I'm growing phytoplankton!

[bshumake]

Yes yes, its terriblt true. Having followed the oh-so-simple instructions and using some leftover phytoplankton from a well known supplier i'm culturing some green goodness! Its gotten a little greener by the day (I think i started with too little) and should be ready to split in a week or two. I'm looking at a 1L bottle first. Then its going to be 2-3 2L bottles at a time.
I'm so happy.:D

[willember]

What instructions?

[bshumake]

Oh, their on RC. And a couple other places too. Basically just a 2L coke bottle cleaned out, some liquid miracle grow, starter culture, airline on a pump, and a light with a 16-8 lighting period.
Keep it at RT and you're good to go.

[crpeck]

You're easily amused.

:rollface:

[bshumake]

Thats what my wife says!

[APFish]

Be carfull! I have changed my formula slightly. The Miracle Grow contains Copper. We all know that is a bad one. I have switched over to fish emulsion. Man does it stink! But I am having great results with the poop formula. I also am keeping it in the 76-79 F range. It seems to really grow a lot quicker.

Rob

[bshumake]

So did you notice any problems with the phyto Miracle Grow when you fed your tank? Melev has it listed as his method for culture and hasn't listed any problems. I'm thinking that the dilution factor and the culture's usage of the fertalizer might reduce the impact of any copper in the solution. Hmm. Thats a good one to look up. I didn't check the ingrediants for any copper.

[APFish]

Yeah, when I posted trying to get an answer peopel gave me all these reasons why I couldn't grow it, that I was growing some type of genetic monster........... Notice all the periods, you should have heard what I got. Anyway, once you get into XYZ percentages of fertizer the company doesn't have to list it. I went back to may agri. major and did some research and found that it did contain copper. So I decided to go with fish poop. I fugured if it came out of them it should be OK. When I did a water change in my FW I used ti to grow phyto. You could tell when the food source was gone because it would crash. Anyway, this has been going good for me so far. I also put a little trace minerlas in mine. Just the stuff from Kent nothing special. I am growing mine in quart jars and I put about 2 teaspoons for a quart and grow it about a week and a half. As I was growing my first batch with Miracle Grow is when I did my research and so I never used it past anything besides my seed culture.

Rob

[bshumake]

I'm going to get a copper test kit and when my culture is readr for harvest I'll test the supernatent for Cu+. That way I'll have a definnative on the copper issue. This just came to me at work.

[willember]

Keep us updated on the copper test results. I was all excited about your project and had decided that I, too, was going to grow Phyto (just to be like you). but the copper scares me.

[Below Sea Level]

40% off all test kits tomorrow on...
thought i would throw that in
Dave

[bshumake]

Ooo. If you got a Cu+ could you hold onto it for me Dave. Your a peach!

[bshumake]

Originally posted by willember
but the copper scares me.
Copper gets a bad rep most of the time. A lot of the people here on RC seem to think that once Cu+ has entered a tank, sand, rocks, etc. its irrevocably changed and can never again house or be used in the same area as corals. This is completely untrue. Now does that mean that you should use copper on your reef tank... NO.

[just dave]

Originally posted by willember
......(just to be like you)....

You'd need to get a hold of some HGH. :p

[willember]

But then I cant give blood...

[luckyfish]

I don't know what the big deal is with Barrett growing phytoplankton. I've been in his car, he can grow any number of creatures.

[Drifters Reef]

Bshumake,

Don't know if you saw this link. FlameAngel has a pretty neat set up for culturing phyto. She using a fertilizer made for culturing phytoplankton.

www.sjwilson.net/reef

good luck

[bshumake]

Wow, she's updated her site since last time I was on it.

[bshumake]

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=672102
If that worked above is the Cu+ kit thread. I'm neading another testkit to verify my findings. So-far Doc Wellfish says "No Copper."

[willember]

OK, I have been doing a little research..

