raising reef (phytoplankton culturing)

[@sork.5988]

Have been culturing phytoplankton in these bubblr magnus dosingtanks for quite some months now and Im very happy with it. Empty the tanks, fill with boiled osmosis water dry and fill them up again. Been working fine! Thanks for the tip!

[@raisingreef339]

That’s great to hear I always worry when I recommend something that people may have a different experience to me I’m glad like me you enjoy using them 👌🏻

[@amirafiq7191]

Honestly this video help me alot to understand how to culture pyto..tq

[@raisingreef339]

I’m glad you found this information useful thanks for watching

[@juandupreez9801]

Finally a clear, concise, well explained video on the topic. Other youtube videos I watched about the subject, the content was 10% info, 90% waffle. Good job, well done !

[@raisingreef339]

juan du preez thanks that means a lot I found this when researching when I first was looking to start a culture so I tried my best to provide all the info in one place to help others so glad you liked it.

[@FuturoAnacronico]

That information you claim sir is false. How much phytoplancton do you need in your aquarium to reduce levels of Nitrogen or phosphorus? Theres no way you can calculate or dose phyto to reduce those waste elements. Unless you use a microscope to count cells per mililiter. Micro algae grows at exponential levels consuming micro and macro elements. If you want to consume elements with algae your cell count per mililiter then would be high to clowd your water, Your skimmer will spill and wont be able to cope with the bloom. The only way to reduce nitrogen and phosphate from aquarium is with biological filtration, bactería. Algaes, such as diatoms, dinoflagelates, and even bacteria are not the way to go.

[@glengreasley7867]

Brilliant nice and simple explanation 👍going to get started thanks

[@raisingreef339]

Glad you found it useful hope it goes well 👍🏻

[@glengreasley7867]

@@raisingreef339 keep up the videos in the same manner I am sure you will have loads of people watching .this hobby can be very hard to get good info And your videos are just easy to watch thanks again Glen 👍

[@dannycastaneda1974]

I've only been culturing phytoplankton for a few months now. i've only had one successful culture and crashed 3 times...turned yellow. Thanks for the tip about adding more fert! i will try and see how it goes this time. Thanks!

[@raisingreef339]

Rasta yeah most likely running out of food only other thing might be temperature if it gets to hot it will die. Good luck with the next one

[@dannycastaneda1974]

@@raisingreef339 Yes, i believe twice was due to temperature. This last time may have been running out of food. I've also been told it could have been contaminated. But i always clean with alcohol.

[@raisingreef339]

Rasta I must admit I have never cleaned with anything other than water and never lost a culture.

[@dannycastaneda1974]

@@raisingreef339 so, adding more fertilizer this morning did not help in this case, already seems to be crashed, turning a pale yellow towards a white color. My fert is a part A and part B, 2 ml each to start the culture from Poseidon Reef Systems. They don't say to add anymore later in the process. Started the culture only 2 days ago with 250 ml starter nano culture. Maybe the phyto i am starting with is too concentrated?

[@raisingreef339]

Rasta I’m not familiar with this product I got some live phyto to start it off and bought F2 fertiliser off eBay and never had any issues with that. They won’t tell you to add more fertiliser it’s just something I do to revive it if it’s starving the idea is to harvest at the point it’s used up and start over but if you want a stronger mix it helps. It shouldn’t need more fertiliser after only a few days sound like this system isn’t working for you for another reason maybe? I would add more fertiliser after about a week if I wasn’t ready to harvest or it didn’t look dark enough.

[@martinhblake]

All the information I needed in a short video clearly explained. Now I need to find a vid on how to put an anemone in a tank where I will put corals too.

[@raisingreef339]

Martin Blake glad you found this video useful I have a video about anemones and some Of my videos talk about coral placement also.

[@martinhblake]

@@raisingreef339 Thank you, excellent!!!

[@tommycristaldi9037]

Love the video. How much are you supposed to dose? For example I have 55 total gallons. Do I also turn off the skimmer?

