Archive for December, 2009
Establishing the Phytoplankton Culture
Establishing the CultureAdd enough media to the culture to double the volume. Insert a rigid airline and start a moderate flow of bubbles. Watch the culture over the next few days. Diluting the culture should make it lighter in color–when the culture returns to the original color, or darker, dilute again by 50% and repeat [...]
Making the Phytoplankton Culture Media
Making the MediaMake a fresh gallon of saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.014. Stir the water, then add the fertilizer according to the label–if using Micro Algae Grow, then add 40 drops per gallon. Let the water ’age’ over night before using.
Phytoplankton Starter Culture
Now that we have established what equipment is needed and how to set it up, the next step is to purchase your starter culture of phytoplankton. If you’re successful, this could be the only culture you’ll ever need to purchase. The reason for this is that the great part about a thriving phytoplankton culture is [...]
Phytoplankton Equipment Set-up
This post will cover the instructions for setting up the equipment for your phytoplankton culture station: 1) Mount the fluorescent light horizontally on a wall about table-height2) Slide the table up against the wall, just under the light3) Spread your culture bottles out to maximize surface area exposed to the light4) Cut 3 lengths of 12 inch [...]
Queen Triggerfish Reared in Captivity for First Time
For the first time ever, offspring from the queen triggerfish, Balistes vetula, were reared in captivity. With help from scientists at the neighboring Roger Williams University, biologists at the New England Aquarium are the first to achieve success captively rearing this threatened saltwater species. The proud parents, a pair of queen triggerfish inhabiting a 250 [...]
Strange Things that Happen
A strange thing happened to me last night, while looking under my display tank for a dry food product I hadn’t used in a long time. I was digging through a box, when all of the sudden I felt a sharp, syringe-like prick in my forearm. The pain was sharp, I instictively shook my arm, [...]
Aquarium Fish International Subscription
Have you thought about subscribing to Aquarium Fish International? Let me just say that this is one of my favorite magazines, and something I look forward to receiving in the mail every month. In fact, the articles in Aquarium Fish International are actually what inspired me to write about saltwater aquarium fish, coral and the [...]
Equipment List for Phytoplankton Culture
Here is a list of the equipment you will need to culture a phytoplankton species such as Nannochloropsis occulata at homeEquipment List 48″ Shop light 2 x 48″, 40 Watt fluorescent bulbs On/off Timer Air pump ~10 ft. Flexible airline tubing ~ 3 ft. Rigid airline tubing Multi-outlet airline splitter/valve 3-4 x 1 Gallon water [...]