Miracle-Gro® Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food (regular Miracle-Gro)
COMPOSITION
Chemical Name
Urea
Ammonium Phosphate
Urea Phosphate
Potassium Chloride
Boric Acid
Copper Sulfate
Iron EDTA
Manganese EDTA
Sodium Molybdate
Zinc Sulfate

and Miracle-Gro® Liquid All Purpose Houseplant Food (what you used, Right?)
COMPOSITION
Chemical Name
Urea
Ammonium Phosphate
Potassium Nitrate
Potassium Phosphate
Iron EDTA

So no copper in the liquid... :)

[willember]

BTW Miracle-Gro® African Violet Plant Food uses Potassium Chloride instead of Potassium Nitrate. Is that better or worse? worse, right?

[bshumake]

Originally posted by willember
OK, I have been doing a little research..

and Miracle-Gro® Liquid All Purpose Houseplant Food (what you used, Right?)
COMPOSITION
Chemical Name
Urea
Ammonium Phosphate
Potassium Nitrate
Potassium Phosphate
Iron EDTA

So no copper in the liquid... :)
Look at the big brain on Willem! Good on ya there buddy! Soo thats what you get for doing your research! I didn't even bother to look it up and went the direct testing route. That is the liquid I'm using and yes there is no copper. Even a crappy test kit should have picked up any Copper present in concentrations high enough to be beneficial. Thanks Willem, and if anyone still would like to test a sample for me just as proof positive i'd appreciate it.

[bshumake]

Originally posted by willember
BTW Miracle-Gro® African Violet Plant Food uses Potassium Chloride instead of Potassium Nitrate. Is that better or worse? worse, right?
Possibly indifferent. The Chloride on that is a stablizer and once its cleved from the K+ it'll possible become an issue but maby not.

[willember]

Oh, and Miracle-Gro® Pour & Feed Plant Food contains only Urea, Ammonium Phosphate, and Potassium Nitrate...

[willember]

and... (I cant stop..)

there is a big difference between
Miracle-Gro® Liquid All Purpose Plant Food
and
Miracle-Gro® Liquid All Purpose Houseplant Food

the second is what you want I think.

the first has Manganese EDTA, Zinc EDTA, and Nuisance Dust (which makes it hazardous in accordance with the OSHA Hazard communication Standard)

[bshumake]

I used the Liquid All Purpose Plant Food. Its a concentrate that you dilute into 1 Gal of water. I got a sneaking sus****ion that your's will grow better and faster than mine. You've really done your homework.

[bshumake]

that should be "suspision"

[willember]

Day 1
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/51437phytoday1.jpg

[bshumake]

he he he. I'll get a pic of my "farm" when the kiddies go to bed.

[willember]

Does your phyto fall out of suspension? Every morning and night I have to shake up the bottle because all the green falls to the bottom...

It hasn't turned milky, so I guess it hasn't crashed. I guess I will keep shaking

[bshumake]

That pic is coming.
As far as shaking goes, since i'm now running 4 bottles I do have to shake. When it was just one i didn't have to. I think I might have to play with the configuration. I'm using the rigid tubing where as before I was using some 1/4" RO/DI tubing and silicone tubing. I think it was giving larger bubbles and moving more volume.

[willember]

Day 3

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/51437phytoday3.jpg

[bshumake]

Nice growth.

[bshumake]

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a280/bshumake/Picture145.jpg
heres mine

[willember]

Well, its been about a week and its still not "DT's" colored.
Should I let it go for longer, add fertilizer and let it go, Split it and wait to see how the next batch develops, or split it and start using it...?

[bshumake]

leave it be and let it keep going. The fertalizer will be stable for a while and eventually the phyto will bloom to compensate.

[Rendos]

Looks like Mountain Dew. I drink one 2 liter per day so i am glad to see that you guys already have straws in there for me.

[bshumake]

He he he! I'm looking at culturing in a 10Gal tank next. These bottles are getting a little irritating to mix. I'm thinking a PH in a 10gal with a spigot for sampling the green brew and i'm all set.

[willember]

Here is my day 8 pic. How do I know when its done?

[willember]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/51437phytoday8.jpg

[bshumake]

Thats looking pretty good. Now I'm thinking that you might want to split it just to keep the culture going and Let one bottle grow out to collapse. Thats what I'm planning on doing. I don't really know how concentrated the culture can get so i'm going to let one bottle grow till collapse and rewind 3-7 days, that will be my culture time so i'll have the most phyto per ml and the least amount of fertalizer leftover. It looks like your bottle is where my first batch was when I split it.