[@raisingreef339]

It’s hard to say as the amount of cells in any given measurement of liquid will differ from one culture to another so I always tell people to dose a bit every day and slowly increase the dose and see if you notice any changes (benefits) and work it out for yourself over time biased on how you culture the phyto. I didn’t used to turn off my skimmer but it wouldn’t hurt to reduce the chance of it getting skimmed out I used to just dose it into the display tank directly and not worry to much about what ended up going into the sump. Glad you liked the video Hope this helps

[@shaungell4032]

Thanks for the info

[@sork.5988]

Did you drill an extra hole for the air put in to get out the container?

[@raisingreef339]

sor k. I did on one container but not on the others and it didn’t seem to make a difference the lids only sit in position so the air can escape easily. You would need a hole in containers with tight fitting lids.

[@sork.5988]

@@raisingreef339 is it a bubble magus dosing container? In the film you click the top on is that still letting air out that way?

[@raisingreef339]

sor k. Yes it just sits on the rim with a little recess in the lid it’s not a tight fit at all.

[@sork.5988]

Great than I will order some bubble magus dosing containers. Thanks a lot! Especially the option of cleaning with boiling water ia great. All the plastic containers cant cope with that heat. These can, so great news.

[@raisingreef339]

sor k. To be honest I did notice a bit of crazing in the plastic after a while so not sure they are that suited to boiling water in the longer term. I’ve been using mine for a few years and they haven’t fallen apart as yet but just so you know. You can use an old plastic drink bottle they work just fine. But glass is probably the best thing to use.

[@bobhill5049]

i watched a lot of vids on this topic but no one mentions how they are keeping the equiptment sterile. I also noted that your culture was much lighter than others out there what was your strain.? After you made it do you simply dump in in the sump use a refurgium or directly in the tank. thx Bpb

[@raisingreef339]

BOB HILL the culture can become very dark if I feed it more and wait a little longer for the purposes of filming the video it could have done with a few more days. The strain I use is nannochloropsis. Hope this helps.

[@raisingreef339]

I store it in the fridge and use it a few times a week to keep the pod population thriving I usually add it to the display tank as many corals will consume it as well.

[@MrTupeloFlash]

Professional Video :)

[@raisingreef339]

Richard thanks 🙏🏻

[@nataliedebiase5089]

Does it need to have the LED light or would a sunny windowsill be sufficient even outside?

[@raisingreef339]

Natalie De Biase any light will do fo phyto but if you use the same light spectrum and intensity you will find it easier to judge when to harvest at the most optimal point with each batch you do as long as the temperature remains the same each time. The more variables there are the more different the culture time and results will be but it can totally be done with sun light if you want to do it that way.

[@joem6170]

Any other fertilizer i can use other then the f2... and what abt the starter culture will seachem phyto do e trick? .. amazon wont post to the country im in... pfffttt..

[@raisingreef339]

Joe M I have herd of people using plant food like baby bio but there may be other ingredients that are not desirable to be adding in you your aquarium water that may remain in the water with the phyto and I wasn’t willing to take that risk personally.

[@joem6170]

@@raisingreef339 thanks for e advice matey but im in desperation ... ill probably check seasol out for its ingredients... bloody aquarium shops are hopeless... 😭

[@armandocalvochico892]

One question, the light must be on all day and night? Or how many hours of light is required?

[@raisingreef339]

Armando Calvo Chico the longer the light is on the quicker it will culture so it makes sense to leave it on 24/7 but you can have the light off for a time if it’s going to interfere with things and you don’t want a light on at certain points in the day I would say 16hrs on 8hrs off would be fine but I personally have always had the light on 24/7 and just kept it in a cupboard so the light didn’t interfere with anything thing or anyone.

