Phyto culturing.Why,Which and How.

[BaboonScience]

Ok, the other stickie up there is a less than comprehensive list of Algae Culture and Identification sites.
viewtopic.php?f=145&t=124
I have tried in the past to update this list but have let it go in the past few months.
If anyone finds other sites, Let me know and I will add them.

I also need to organize that list into appropriate categories.
John

[JimWelsh]

Thanks, John, but I've clicked on all of the links in that sticky, and most of them are now broken. Once again (hawklover, are you listening?) I'd be willing to work with others on organizing this info in a useful, approachable format, FWIW.

[BaboonScience]

Thanks, John, but I've clicked on all of the links in that sticky, and most of them are now broken. Once again (hawklover, are you listening?) I'd be willing to work with others on organizing this info in a useful, approachable format, FWIW.

Thanks Jim.
Most of those sites still exist. I'll try to fix them today.
But this points out a problem with working with links to other sites and internet information. Sometimes the linked site just disappears. We really should try to consolidate the How too information and tables here if possible.
John

[hawklover]

Jim,
I am here and still listening! If I can be of any help at all, please let me know. I am a hands on learner and have to read things over and over unless I have it right in front of me. Let me know what I can do, I would love to help!

[WDT]

Can anybody post a table showing optimum SG, Temperature, Lighting, Media strength, etc., for the more "finnicky" algaes, such as Pavlova, Rhodomonas, etc.?

Is this located some were on the site, I cannot seem to locate it on this site or any were else for that matter.

Thanks
Will

[JimWelsh]

Actually, this project never happened. I was thinking about this just the other day. Perhaps it's time to resurrect the idea!

[WDT]

Let me know how I can help.

[JimWelsh]

Gather data. Search online sources and books for the answers to these questions, so we can build the table of information.

[jolson]

glad to see this subject coming back up. I will be watching for any new information. This is a subject that will be of help to anyone trying to breed fish or inverts of which I am one

[Suzy]

I have been messing around with phyto for a few years. I now have the cleanest culture of Tetraselmis I have ever had! I also would love to have a quick reference.

[WDT]

Not sure if these are correct, I gathered this from google scholar searching for optimal conditions. Anyone care to comment on the importance of a light/dark cycle when growing certain types of phyto.

Isochrysis galbana
Salinity 25-35 ppt
Temp 24–26 °C

Tetraselmis
Salinity 25-35 ppt
Temp 19-21°C
"Variations in salinity and in nutrient concentration had a greater effect on the final biomass than on the growth velocity. The total protein of the culture and protein per cell increased when the salinity increased for a given nutrient concentration."

Pavlova
Salinity 30-35 ppt
Temp 20°C

Rhodomonas lens
Salinity 28-30 ppt
Temp 19-23°C

Nannochloropsis
Salinity 25-35 ppt
Temp 19-21°C

Thalassiosira weissflogii
Salinity 15-35 ppt
Temp 20°C

[lokshin55]

I use 2L Erlenmeyer flasks. This is better than soda bottles because you can sterilize them (fill with boiling salt water). I buy them from Thermo Fisher, with caps. I dril a small hole in a cap and put in a 1 ml sterile pipette with sterile cotton plug. I also boil water. Before I started doing this, I could not propagate my phyto for more than couple months. Now it seems to be growing indefinitely.

[Spikefin]

Hey Luis I started another thread on this but should I go with the Tahitian iso over the other iso strains? What's special about this strain. I'm trying to culture parvo, a tonsa, and pseudo. I only want to culture one algae only and want something stable(as stable as possible anyway). I know about keeping stuff sterile and everything like that. Sanitation won't bother me. What about Tetra? Feel free to answer on either thread or both. Sorry bout asking twice just want your expertise on this.

[chris melb]

Stock cultures are kept pure and possibly sterile in flasks. Each flask is filled with 60 ml of medium, cotton stopped and sterilized in the microwave oven. When cool, 10 ml of a thriving culture is seeded with a sterile pipette.

Hi Luis, how long are you microwaving these 60ml stock cultures? Is it the full typical 10mins? I’d imagine this would bring them to boil if done separately.

Chris

[Luis A M]

No,it is 3 min on,5 min rest.Then again 3=5 min.And endly 4 min on.A pyrex with a pint of water helps in preventing boiling.

[chris melb]

Thanks Luis. I tried this and the culture boiled and overflowed out of the flasks. I’m using a 1000w microwave, perhaps I need to use more than pint of water in the Pyrex.

[Luis A M]

Perhaps,try 1 liter I don't know how many watts my microwave delivers,I am in NYC right now.Are you using cotton stopped 100 ml ehrlenmeyers?.

[chris melb]

Hi Luis, yes I am. Last night I tried 1200ml of water in the Pyrex and had three 100ml ehrlenmeyers cotton topped each filled with 100ml of culture water and during the 2nd minute of the 4min stint they started to boil over. I assume it’s the length of radiation exposure (10mins in total) that is important here? Wondering how important the 4min block is and whether this can split into two shorter 2min blocks with a break in between.

[Luis A M]

Chris I put 60 ml of fertilized water in the 100 ml flasks.Next morning I seed them with 10 ml of a sterile culture.