Reef Nutrition Phytoplankton

[Reefn00b]

Wanna know if you use it.

how much you use and how often.

Any benefits you notice?

Good or bad?

I have a 180 and haven't used it in years but I am considering it now due to low pod population.

I keep SPS, LPS and Clams and all types of fish and inverts

[Reefn00b]

Anyone?!

[Reef Frog]

What are you trying to feed with phytoplankton?

My understanding is that SPS,LPS & zoas don't use it directly. I don't know of any fish that eat it either. Maybe filter feeders like fan & coco worms use it, but some doubt that. I had a sea cucumber once that did definitely eat freeze dryed phyto. Using it could increase the pod population but would also add detritus which could eventually cause nutrient issues in some tanks if not exported. I've heard of mandarin keepers who used live phyto to boost their pod food web.

Personally I wouldn't add it if I didn't have a specific reason & would keep an eye on NO3 & PO4. I do feed it to live brine shrimp to gut load them which is said to increase their nutritional value.

[dppitone]

The benefits of it are that it provide food for some stuff. The bad part is that if you're not super careful it'll fuel a huge algae bloom, which can be a real nightmare. Pretty much as Reef Frog said. I think dosing phyto an expert level method.

[Lateralus]

I would defiantly start out at half of the recommended dose.

[FlyPenFly]

I don't think it's a good idea to dose to a display system.

I would use it in a culturing system or maybe directly into a low flow refugium.

[Reefn00b]

What are you trying to feed with phytoplankton?

My understanding is that SPS,LPS & zoas don't use it directly. I don't know of any fish that eat it either. Maybe filter feeders like fan & coco worms use it, but some doubt that. I had a sea cucumber once that did definitely eat freeze dryed phyto. Using it could increase the pod population but would also add detritus which could eventually cause nutrient issues in some tanks if not exported. I've heard of mandarin keepers who used live phyto to boost their pod food web.

Personally I wouldn't add it if I didn't have a specific reason & would keep an eye on NO3 & PO4. I do feed it to live brine shrimp to gut load them which is said to increase their nutritional value.

The goal is to boost my pod population. Is there a better way?

[Reef Frog]

The goal is to boost my pod population. Is there a better way?

Some have added it for this reason. I don't know if its successful over the long term & perhaps unneeded if you have a productive fuge.

If you try it I'd just make sure you keep an eagle eye on possible nutrient spikes, especially if pest algae growth is or has been a problem. Personally i wouldnt try it unless you have a lightly fed system for example that you knew had the capacity to process a new source of added organics. Good skimming & use of micron level filter pads or socks may be beneficial from time to time to remove excess product.

A really well designed macro algae refugium and/or a cryptic zone of some kind is probably the best time tested method of making your pod population pop (say that 3 times fast). A mature dislay tank produces lots of food for pods on its own and I think pod predation is a major limiting factor. Culturing pods and adding them on a regular basis is another good way, but requires intense commitment & skill. Lots of good posts on this on RC.

[dppitone]

To my understanding, copepods do feed off phyto-plankton. But copepods can't be seen in your system without a magnifying glass, that's how small they are. So you won't be able to tell about them. Amphipods can feed off copepods - amphipods are the one's about 1/4" or so that can be seen with the naked eye. Amphipods also eat fish food and macro and meaty foods.

I don't think one can "boost" pods. In a healthy well setup system they will populate relative to the food available, the rock and macro shelter they have, and the predators against them.

[Reef Frog]

^^ agree. Every tank has has a natural capacity & equilibrium level like any ecosystem. Many factors come into play in this dynamic.

Adding a food input is an attempt to artificially boost production beyond the naturally sustainable levels. Macro algae in the display tank is a good way to boost and host more micro life, if you like that look and are up to culling it from time to time. I once saw a simple 55g tank witH deep sand, many species of macros & some LR, all dedicated to a pair of mandarin dragonettes - it was beautiful & teeming with life.

[ridetheducati]

Easy and cheap alternative: Allow the algae on the glass to accumulate for 10 days and wipe. Do this a couple times per month.