[@markhooper1277]

started my first culture last week its gone a nice dark green colour just wondering how much to dose in a 500 ltr system

[@raisingreef339]

That’s great 👍🏻 There is no exact measurement when it comes to phyto as much as you can get away with without upsetting your tanks nutrient control in the system. Start off small like 10ml a day and increase a little every week until you feel your tank is getting enough.

[@markhooper1277]

@@raisingreef339 im already dosing phyto to help with dinos so my tank is used to it ,cheaper to grow my own . i was dosing 50ml a day of a blend of 5 phytos , do u think 50ml a day of phyto is enough oh and the dinos are going at long last

[@raisingreef339]

@@markhooper1277 unless you know the cell content of each batch per ml no two doses will contain the same amount anyway and one 50ml dose of one batch could have the same cell count as 100ml of another. You can dose as much as you want but be aware there may be some fertiliser left in solution so you may be feeding other algae in the tank. As long as you don’t spike your p04 or nh3 then there shouldn’t be a problem.

[@mohammedfidaulhoque8936]

if i may ask, what is the timing of lighting hour?

[@raisingreef339]

I light mine 24hrs a day as it will photosynthesise and continue to divide continuously but you can light it for 8 or 12hrs a day if you wanted it will just take longer to be ready to harvest

[@mmpressey]

Thanks for the informative video! Where do you get the fertilizer? Thanks!

[@raisingreef339]

Maurice Pressey there is a link in description but if you search f2 fertiliser on eBay there will be some to choose from just be careful as some seem to be diluted and not as good value as they seem.

[@mmpressey]

@@raisingreef339 Thanks a lot! Do you have an idea of what would be good vs bad? The darker the better maybe?

[@raisingreef339]

Maurice Pressey yes darker would indicate stronger but I would try to get from a reputable seller check feedback and such.

[@mmpressey]

@@raisingreef339 Thanks a lot!

[@mogtrader8]

So you save culture and put in new fresh saltwater, add fertilizer and let it grow that way?

[@raisingreef339]

mogtrader8 yes that’s right

[@ReeferDave]

Great video! Subscribed.

[@raisingreef339]

Reefer Dave thanks 🙏🏻

[@Chrispfish-m8v]

Great video! Subscribed, are you still planning to do more vids?.

[@raisingreef339]

@@Chrispfish-m8v hi at this moment in time I have no plans to make new videos as I was forced to shut down my tank and I’m unsure when I will be able to return to reefing but I still have my equipment and one day hope to reset up my tank and have a reef once again. Glad you found my video helpful and thanks for your support. 🙏🏻

[@Chrispfish-m8v]

@@raisingreef339 Hi Rob, great shame your channel is a little gem. I have just started watching your back catalogue and enjoying very vid. When you return I will look forward to that day for the next raising reef video. Take care 👍

[@tonylamb3279]

What was the light you used please as the link goes to blues

[@raisingreef339]

tony lamb hi Tony this is a link to the type of light it is probably not the exact same model but these lights are very much the same and will do the job. I didn’t notice the link was for a blue one here is a link to a white one Mpanda LED Aquarium Light,7" Submersible Fish Tank LightAmphibious Led Fish Tank Lighting (18cm, white) amzn.to/2M00NNB

[@peterr6260]

Hello! Can I ask you about the lighting? On how many Kelvin do they emit? What's the best for growing phytoplankton?

[@raisingreef339]

Peter Vadasz i can’t remember exactly the k rating of the led light I used for this but around 6500k works very well or even lower at 2500k will do a good job. Having dead that almost any light will be sufficient to culture phytoplankton it’s not that fussy but in my experience those ratings have worked best for me.

[@peterr6260]

@@raisingreef339 okay, thanks!

