how to grow phytoplankton?

[coralite]

could someone please tell me how to grow some phytoplankton? not sure if requirements are species specific but im dealing with nannochloropsis and id like some targets to shoot for as far as temperature, salinity and what kind of nutrient source should i use and how much. thanx
jake

[Green Mariner]

Check out the FAQs page on my site there is something there that will give detailed instructions on growing photo, look for the greenwater FAQ!

HTH

[ranaman]

Two links http://www.scientificamerican.com/20...0800amsci.html gives some general info including the 2 liter soda bottle culture method.
http://www.nethawaii.com/~kraul/plankton.html gives some real low tech hints such as using miracid for nutrients. Might want to add some liquid B complex vitamins to the culture solution since algae can't make this nutrient according to THE PLANKTON CULTURE MANUAL by Frank Hoff. Florida Aqua Farm has seperate website from aquaculture supply company now.

[Dennis]

Hello Coralite

Home Grown Plankton

1. Prepare a nutrient solution by putting 0.5 kg of potting soil or garden soil in a 1 litre jar and covering it with 500 ml of sea-water. Steam heat (do not boil) the water in a vegetable steamer for two hours on two consecutive days. Allow soil to settle then pour off water. Heat water to 73°C on two consecutive days. Pour final product (i.e. nutrient solution) into flask that can be sealed.
2. Pour 250 ml of your prepared nutrient solution into a 500 ml flask for each phytoplankton culture you wish to start.
3. From a sample of phytoplankton collected at the shore, use an eye dropper to introduce some algae into the flask. Put a wad of cotton in the mouth of the flask.
4. Place the flask(s) under fluorescent light. Keep them away from intense light sources such as bright sunlight.
5. Occasionally mix the cultures to keep phytoplankton from settling to the bottom or sticking to the sides. You may consider bubbling air through the flask with an air stone and small aquarium pump.
6. In a few days the mixture should begin to change in appearance and colour.
7. Growth and survival rates for algae can be increased by refrigeration and addition of CO2.

B. To culture marine zooplankton (brine shrimp)

1. The most readily available zooplankton for culture are brine shrimp. Brine shrimp eggs can be obtained from most aquarium stores.
2. Pour one litre of sea-water into a jar. Add about 5 cc of shrimp eggs to the water. Aerate the water continuously using an air stone and aquarium pump.
3. The eggs will hatch within 24-48 hours. When hatching is complete, use a fine-meshed aquarium net to remove the live animals from the jar. Put the net into another jar of sea-water and shake it gently.
4. Brine shrimp can be added to the cultured algae mixture.
5. As the brine shrimp develop, they change from tiny nauplius (larvae of crustaceans) forms to many other stages of growth.
6. As they grow, they eat the phytoplankton.

EXTENSION:

Set up a table to record the changes in both algae and zooplankton jars. Look for changes in colour, smell, and if there is a microscope available, changes in the number of organisms and their stage of development.
Questions:

1. What nutrients do algae require to grow and develop normally?
2. What do zooplankton need to grow and develop normally?
3. Design an experiment to test the changes that would occur in an algae and zooplankton culture if the essential requirements for growth and development were changed or removed. Record your observations.

27. EXPERIMENT MATERIALS

MATERIALS: potting soil (0.5 kg), 1 litre jar, 500 ml of sea-water, vegetable steamer, flask (or bottle that can be sealed), eye dropper, cotton, fluorescent light, brine shrimp eggs, aquarium net, cultured algae mixture, air stone and aquarium pump LOCATION: indoors

Dennis

[Ninong]

Hi Dennis,




I don't know if you noticed but this thread is more than eight years old. I hope coralite has figured it out by now, assuming he's still interested.