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View Full Version : Seachem Phytoplankton vs. "cultured" Phyto


Yellow Eyes
04/09/2015, 08:05 AM
I was thinking about adding some phytoplankton once or twice a week to see if I noticed any improvement in the corals or my copepod population. I see there are a few companies that sell phyto (like Seachem) but I am hesitant to use something that must contain some other chemicals for storage(?)

So my question is is it worth it to just buy one of these corporate phyto bottles or should I go the route of ebay and someone selling a water bottle full of them?

Any other opinions would be helpful as I am really just researching the topic at the moment.

AdamNC
04/09/2015, 10:05 AM
Well I know my Area 51 Phytoplankton is live as it even has an expiration date on it. With the Seachem there's no way of knowing how long it's been on the shelf or when it was cultured. Live Phyto is generally the best food source for copepods.

MondoBongo
04/09/2015, 11:56 AM
i've used the bottled phyto to start my own cultures. that is a good route to go.

i doubt they would use anything to stabilize the phyto for storage, usually the commercial products are recommenced to be kept refrigerated, however for moderate to large scale regular dosing they quickly become cost prohibitive. which is why it is more economical for me to use the commercial stuff as a starter, then dose from my own cultures.