[@jennifervoller5033]

How can i get the phytoplankton culture more concentrated in the Billions per 1 ml & also what is the Phyto plankton concentration after just 1 week of culturing usually like in your video? Is it just in the Millions per ml??? Thanks

[@raisingreef339]

Jennifer Voller to get more concentrated people usually use a centrifuge and draw off excess water but I don’t really know the actual amount of cells per ml I’ve never bothered that much I just add it to the tank or use it to feed cultures of rotifer

[@jennifervoller5033]

@@raisingreef339 Also they say to split the culture every 7-10 days or so, but what if i let the culture go for 1 month or 2 months without splitting ? Will this cause the cultures to get even darker green & more dense or not??? Thanks!

[@raisingreef339]

Jennifer Voller I think you run the risk of crashing the culture if you run for to long as as you would have to keep feeding it and many of the cells could die off. The idea I believe is to use up all the fertiliser and at that point harvest or split and start over some people have many cultures going at once to produce higher quantities and if one crashes they haven’t lost all. This is something you could experiment with to see how it works out I have found the concentration of cells to be sufficient for feeding rotifer culture and my tank just after a week or so and never tried to push my luck with getting a denser mix. What are you using it for?

[@norfolkhoneybee273]

How do you clean contain correctly?

[@raisingreef339]

I find filling the container to the top with boiling water and then pouring out good enough I have never encountered any issues with this method. However you can sterilise the container with alcohol or bleach it before hand just make sure it thoroughly rinsed after and allowed to dry before adding the starter culture.

[@norfolkhoneybee273]

@@raisingreef339 could have 4 to 6 containers around one light. Excellent information.

[@raisingreef339]

Mantis Express you can maybe not with this light I’m using in the video as it’s just single strip with not much spread. But I used a bigger light to culture 4 at a time when I was producing lots of phyto.

[@CrowntailHalfmoon]

Hi Gr8 info.😊 Do u have the light on 24hours daily or on a timer to shut off?

[@raisingreef339]

CrowntailHalfmoon it’s on 24/7 the more light you give it the quicker it grows

[@CrowntailHalfmoon]

@@raisingreef339 Ok thx u. What's rating of the light to achieve maximum results At what day would you say is best to split culture and could u feed it to brineshrimp to grow them to adults

[@raisingreef339]

I haven’t found phytoplankton to be very fussy when it comes to light as long as there is light it will grow I find it ready to split once a week is about right but it dose depend on the temperature and the amount of fertiliser so it’s best to play it by ear and work out over time when is best for your culture the warmer it is the quicker it will culture so once it’s a nice dark green colour you good to split or harvest you will know if it’s gone a bit to long as it will start to loose colour you can get it back by adding a little more fertiliser

[@raisingreef339]

And yes you can feed it to brine shrimp you can also feed them yeast, soybean powder and egg yoke.

[@Bblizzard2009]

Here are my questions...what will happen if you leave the culture in the reactor too long And which is the right moment to take it out of the reactor And use in your Reef? You said to use it after a week...how do you know? Maybe if you d use it after lets say 9 days the phyto density would much better??

[@raisingreef339]

Bblizzard2009 you will know when the right time to harvest is the more you do it if you leave it too long the colour will change from dark green to more yellow brown and this indicates all the fertiliser has been used and the culture is starting to starve based on how much fertiliser you use the temperature of the water and how bright the light is you will learn when is best to harvest your culture for optimal results. You can save the culture by adding more fertiliser if the colour starts to change but with more phyto cells it will get used up more quickly so the same amount of fertiliser as you started with won’t extend your culture by twice the time if that makes sense. Hope this is helpful.

[@Bblizzard2009]

Raising Reef its perfectly clear now!! Thank you!

[@dannycastaneda1974]

@@raisingreef339 @Raising Reef So how much additional fert would you recommend?

[@raisingreef339]

Rasta your fertiliser should give you recommendations for dosing it’s something you need to experiment with just bear in mind that the more cells are in the culture the quicker they will use it so the same amount of fertiliser you put in at the start won’t last as long when you feed a thicker mix. Hope that make sense if you always use the same light and method you should be able to reproduce the same environment and work out how much fertiliser to add and when is best to harvest. And if you split the culture and have two on the go and one crashes you can restart or just keep some in the fridge to restart your culture when needed.

