Phytoplankton and Rotifer station-I made this! - Page 2-3reef Forums

Gresham · 02-02-2005, 01:29 PM

If it were dead, why such the incredibly low cell count? They wouldn't package it in such a manner, and recommend you feed it, if it were dead

But hey, I'm just going on logic here.

dx7fd2 · 02-02-2005, 05:41 PM

Liquid life is not alive either, it says so in their pamphlet. That's what I have been feeding my tank with whilst getting the plankton station going. I know that you can use Liquid Life or DTs to fatten up rotifers, brine shrimp, mysid, and such, but it is a concentrate from the live microalgae that is then rendered devoid of the growing medium. That's why it is so pure and does not cause algae growth problems.

Live microalgae only lives about a week without being replenished so that it can continue to "procreate" for the lack of a better term (they are plants so they can't "procreate", ole dopey me!!) I think I mean propagate.... The microalgae needs a food source, oxygenation, and light to live. You don't get those things in a bottle that you keep in the freezer or fridge!!

Drew

dx7fd2 · 02-02-2005, 05:45 PM

Here's a pic of the first two bottles of microalgea that I am growing. This is my starter culture:

Gresham · 02-02-2005, 07:42 PM

Yup, Ed's is dead, your right about that, preserved with glycerine for freezer stability and pumpability. Dt's is not (dead), and has been their claim for years, hence the large volume of water to small amount of algae.

While we're on the subject of Ed's operation, his source happens to be the same as mine

Reed-Mariculture.

Youn can get live algae to stay in stasis in the fridge, sorry. Have a gander at randy Reed's Phyto-Feast live, it's kept in the fridge

www.instant-algea.com, or www.reed-mariculture.com, or www.rotifer.com

Gresham · 02-02-2005, 07:43 PM

http://www.phyto-feast.com/live.asp

dx7fd2 · 02-03-2005, 09:05 AM

You are right oh noble Gresh...my mistake ..I stupidly assumed that DT was the same or similar process to Liquid Life, and I am sorry for misleading anyone.

The stuff you are looking at is great but my LFS does not carry it. At $70 a quart I think I will stay with growing my own. I think I can produce something as good as they can with enough experience. I just started the process and after the first culture I have noticed that the second one is maturing faster and is denser. My next step is to culture the rotifers and start fattening them up with the nanos I am cultivating.

You can also get live nano at FLorida Aqua Farms and a lot of other places. It seems to me that I should be able to feed one reef tank with my own cultures though. I am not planning on going into the coral sales business at this time. I think I need to actually get my one 80gal, little, single tank looking good and actually try putting some more corals in it before I think of mass production!!! *

Thank you so much for the links and the info. I will do more research to see if their are any suggestions for helping my little setup produce better.

Drew

Gresham · 02-03-2005, 12:40 PM

Reed ships to all countries, states and townships

A bit expsensive for the live, but the cryo stuff in rock bottom.

Check the part about gut loading rotifers, it has some great info on nutritional values of the different phuto's. Apparently, some are best for grow out of rotifers, while others are have more nutrients for fish/corals.

dx7fd2 · 02-03-2005, 12:57 PM

I've got some reading and research to do!! The sections on rotifers will help tremendously. I've got the Rotifer hatch out materials and am a little timid to get the process going. But I will prevail!! [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

I was reading some of the AMDA newsletters and ran across some stuff on freezing homespun fish food with gel, feeding rotifer and brine shrimp, and dipping the brine shrimp in freshwater with vitamins and omegas to beef them up. I know that they are basically fluff unless you fatten 'em up for the slaughter. Fish do love them moving around though!!

Thanks Gresh!!