Hi, I like your experimenting and I wish you success, but we wary as I recently came across this article on the forum about culturing your own phytoplankton and it was specific about not using an Airstone as the phyto will get stuck to the bubbles, float to the surface and be done. Kind of like a skimmer.Did my daily dose of phytoplankton. After a gallon dose my tank looks like this. Added an airstone to my phyto tank to hopefully increase CO2 and get denser cultures.
reefcoaquariums.com
I completely agree with what you are saying. An airstone that produces small bubbles will definitely do that. Mine produces larger bubbles and doesn't cause any accumulation at the top of the tank. I disagree with what the article said about adding oxygen. The phytoplankton should produce their own oxygen during photosynthesis. I was doing it more to add CO2 back into the water from the air.Hi, I like your experimenting and I wish you success, but we wary as I recently came across this article on the forum about culturing your own phytoplankton and it was specific about not using an Airstone as the phyto will get stuck to the bubbles, float to the surface and be done. Kind of like a skimmer.
How To Grow Your Own Phytoplankton
Growing your own phytoplankton at home is simple. Set up the growing vessel. Organize the lighting. Fill the container with FRESH salt water. Add air. Add fertilizer. Add the phytoplankton starter culture. Split and store the phytoplankton culture.
Right on. Yeah, a lot of people mistakenly say air pumps and stones are to put oxygen in the tank. They are to break the surface tension and create surface area for gas exchange. The water will work naturally towards the equilibrium it wants given the available surface area, I understand.
I do wonder if putting a CO2 diffuser system from a freshwater setup would increase phytoplankton growth like it increases plant growth in freshwater.
I'm thinking a loggerhead sponge for a centerpiece. Nice barrel shape but not nearly as large as the giant barrel sponge. If I'm remembering correctly they're photosynthetic as well.
My under standing all sponges can be trimmed to contain growth. Yet they grow considerably fast. Wouldn't that solve which species selected?
I've had similar thoughts for a centerpiece species, though figuring out how to properly feed/care for them could be quite difficult.
Many sponges can be trimmed, yes, though some may struggle with it; growth rate varies considerably based on environmental factors and species.
That's interesting. Both corals and sponges have that we cry at night about and now learning some don't belong in dark cryptic sumps but perhaps in the display rivaling other organisms. Gotta admit some sponges are rather outstanding in their own right. Those seeking true mixed reef replicas of an actual reef might consider there is more to it than just Sticks and Acans.
Yeah, the main problem I've seen is that it's quite difficult to feed ornamental sponges - otherwise, some species would make great showpieces in a tank. Most just end up withering away at this point though.
There's a lot I need to learn then because I thought they were filter feeders. In south Florida we have those who collect locally and an available source but I can also collect my own if I understood how to separate them from their base. Understand they shouldn't be exposed to air and not 100% certain on laws other than I can not remove rocks but might be able to remove loose rubble. Still polishing up on that and plan to collect what I can including inverts and some fish. Caribbean biotope might be interesting.
They are filter-feeders (and highly efficient ones too), but with moderately specific diets that our tanks don't generally provide, especially not in the quantities needed.
www.reef2reef.com
From my understanding of your setup, it would be much better for most sponges than the average tank - is the sponge an encrusting sponge?
It’s branching but it literally will attach to anything it touches. Just for these photos I had to peel it off of the back glass and a shelf. It basically ended up having small 1/4-1/2” circular sections mid branch that leaned on an object - the glass, a shelf, a piece of rock structure…and after about a week, it’s attached. You can peel it off by hand with no damage
