Culturing phytoplankton

[Reefer madness 420]

Hello all,

 

I am looking to culture phytoplankton and need some F2 fertilizer. I live in Canada and it seems to be hard to find anything listed as marine safe. I found this stuff but dont know if it would be safe to use. The plan is to dose the tank and also use it to culture copods.

 

https://indoorgrowingcanada.com/products/foliar-f2

 

Any information would be appreciated!

 

 

[5*Chris]

Not sure how shipping would work, but I used this fertilizer with great success. I actually bought his complete culture kit. 

 

Mercer of Montana Hydro Algal Fertilizer - Concentrated Guillard's f/2 Formula - 8oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BTY2B98/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_zTlREb1ETKANA

[RustyRocket]

For the record, I just use regular plant ferts like from miracle grow or liquid ferts for planted tanks and it works fine for me.

[seabass]

13 hours ago, Reefer madness 420 said:

I live in Canada and it seems to be hard to find anything listed as marine safe.

Most won't, but that doesn't mean that they can't be used.  The F2 formula is fairly consistent and widely used.

 

12 hours ago, 5*Chris said:

I used this fertilizer with great success

There are options on eBay as well: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/CONCENTRATED-Guillards-F-2-Phytoplankton-Fertilizer-Nannochloropsis-Tetra-8oz-/151053177040

 

4 hours ago, RustyRocket said:

I just use regular plant ferts like from miracle grow or liquid ferts for planted tanks and it works fine for me.

I agree, fertilizers for planted tanks should be fine.  I've also used liquid MiracleGro all purpose plant food in a pinch; however, it might contain higher levels of elements (like copper) that could potentially cause issues if left to build up over time.

[Reefer madness 420]

3 hours ago, seabass said:

Most won't, but that doesn't mean that they can't be used.  The F2 formula is fairly consistent and widely used.

 

There are options on eBay as well: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/CONCENTRATED-Guillards-F-2-Phytoplankton-Fertilizer-Nannochloropsis-Tetra-8oz-/151053177040

 

I agree, fertilizers for planted tanks should be fine.  I've also used liquid MiracleGro all purpose plant food in a pinch; however, it might contain higher levels of elements (like copper) that could potentially cause issues if left to build up over time.

So is the one I listed above ok to use? I heard mirical grow and regular plant fertilizers should be avoided due to the high content if metals🤷‍♂️.

 

 

Are all f2 fertilizers considered guillards formula?

[Clown79]

32 minutes ago, Reefer madness 420 said:

So is the one I listed above ok to use? I heard mirical grow and regular plant fertilizers should be avoided due to the high content if metals🤷‍♂️.

 

 

Are all f2 fertilizers considered guillards formula?

Have you tried the ORK group on FB?

 

You may be able to find out what's available here in CA that others use. I know there are ppl in the group who culture

[seabass]

2 hours ago, Reefer madness 420 said:

So is the one I listed above ok to use? I heard mirical grow and regular plant fertilizers should be avoided due to the high content if metals

I don't see the ingredients on the website, so IDK.  If it said Guillard's formula, I'd be more confident.  MiracleGro does contain elements which can be toxic to reef tanks in high quantities.

[Reefer madness 420]

3 hours ago, seabass said:

I don't see the ingredients on the website, so IDK.  If it said Guillard's formula, I'd be more confident.  MiracleGro does contain elements which can be toxic to reef tanks in high quantities.

These are the ingredients

 

Water, Oxidized Leonardite/Lignite Coal, Zinc Sulphate, Manganese Sulphate, Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate

 

5 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Have you tried the ORK group on FB?

 

You may be able to find out what's available here in CA that others use. I know there are ppl in the group who culture

No, what's the acronym stand for?

[Clown79]

17 minutes ago, Reefer madness 420 said:

These are the ingredients

 

Water, Oxidized Leonardite/Lignite Coal, Zinc Sulphate, Manganese Sulphate, Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate

 

No, what's the acronym stand for?

Ontario Reef Keepers.

 

[seabass]

Guillard's formula: https://mel.xmu.edu.cn/UserFiles/Image/Gomap/Pdf/F_2_medium.pdf

[0mac]

On 5/1/2020 at 5:31 PM, Reefer madness 420 said:

Hello all,

 

I am looking to culture phytoplankton and need some F2 fertilizer. I live in Canada and it seems to be hard to find anything listed as marine safe. I found this stuff but dont know if it would be safe to use. The plan is to dose the tank and also use it to culture copods.

 

https://indoorgrowingcanada.com/products/foliar-f2

 

Any information would be appreciated!

 

 

 

 

I'm kinda in the same situation right now for trying to cultivate rotifers... Have you figured anything out yet?

[mcarroll]

On 5/1/2020 at 7:31 PM, Reefer madness 420 said:

I am looking to culture phytoplankton and need some F2 fertilizer. I live in Canada and it seems to be hard to find anything listed as marine safe.

If there are doubts about using it for saltwater per se.....well, photosynthesis is photosynthesis first of all, so the requirements are gonna be the same, more or less...but don't take my word for it, check out a sample of all the experiments done with it on corals in saltwater: 👍

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,47&q="guillard/f+2"+coral

 

On 5/2/2020 at 2:55 PM, seabass said:

MiracleGro does contain elements which can be toxic to reef tanks in high quantities.

Good point.  Water changes would be an extra good idea.

 

@Reefer madness 420 are you doing regular water changes on your reef?  Are you dosing this to the reef mostly for nitrates, or...?

 

On 5/2/2020 at 6:06 PM, Reefer madness 420 said:

Oxidized Leonardite/Lignite Coal

I could be wrong, but I think that's another way of saying "activated carbon".  Nothing wrong with that....just interesting.

[ECLS Reefer]

I'm waiting on my shipment of phyto discs and Guillard's formula from Florida Aqua Farms. I hope this works because I'm in desperate need of real phyto.

[Reefer madness 420]

Sorry for the lack of updates. I kind of switched over to FB groups because of the lack of quick responses here. 

 

I found some F2 guillards fertilizer and have a strong phyto culture growing. 

 

The phyto is being used to feed the pods I'm culturing. I pour my water changes of phyto into the pod culture and the pod culture water change goes into my tank. 

 

It's been working thus far as I've had massive pod bloom in my tank just in time for the addition of my mandarin goby. 

 

1 hour ago, mcarroll said:

If there are doubts about using it for saltwater per se.....well, photosynthesis is photosynthesis first of all, so the requirements are gonna be the same, more or less...but don't take my word for it, check out a sample of all the experiments done with it on corals in saltwater: 👍

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,47&q="guillard/f+2"+coral

 

Good point.  Water changes would be an extra good idea.

 

@Reefer madness 420 are you doing regular water changes on your reef?  Are you dosing this to the reef mostly for nitrates, or...?

 

I could be wrong, but I think that's another way of saying "activated carbon".  Nothing wrong with that....just interesting.

I dont understand what photosynthesis has to do with my original question of F2 fertilizer above being reef safe. I asked because I know a lot of fertilizers add heavy metals into the aquarium and if concentrations are too high it can crash the system. I heard guilliards F2 fertilizer is the best and most nutritious fert for phyto.

 

I do large weekly (50%) water changes with a smaller one in between if needed. I havent done the smaller one in a few weeks as it was only done to combat the diatom bloom because my tank is very new. All parameters are stable and in proper ranges other than my phosphates being high at 0.64ppm. Still no algae growth and since the pod bloom diatoms have dissapeared also and corals/fish are all super happy.