Smallest food for filter feeders?

[jwilliams229]

What is the smallest sized food for filter feeders?
Ive heard of "micro" plankton - is that smaller than phytoplankton? What is zooplankton? Isochrysis?

I am currently feeding my filter feeding animals DTs Phytoplankton. I just wanted to know if there is something smaller.

J

[MCsaxmaster]

The distinction between particulate material and dissolved material is arbitrary: anything that is retained by a 0.2 um filter is considered particulate material, anything that goes through (< 0.2 um) is considered dissolved.

Most phytoplankton is within the range of 1-50 um. Zooplankton range from a few tens of um up to several meters long (e.g., big siphonophores). Virus like particles and very small particles of detritus (pseudoplankton) occupy the smallest size classes. Bacterioplankton are usually ~0.2-1 um. Isochrysis is a genus of phytoplankton.

I'm not aware of any commercially available product smaller than some of the small phytoplankton, e.g., Nanochloropsis. These particles are a bit big, and perhaps too big, for some suspension feeders, like many sponges though.

cj

[billsreef]

Microplankton would include most phytoplankton, including the ones in DT's. Some phyto is smaller than the "micro" designation, as are some protists and bacteria. Isochrysis is a phytoplankton, a golden brown flagellate to be somewhat more precise. It's one of the top phyto's used in aquaculture due to having an excellent nutritional profile and being of size readily acceptable to rotifers, copepods, and shellfish. In terms of what's available on the market, your getting anything smaller than phyto, and I doubt it's really needed either ;)

[GreshamH]

Arg I know one but can't post it (UA violation) :( I much prefer not to be banned :)

[Grym]

I have a CD by Steve Tyree that says he uses a 200 micron filter sock and whatever passes through that feeds his filter feeders in a dark slow flow tank resembling lower down the reef where its darker and calmer.

[MCsaxmaster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14488927#post14488927 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GreshamH
Arg I know one but can't post it (UA violation) :( I much prefer not to be banned :)

Ha, well, you could tell me, and then I would know, and then I might be able to pass on the info :D

[jwilliams229]

thanks for the help so far!!.... I assume the DTs I'm feeding are sufficient enough for my flame scallop, christmas tree worms, chili coral...? appears that isochrysis may provide some supplemental benefit?

J

[MCsaxmaster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14492930#post14492930 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jwilliams229
thanks for the help so far!!.... I assume the DTs I'm feeding are sufficient enough for my flame scallop, christmas tree worms, chili coral...? appears that isochrysis may provide some supplemental benefit?

J

It's probably ok for all three (possibly less so for the chili coral) but all three have poor to very poor track records in captivity because of our incapacity to provide sufficient amounts of appropriate food, and perhaps inappropriate water flow at least for the coral. Christmas tree worms occaionally do well, flame scallops rarely do, and it's darn near unheard of for chili corals (and most aposymbiotic soft corals) to survive in captivity. Unfortunately, providing sufficent quality and quantity of food is likely going to require something along the lines of constant feeding, possibly with foods that aren't commercially available, and getting the water flow right, at least for the coral.

cj