Phytoplankton

[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.

 

[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.

 

[BroRage]

phytoplankton

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]

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]

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

:funnypost :lol2:

 

[Deanos]

wow...wingo sounds like a professor or some kind of scientist...

You're kidding, right? "Sleeping phytoplankton" :scratch:

 

[jhale]

you just need the wingo translation book, sleeping = dead

 

[Cloud1921]

you just need the wingo translation book, sleeping = dead

Probably referring to its dormant non-vegetative state?
It's most likely to ensure maximum shelf life.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but upon addition to the tank it should be active as well.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Probably referring to its dormant non-vegetative state?
It's most likely to ensure maximum shelf life.

Yup

Correct me if I'm wrong, but upon addition to the tank it should be active as well.

Most will not become active. I have not seen anyone who can grow more of them using DT as a starter.

 

[tosiek]

i have the same, just add it into the tank and let the corals do the work.

all depends on what corals your keeping though =0)

 

[tomzpc]

Very few corals eat phytoplankton. Some soft corals and of course clams will benefit directly from phyto additions but for the most part you are targeting the pods which will in turn provide a natural food source for fish and corals.

 

[andylee]

DTs does smell bad, but I think that's normal. I cultured it from the bottle and it seems to grow normally.

Most corals live on a combination of photosynthesis providing sugar and energy and animal products providing protein and fats. I don't think there's any benefit to target feeding phytoplankton to corals. The livestock that we commonly keep intentionally that feed on phytoplankton are clams and gorgonians (and some fanworms)..

If you don't have these, there is still a theoretical benefit in that zooplankton (pods, etc) live on phytoplankton, so you increase diversity at the lower portions of the food chain in your tank.

When you use it, it has to be above a certain density to be absorbed. I put in enough so that the water is just slightly cloudy. Cloudy may be an overstatement: enough so that the water is not crystal clear anymore. I do leave the skimmers and powerheads off for an hour. I'm not sure how much this helps, but I've been doing it for a long time.

Andy

 

[andylee]

Hey, that post by Tomzpc (which basically says what I said in 1/3 the space!!) wasn't there when I was typing mine!

 

[tomzpc]

Hey, that post by Tomzpc (which basically says what I said in 1/3 the space!!) wasn't there when I was typing mine!

Yeah..but yours was quite eloquent!

 

[tangale]

So I guess that's 20+ bux down the drain for me. Thanks for the tip guys!

 

[tomzpc]

So I guess that's 20+ bux down the drain for me. Thanks for the tip guys!

Nah..not at all! It's a good phyto product and it's good for your system. Just go easy on dosing the tank. I usually go with much less than the recommended dosage for DT's or for the Reef Nutrition phyto-feast product.
When you dose phytoplankton on a regular basis you WILL begin to see more life on your live rock, especially mini tube worms.