DT Phytoplankton

[gobyfan]

Ok..here goes another post.

I just strating adding phytopalnkton to my tank, and the guy at the LFS, said that i needed to feed this daily 5 millileters ( I use a shot glass) My question is do i feed this along with the other food for the fish like brine shrimp, flake food etc? Its seems to me like feding the Phytoplankton every day is to much + the normal food that my fish eat... wont this spike up my ammonia??
And also when i add the phytoplankton to i just put in the tank or do i spot feed it to the corals that i have, witch are only two my Hammer and my Xenia, and i do have a featherduster as well that might benifit from it.

Thanks
GF

[ April 22, 2002: Message edited by: gobyfan ]

[ April 22, 2002: Message edited by: gobyfan ]</p>

 

[MattM]

The phytoplankton is not fish food, so that is why you need to continue normal feeding. Phytoplankton serves two purposes 1) food for fine filter feeding invertebrates like sponges and clams, and 2) food to support the base of the food chain.

In the second case, the plankton might be eaten by a rotifer, which might be eaten by a tannaid, which might be eaten by a mysid, which might be eaten by an amphipod, which might be eaten by your fish.

You shoudn't need to spot feed as long as you have sufficient current to carry it thoughout the tank. If you have a very efficient skimmer you might consider turning it off for about an hour after you add plankton. Try this test - clean the skimmer's collection cup, then add the plankton. If your skimmer doesn't collect green liquid over the next hour, then you're fine. If it does, then leave it off for feedings.

As far as the dosage, what you were told is a recommended starting level, but only you can decide what the right amount is based on the types of life in your tank. Adjust based on common sense.

[ April 22, 2002: Message edited by: MattM ]</p>

 

[danmhippo]

But I don't think your hammer needs DT's. I do not know if the tissues are able to capture phytoplanktons. Your hammer are better off be fed with pieces of shrimps or fish.

Xenia does not need to be fed. Period. If it's going to do well in your tank, it will do well regardless. The featherduster should do fine by capturing the detritus suspended in the water, DT's is not necessary

......But since you already bought the DT's, you might as well just use it up.

 

[Mac1]

I'll second what MattM Say's... Have found it to be very beneficial in my system. However I think your dosing regimine might be a but high. Since this stuff is so concentrated, it's very easy to overdose.
I would feed it every other day (rather than every day) for at least 2-3 weeks, to see how your system adjusts to the new food. I've had many an algae outbreak when I tried to "up" my Phyto dosage.

- Mac

 

[Anonymous]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Mac:
<strong>I would feed it every other day (rather than every day) for at least 2-3 weeks, to see how your system adjusts to the new food. I've had many an algae outbreak when I tried to "up" my Phyto dosage.</strong><hr></blockquote>

This is good advice for most tanks but it takes a practiced eye and some self control. General feeding to the point that you start to see cyanobacteria form then backing off. You will find your tank being able to consume more and more food as it matures and biomass builds but one must back off immediately upon seeing cyano otherwise a full blown bloom can occur. This applies to both phyto and regular foods, keep in mind that live phyto will never cause algae - it's the dead phyto cells that cause it.

 

[mrgoont]

It's my understanding that Phytoplankton is not consumed by stony corals of any kind. I use DT's in my tank as food for my mushrooms and other soft corals or leathers.

When I first started my tank I used the dead phytoplankton using Kents Phytoplex. My soft corals exploded and looked very happy. Only problem was that I had a spike in phosphates and as a result algae growth. So I stopped using it all together and over time my mushrooms started to die off and other soft corals failed to look as healthy as before.

I just started using DT's because its alive...thus no phosphates or algae blooms. And in a weeks time its already shown a difference in my soft corals. But I would feed them every other day as well.

 

[Jawbone]

Gobyfan,

Me thinks 5 Mililiters is about 1 teaspoon or about 50 small drops of the concentrate. I think a shot glass might be more but I am not a drinker so I am not positive on this.

I thought the dosage was about 5ml per 50 Gallons

I think a standard shot glass is about 1.5 ounces, that would be about 45 Mililiters of phytoplankton in a shotglass.

I could be dead wrong here but I would reduce the dosage unless you have a 450 Gallon tank

[ April 23, 2002: Message edited by: Jawbone ]</p>

 

[Jawbone]

Oh BTW I agree that the Hammer will easily eat whatever ewe give it - I chop up fresh scallops or shrimp and just touch it to the corals polyps and it grabs it up. I hand feed quite a few of my corals this way.

 

[mrgoont]

Anyone know if a capful is about 5ml or half? My other supplements say a capful is 5ml and the DT's cap was half the size of the other caps.

Any thoughts?

 

[Jawbone]

take the cap off and fill it using a 1/2 teaspoon measure. every 1/2 teaspoon is 25 mililiters

 

[Jawbone]

Holy Cow I Meant to say every 1/2 Teaspoon is 2.5 Mililiters NOT 25

1 tsp = 5ml