Culturing Phyto

[mcpiii1124]

Within the next few weeks i would like to begin culturing live phyto. I started this project but put it on the back burner when lacrosse started. I know multiple people on this forum successfully culture it any input would be great.

What i know:
16ish hour Photo Period?
1.017 SG
air stone
Temperature...room temperature?

What i need to know...

How much/white kind of light?
Where do i get a starter culture?
Can i just use a bottle that i buy in the store or do i need a more recent culture, 24hours old or so?

[M_Jaco]

do you mind if I ask why you're interested in culturing phyto? IMO the only thing phyto feeds is your protein skimmer

[RossTheReefer]

Cheap fluorescent light will do great. I have t iso and nanno if u want a starter bottle. I do 1.024 and room temp with good results.

[mcpiii1124]

do you mind if I ask why you're interested in culturing phyto? IMO the only thing phyto feeds is your protein skimmer

IME adding live phyto to the tank on a regular basis greatly benefits LPS and SPS coral. When there is live phyto in the tank everything seems to be open and healthier looking. If the skimmer picks it up let it, thats what its there for.

[mcpiii1124]

Cheap fluorescent light will do great. I have t iso and nanno if u want a starter bottle. I do 1.024 and room temp with good results.


That would be awesome. Will you be at the next meeting?

[RossTheReefer]

That would be awesome. Will you be at the next meeting?

yes sir. I'll bring you a bottle of each variety. :)

[mcpiii1124]

Thanks man
Do you keep SPS?

[RossTheReefer]

Thanks man
Do you keep SPS?

yes i do. not too much tho, just some montis and pocillipora

[sassAwrasse]

Thanks man
Do you keep SPS?

I think at the January meeting Chriskid said he feeds his tank phyto and sees great results. He definitely keeps sps. I would reach out to him also for questions you might have.

[RossTheReefer]

do you mind if I ask why you're interested in culturing phyto? IMO the only thing phyto feeds is your protein skimmer

I think that before the skimmer gets it a lot is eaten by corals and micro organisms, so def still beneficial.

I culture so I can feed copepods and rotifers tho.

[mcpiii1124]

I think at the January meeting Chriskid said he feeds his tank phyto and sees great results. He definitely keeps sps. I would reach out to him also for questions you might have.

I have talked to Chris multiple times about phyto- he was my inspiration to stary culturing after his success.

[Griznock]

i grow phyto and supply my lfs with 5 gallons a week,i use around 1-1 1/2 gallons a week my self in my DT 75 reef tank. start out slow when adding it,maybe 1/4 cup every other day for a week then every day. i add at least 1 cup a day in my dt and half in my sump then another cup in my frag tank. i have many thousands of rots and pods in my fuge!

water=0.19
5 ml miracle gro per culture 2 liter or gallon..
1 ml Kent essential elements per culture
lights= i run 2 sets of t5 fixtures total of 8 bulbs plus 2 pc 6500 daylight bulbs.

i run my lights 24/7 add ro top off water as needed after 5 days its a very dark green almost black.

ridged air line tubing through the lid to the bottom of the container (drill 2 holes,one for air escape) run plenty of air,dont make a skimmer lol..

i run 7 gallons a week and looks like im going to have to step it up to at least 10 as i just added a pod grow out tank..

enjoy and good luck,this took me a long time to perfect but the info is not doing the reef world any good sitting in my head..

[Pallobi]

i grow phyto and supply my lfs with 5 gallons a week,i use around 1-1 1/2 gallons a week my self in my DT 75 reef tank. start out slow when adding it,maybe 1/4 cup every other day for a week then every day. i add at least 1 cup a day in my dt and half in my sump then another cup in my frag tank. i have many thousands of rots and pods in my fuge!

water=0.19
5 ml miracle gro per culture 2 liter or gallon..
1 ml Kent essential elements per culture
lights= i run 2 sets of t5 fixtures total of 8 bulbs plus 2 pc 6500 daylight bulbs.

i run my lights 24/7 add ro top off water as needed after 5 days its a very dark green almost black.

ridged air line tubing through the lid to the bottom of the container (drill 2 holes,one for air escape) run plenty of air,dont make a skimmer lol..

i run 7 gallons a week and looks like im going to have to step it up to at least 10 as i just added a pod grow out tank..

enjoy and good luck,this took me a long time to perfect but the info is not doing the reef world any good sitting in my head..

Great stuff right there. Thank you for sharing!

[Chriskid]

do you mind if I ask why you're interested in culturing phyto? IMO the only thing phyto feeds is your protein skimmer

Wow, this is up there in the top ten as not very helpful at all....lol

[mcpiii1124]

:D haha