Comparison of Dosing Phytoplankton Methods Just remember to turn your skimmer back ON when you finish, or you’ll have bigger problems than you bargained for. So it’s best to turn off your protein skimmer before dosing phytoplankton with the automatic system. That defeats the purpose of setting up your system. If your protein skimmer is left on while you dose phytoplankton for your corals, it will skim the phytoplankton out of your aquarium. This is because the concentration of phytoplankton gets diluted by the water volume of your aquarium. While the overall volume of phytoplankton dosed remains small (compared to the tank volume), the dose administered is much larger than with direct dosing. Indirect dosing phytoplankton, by comparison, is the technique used when you add the phytoplankton to the water column without targeting a specific coral or invertebrate. And the benefits to copepods and the other tiny invertebrates in your live rock and sand are minimal. The disadvantage of direct dosing is it’s time and labor-intensive (relative to indirect dosing). This keeps costs and the risk of deteriorating water quality low. The advantage of direct dosing phytoplankton is that you only use a small amount since you’re target-feeding your coral. Repeat this step for every coral you intend to feed.Gently squeeze the bulb to carefully release the phytoplankton contents.Slowly move the tip of the dropper next to the coral or clam.You only need enough to feed your intended “target.” The next steps are fairly straightforward: Keep in mind that a little goes a long way. Using your eyedropper, turkey baster, or pipette, extract a small amount of phytoplankton from the bottle. Like terrestrial plants, phytoplankton utilize photosynthesis.ĭirect dosing phytoplankton is the technique used when you aim a tiny burst of phytoplankton directly towards the extended polyps of your coral or clams. The name phytoplankton comes from Greek words for “plant drifters” (to further characterize their floating plant life). Drifting along ocean currents, phytoplankton convert light energy from the sun and carbon dioxide into a life-sustaining sugar known as glucose. Phytoplankton (also called microalgae) are small photosynthetic organisms that make up the bottom of the aquatic food chain. For More Information What are Phytoplankton?.How to Grow Phytoplankton Cultures at Home.Comparison of Dosing Phytoplankton Methods.Two Common Approaches to Dosing Phytoplankton in a Marine Aquarium.Do Corals Need Phytoplankton in Their Diets?.Arguments For and Against Dosing Phytoplankton.Table of Contents: Dosing Phytoplankton in a Marine Aquarium To make sure you get a balanced opinion, I’ll tackle both sides of the coin. Generally, you find advocates favoring dosing phytoplankton arguing against those who believe the potential risks outweigh the benefits. The subject of dosing phytoplankton in a marine aquarium is a popular debate in online forums.
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