Any experience using ESV Spray-Dried Marine Phytoplankton?
- Thread starter esmithiii
- Start date
I occasionally feed some blended in the hopes that maybe my SPS use it as some kind of zooplankton substitute. It's very subjective whether I really see any results, though.
If it's not blended then the particle size is too large for anything to make effective use of it. It's not always practical to blend fish food, though, and it sure does make for a stinky blender if you blend it in tank water. I blend mine for a minute on high. If memory serves, according to Marine Fish Annual 2002 you need to blend it for something like two minutes if you hope to use it as a phytoplankton substitute, but as I recall the growth curve using ESV's as phyto paled badly in comparison to DT's. So probably not worthwhile as a phyto feed. Unfortunately there was no data as far as zooplankton substitute so all I'm really left with is "do my SPS look better because I feed this stuff?" I honestly don't know if I'm doing any good. I "think" so but as you can see it's a hugely subjective/debatable point. I don't seem to be doing any harm so I'll continue to use up my bottle, but I don't know if I'll run out and get a new bottle when this is done.
Sorry I couldn't be better help. If nothing else here's a starting point, and I'm jumping on the thread to see what other people have to say too.
cheers
If it's not blended then the particle size is too large for anything to make effective use of it. It's not always practical to blend fish food, though, and it sure does make for a stinky blender if you blend it in tank water. I blend mine for a minute on high. If memory serves, according to Marine Fish Annual 2002 you need to blend it for something like two minutes if you hope to use it as a phytoplankton substitute, but as I recall the growth curve using ESV's as phyto paled badly in comparison to DT's. So probably not worthwhile as a phyto feed. Unfortunately there was no data as far as zooplankton substitute so all I'm really left with is "do my SPS look better because I feed this stuff?" I honestly don't know if I'm doing any good. I "think" so but as you can see it's a hugely subjective/debatable point. I don't seem to be doing any harm so I'll continue to use up my bottle, but I don't know if I'll run out and get a new bottle when this is done.
Sorry I couldn't be better help. If nothing else here's a starting point, and I'm jumping on the thread to see what other people have to say too.
cheers
I am sure it is of some use Ernie but I still prefer DT's because it is alive. And to be honest, I'm not real sure if the DT's is needed if you feed a good blender food to the tank. I also feed about 5 or 6 drops of decapsulated brine shrimp eggs each morning.
Steve
Steve
Ernie, have you not read the 2002 marine journals yet? I believe they rated that product low as they clumps easily resulting in ununiform particle sizes. If you are feeding to corals that requires small sizes in the range of 10 to 20 microns, you should better go with frozen concentrates.
.esmithiii,
Avoid the dead, freeze dried stuff. [See the article by Toonen on said topic for full review].
WRT DT's you can grow your own phytoplankton at home for next to nothing. Just order some Nanno disks from Florida farms, some algal fertilizer and a pinch of light and away you go. I have about 4-2L bottles of nanno in my garage now and feed about 1L to my 100G tank each week. If I can do it you can to. There are some nice how-to acticles in Advanced Reefkeeping that you should definitely read.
Frank Marini - Phytoplankton Culture
Scott[/url]
Avoid the dead, freeze dried stuff. [See the article by Toonen on said topic for full review].
WRT DT's you can grow your own phytoplankton at home for next to nothing. Just order some Nanno disks from Florida farms, some algal fertilizer and a pinch of light and away you go. I have about 4-2L bottles of nanno in my garage now and feed about 1L to my 100G tank each week. If I can do it you can to. There are some nice how-to acticles in Advanced Reefkeeping that you should definitely read.
Frank Marini - Phytoplankton Culture
Scott[/url]
Ernie,
Coral growth/color/health appears the same before/after phytoplankton additions.
HOWEVER, the sponge, tunicate, pod growth has been substantial. I also have some clams
that appear better after the phytoplankton additions, but again kinda hard to quantitate.
Scott
Coral growth/color/health appears the same before/after phytoplankton additions.
HOWEVER, the sponge, tunicate, pod growth has been substantial. I also have some clams
that appear better after the phytoplankton additions, but again kinda hard to quantitate.
Scott
Ernie,
I used it for many months. I personally felt my tank looked great while I was using it. I have since switched to all live phyto and rotifers. But I found the SDP very helpful for the tank as a whole. I used to put it in a blender and blend it up on high for about 30 seconds, then dump it in the tank right after lights out. I felt my tank did fantastic while on the stuff. Good growth and lots of critters seemed to be multiplying. My biggest problem was that it...in the end...added too much nutrients into the tank and I started to have some serious cyno and dino problems. I spent a considerable amount of time getting water quality back and the cut down on the amount used significantly, in the end I started cultivating my own live food. But yes I think ESV's SPD can be a great substitute if you do not have access to live foods, just use it sparingly and you should be in good shape.
I used it for many months. I personally felt my tank looked great while I was using it. I have since switched to all live phyto and rotifers. But I found the SDP very helpful for the tank as a whole. I used to put it in a blender and blend it up on high for about 30 seconds, then dump it in the tank right after lights out. I felt my tank did fantastic while on the stuff. Good growth and lots of critters seemed to be multiplying. My biggest problem was that it...in the end...added too much nutrients into the tank and I started to have some serious cyno and dino problems. I spent a considerable amount of time getting water quality back and the cut down on the amount used significantly, in the end I started cultivating my own live food. But yes I think ESV's SPD can be a great substitute if you do not have access to live foods, just use it sparingly and you should be in good shape.
Ernie, get the DT's MO. I bought my first bottle a few months ago and have noticed better coloration in some corals. My beige Monti cap's polyps are now purple when before they were just beige. My Brown/orange(ish) acro is more orange/red now, and it's polyps are definatly more colorful.
The Dt's are the only change in my regimen, so I attribute the better color to it (DT's).
Hmm...my hydnopora hasn't looked good at all lately.....I don't know why. It has been relocated. So maybe that's why it doesn't look so good. God, I need a bigger tank!
Louey
The Dt's are the only change in my regimen, so I attribute the better color to it (DT's).
Hmm...my hydnopora hasn't looked good at all lately.....I don't know why. It has been relocated. So maybe that's why it doesn't look so good. God, I need a bigger tank!
Louey
I use ESV from time to time, but I noticed that when I started using it, a cyano problem started to take over my tank.
Fortunately it went away the same way it came, but I agree with the statement that using it too often will cause cyano outbreaks.
As far as I have used it, I can´t really tell if there has been a big difference in the overall condition of my corals.
Fortunately it went away the same way it came, but I agree with the statement that using it too often will cause cyano outbreaks.
As far as I have used it, I can´t really tell if there has been a big difference in the overall condition of my corals.
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