[tangale]

I bought a bottle of DT's phytoplankton the other day. Is this stuff really good for my corals? The sales guy highly recommended it.

Do I shoot the phytoplankton (via syringe) right at the coral?

Also, I know the bottle says that the bad smell is normal. Mine's really smell...like rotting stale water. Normal?

Thanks!

[Deanos]

DT's Phytoplankton

Since the sales guy managed to sell you the product, but didn't completely instruct you on its use, here's an excerpt from the website:

"We can only offer a broad suggestion as there are many variables in reef aquariums. Many hobbyists including myself feed at higher levels and more frequently then our recommendations. Any increase in feeding should be done slowly to allow the animals to adjust. Our label instructions will suffice for most reef systems. The more advanced aquarists who want to experiment should be observant of the effects as you would with any food."

[Aqua Pro Builder]

some coral eats zooplanktons not phyto, so it depends on which coral your are targeting. However, many people(including me) believe, by adding more phyto in the system, the zooplanktons will grow more and thus a lot of the SPS and copepods will benefit as well.

	SPS Small Polyped Scleractinians - Sometimes known as Small Polyped Stony corals. These are hard corals that have extremely small polyps. They are typically on the difficult side and require Metal Halide lighting or dense Power Compact or T5 arrays. These corals are prized for their rareness and ability to be easily fragged into multiple colonies.

[tangale]

Wingo, do you feed directly at the corals? It's a bit of a hassle, so was wondering if pouring twd powerhead is enough?

Thanks!

BTW - Was prob my fault for not asking the salesperson first

[fritz]

I feed spray dried phyto, I mix it with water then pour it in. I shutdown my return pump and just leave my circulation pumps on. I'm not familiar with DTs but I suspect a rotten smell could mean that your bottle has gone bad. I'd see if the bottle mentions anything about that.

[Johan]

I bought mine from empco (live phytoplankton)... it says on the directions from them that if its a bad smell...that means the planktons are dead... also dts are suppose to be stored in the fridge.... uncompaired to the other one which all you have to do is leave it outside and just open then close and shake..

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Quote: Originally Posted by tangale Wingo, do you feed directly at the corals? It's a bit of a hassle, so was wondering if pouring twd powerhead is enough? Thanks! BTW - Was prob my fault for not asking the salesperson first

if I remember correctly, your tank is not too tall, so feeding them directly should not be a problem. However, it only works with the corals that likes them. I target feed the ones that respond to phyto and the others I will it alone. IMO there is no need to target feed them as long as you shut down your skimmer during feeding. Turn the skimmer back on like an hour later. If you have a refuge, the ones that do not get eaten by your coral will be eaten by zooplankton and in turns eaten by the pods. When you have a VERY bad smell, the cell of the phytos broke and thus the nutrient went bad as well. DT's phyto should have only a little bad smell. I would not feed phyto that have VERY bad smell. I usually feed fresh live ones, not sleeping ones. DT's are sleeping kind. You can get live ones from H20. But not sure about the spieces they have in their cuture.

[oonycxwilloo]

wow...wingo sounds like a professor or some kind of scientist...when are you going to sit down with me and talk reef again...haven't seen you in a while..

sorry for getting off topic

[Chiefmcfuz]

Quote: Originally Posted by oonycxwilloo wow...wingo sounds like a professor or some kind of scientist...when are you going to sit down with me and talk reef again...haven't seen you in a while.. sorry for getting off topic

[Deanos]

Quote: Originally Posted by oonycxwilloo wow...wingo sounds like a professor or some kind of scientist...

You're kidding, right? "Sleeping phytoplankton"