[@dannycastaneda1974]

@@raisingreef339 ok. yes. I have been restarting my culture with excess refrigerated phyto.

[@mohamadosman9236]

Great video. What salinity do you mix your fresh saltwater too?

[@raisingreef339]

Mohamad Osman 35ppt/1.025sg. The same as my tank you can use lower salinity to save on salt but as I already have salt water mixing at all times I just use that.

[@cjlward2832]

Ah this was going to be my question as I've always got fresh saltwater mixed for the tank at 1.025 so was hoping to use it directly from there without having to water it down abit

[@lolgalit]

Where do You get the original culture?

[@raisingreef339]

I bought a bottle a of live phyto from my local fish store or you can order one on line

[@FuturoAnacronico]

Nannocloropsis is one of the worst algaes used for marine aquaculture, its green clorophile is not digestible for all marine invertebrates. Its actually a brakish water algae that can be cultured in a wide range of salinities. If you want to culture copepods, an exelent algae with motility, size and nutritional value is Tetraselmis, The best you can culture for copepods nauplia, is Isochrysis but is harder to culture. Using a Pressure cooker as an autoclave to sterilize the water you're using to propagate the algae is a must. You can also sterilize the fertilized water, as the formula you're using as fertilizer cant contain vitamins used in Guillards F2 medium, which require refrigeration. Your fertilizer has no vitamins you will kill in the autoclave. You can add them after the salt water is sterlized thoug. A microscope is very important to check the algae you culture is healthy, free of patogens and with motility. Use a filter pad in the output of your air pump to avoic ciliates and other microbes. They are inexpensive and availabe on ebay too.

[@raisingreef339]

I have been cultivating this phyto for My reef for about 10yrs and have had good success using it to culture pods they grow/reproduce just fine for me using this method if you disagree with my choice of strain or my method then that’s fine everyone has a right to there opinion

[@mmpressey]

Sorry, finally looked in the description. Lol.

[@stevie3226]

That could do with at least another week and another dose of F2 my good man if you want optimal results. My starting cultures aren't even that light and you'll get much more nutrition if you let it go again. Maybe don't start with such a diluted starting culture. I only harvest around half of my containers (4x 9L and 2x 46L vessels) and then top up and 'cook' for two weeks. You'll definitely see the benefits.

[@raisingreef339]

That culture looked a lot lighter in the video than in reality and I did harvest early in order to complete the video as it was meant as an example of the process and only had one opportunity to complete it without having to start the culture again and wait another week or so. I was also breeding clown fry at this time and was desperately low on phyto to sustain the rotifers. Coupled with a spell of cold weather the conditions were not ideal. So I agree with that your saying.

[@doncorleone7401]

GOD levels!

[@sergebaele5577]

They told me that the light is on for 16 hours and 8 hours off

[@raisingreef339]

serge baele that will work for you but it will culture quicker with constant light

[@sergebaele5577]

Okay. Thank you

[@FuturoAnacronico]

That information you claim sir is false. How much phytoplancton do you need in your aquarium to reduce levels of Nitrogen or phosphorus? Theres no way you can calculate or dose phyto to reduce those waste elements. Unless you use a microscope to count cells per mililiter. Micro algae grows at exponential levels consuming micro and macro elements. If you want to consume elements with algae your cell count per mililiter then would be high to clowd your water, Your skimmer will spill and wont be able to cope with the bloom. The only way to reduce nitrogen and phosphate from aquarium is with biological filtration, bactería. Algaes, such as diatoms, dinoflagelates, and even bacteria are not the way to go.

[@raisingreef339]

I never claimed that dosing phyto would reduce no3 or po4 I actually started the opposite it was something to aware of as it could potentially increase these wast levels and only to dose if you are confident that you have nutrients under control in your system

[@markevans2280]

You are hot mate 😛