you to help us out.

I know what you mean if you go into my basement you get the same thing. I actually had people ask me what I had growing down there because of the bright lights threw the basement windows.

[dakar]

Update: The culture from the experiment took like over 8 weeks to really become 'green water', so I just strained it off and been feeding it to the tank. Going to restart it using one of those petri dish type cultures.

Still waiting for the DEA to run a fly by, then the badges will be pounding on the door wanting to see why the house is throwing such a large UV signature :D

[Reef_Angel]

You're not kidding about the lights! I'm glad someone else sees what I do. Living out in the boonies, we light up like a Christmas tree when it's real dark out. We only have those small basement window peeking out of the ground, but darned if those fluorescent's don't glow for a mile or more down the highway. I think it'd be funny to have the cops come raid us for drugs or something down there. It would be funny as heck. Our local hick town paper with a big ol' headline reading:
"Attempted Drug Bust Failed", Salt Water Sump & Paraphernalia associated with The Salt Water Reef Hobby, was found in basement of local Salt Water Reefing Hobbyist!

[condiman]

I was wondering if you were feeding your green water anything?

[dakar]

Nope... just an airline and light... know a better trick?

[condiman]

I was looking at this link that I had for using petre dish setup and is says to use micro algae grow. I was wondering if is was nessiscary at all to us it.
http://www.sjwilson.net/reef/phytosteps.html

[dakar]

When I can make the room and such to get another culture going, that is pretty much the method I'm planning on using.