Phyto

Specifically to chrisandbarb + amcarrig + tangster. I believe I've read about you guys home brewing phytoplankton. Can somebody send me a good link to get me started, ie - how big of a setup and how time consuming?

Also, if I throw a little $ your way, do you think you could help me start off my culture? I would like to get a smaller clam 3"ish and want to keep it for a few years.

 

Melevsreef.com - Phytoplankton

 

i dont make my own phyto. i dont even add phyto to my tanks. if you have strong lighting and feed your fish regularly, theres no need to add phyto just for the clam. phyto is just a source of N & P that is passed onto the zoox, so in most home aquariums with well feed fish there is plenty of N & P. if you still want to feed phyto thats fine, just add it directly to the tank and start slowly.

heres a study where they wanted to figure out how the clams acquired zoox and moved them into the zoox tubular system. they took larval clams and kept them in micro filtered water so they couldnt get any particulate. these clams never received any phyto and did just fine on light alone.

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0006-3185(198110)161:2<213:SDAAOZ>2.0.CO;2-N&size=LARGE

 

I feed Phyto's rather often . I find that this and elevated strontium levels as well as calcium and carbonates tends to promote faster growth and more make it through the larval stages . Now its been 8 yrs or so since I was spawning them . But with what I mentioned above i can see mush faster growth rates from the smaller ones 1/2 to 3/4 inches I would buy to grow out.. But thats just me , Your milage may vary ?