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Nick801 
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 Topic: Growing Phytoplankton Is it worth it?
Posted: February 14 2009 at 10:09am |
The setup you would need? what containers/lights work best?
How much does it really benefit your tank?
How many people grow phytoplankton? (has anyone noticed a change sense adding them)?
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pa_reptileman_4
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Posted: February 14 2009 at 10:31am |
what are you using it for? if you are growing it to raise pods then no, are you having problems growing it?
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pitiful guppy tank.
shane
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drysea
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Posted: February 14 2009 at 1:02pm |
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I think it is pretty easy. I think it is worth having a culture but it depends on what you are needing it for.
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john hill
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Posted: February 14 2009 at 2:42pm |
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i would love to grow some for my pods and to start growing rotifers any info would be great thanks
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out with the large and in with the nano
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pa_reptileman_4
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Posted: February 14 2009 at 4:20pm |
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it is easier to just buy the algea paste for growing pods and such. few reasons less time consuming and after you get everything to grow the paste it equals out for just getting the paste.
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pitiful guppy tank.
shane
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sterling18
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Posted: February 17 2009 at 9:52am |
I grow the stuff, easy as pie. I follow Melev's directions to a tee. I have some starter culture if you want, you can have some. I'll be bring that with me. 
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Kevin
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Posted: February 17 2009 at 10:32am |
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That is kind of a loaded question. It all depends on what you are using it for and what benefits you hope to gain.
I have grown it, it isn't difficult but it adds to the maintenance of the tank and never seemed to make any real difference.
Does it benefit a reef tank in general? Some say yes but my guess is that the vast majority of reef tank owners don't add it to their system and their reef systems thrive without it.
That said, it isn't hard to try, so if you feel like trying it get a start from someone and go for it.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: February 17 2009 at 10:34am |
 Oh yes it's definitely worth it. Coral growth explodes when fed phytoplankton/greenwater and rotifers.  Just about any light will work. As you can see above it was a pink/blue PC in a tub. The pink/blue combo also found in VHO tubes called Actinic/White and Super Actinic seems to be the best for growing algae, IMO. The PC above was simply bolted to the underside of the lid with a diy mirrored aluminum reflector. A powerhead stuck on the bottom and shooting water at an agle up to the surface is good for keeping the water aerated and circulating. Below is the finished product waiting to be used.   It can be grown in one of those large Pretzel bottles in the window with an airstone!  Or in a 55 gal tank with an ordinary light strip!!!!  Here are Rotifers being raised in another Pretzel bottle. They were fed with the phyto from above.  Rotifers can be strained out by running some of that water through an ordinary coffee filter. Then discard that water and add fresh greenwater to feed the leftover rotifers.
Edited by Mark Peterson - February 17 2009 at 10:37am
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Shane H
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Posted: February 17 2009 at 12:11pm |
Grow rotifers = 
Grow green water = 
IMO - its easier to buy the paste to feed your rotifers.
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Nick801
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Posted: February 17 2009 at 2:23pm |
Do Rotifers or phyto have a bad smell? like I don't want to stink up an area growing these =) also quite a few are saying don't grow the phyto... but dosen't the phyto benefit the corals also? or is it really not worth it unless growing rotifers also?
Edited by NickinSandy - February 17 2009 at 2:36pm
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: February 17 2009 at 6:10pm |
Yes rotifers can become stinky if you don't keep refreshing the live phyto and especially if you use phyto paste instead of live phyto. There are good products like bottles of live phytoplankton concentrate so all you need is a few capfuls. I like live stuff and it's fun to grow it. If it were me I'd start growing live phyto first and then later do rotifers after you get the hang of growing phyto. Phyto is going to provide a 75% boost and rotifers will add another 25% boost in coral growth. Phyto is the bottom of the food chain. Lots of coral eat phyto. Where there is phyto, there are other tiny animal organisms that eat the phyto and then are in turn eaten by animal eating coral.
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