phytoplankton help (starting to culture them)

[MarineTeng]

i'm looking to start culturing phytoplankton and looking for several things.
1. set up, i've been searching the web today and found alot of sights but i like things simpler sometimes, phytoplankton's just algae, the stuff that people culture so if i get a sample say DT's phytoplankton or a local culture (which would be nice save me a few bucks my location is Bellevue WA)
-then put in a clean bottle 2L soda bottle tho i might use a 10g tank (yes/ no?)
-give it some fertilizer liquid stuff for nitrates and phosphates algae nutrients
- use an airator so that it's bubbling just less then a boil, valve it so the pump doesn't burn out
-then shake it when too much stuff settles on the bottom of the bottle (once a day or a few times a week i read)
-use salinity 1.019 along with any sort of random aquarium light, like a 20watt light, that's what i've concluded.

2. what i'm trying to accomplish is get more copepods in my tank, feed my corals make them grow faster hopefully (all soft corals, xenia, star polyps, kenya trees and ricodria)

3. i'd liek to know more about rotifers i don't understand them very well for whatever reason. are they copepods or what that grows in them. What are they meant to produce basically? and would these be more beneficial to my corals then phytoplankton?

4. Does a protein skimmer remove phytoplankton, and is the stuff in the skimmer cup good to feed the phytoplankton or rotifer stuff since it seems like it'd be similar to detrius?

5. Any thing i missed or should know about this topic post it too.

 

[clayswim]

Nope, rotifers aren't copepods; they're rotifers. In fact some pods can eat rotifers the same as corals do. If you're feeding corals I'd highly recommend using the phytoplankton to feed rotifers. Corals don't eat phytoplankton for the most part, but they love rotifers. Things like scallops, feather dusters and sponges will eat phytoplankton. The problem with feeding it is you're introducing loads of phosphates into the water, which can end up causing an algae outbreak. I usually recommend feeding rotifers a few times a week, and add the phytoplankton every couple of weeks; if at all.

As for protein skimmers, yes they do remove phytoplankton. It's sometimes best to shut your skimmer off at feeding anyway, if that's practical. I don't recommend using skimmer waste for feeding phytoplankton though; use a fertilizer like Miracle Grow. Then use the phytoplankton to feed the rotifers.

Clayton

 

[bc_slc]

you are pretty much on the right track. You don't want to use DT's to start your culture of phyto as it is a mix of a few diff phyto, and you want a pure culture to start with. Then basically add salt water, airstone and phyto food and a bit of light and off they go. What clayton says about adding phosphates and other compounds is correct so what I have done is after the culture is done, let it settle out to the bottom of the storage container and then pour the top half down the drain and replentish with tank water.

I also don't recommend using skimmer waste to feed. I also turn my skimmer off to feed the plankton.

You can get a start up culture as well as a bunch of food for the phyto from Florida Aqua Farms. Their site is quite helpful. I do not recommend miracle grow, despite its similarity to the florida aqua farms stuff.

If you decide to go the rotifer route, they are probably more helpful to the tank, but they are a lot more maintenance requiring daily work. The cultures are also more prone to crash. But if you can get them to propogate, then your tank would enjoy the extra food.