DT's or not

[Rozman]

I would like to know if it would be possible to to use DT's phytoplankton in the system.I want to feed copepods for mandarin & seahorses.
thanks in advance
David

[OUinLA]

yup, definately possible

[DMK]

i was wondering this too. any zeo users use zeo to feed pods. i need pod population up w/ 2 wrasses. would like a mandarin too. currently i use DT's and bioplankton. not starting zeo till mid february.

[OUinLA]

I'm not familiar with "bioplankton" but as long as your not over feeding DT's you will be fine.

[mesocosm]

Greetings All !

I would like to know if it would be possible to use DT's phytoplankton in the system ...

Yes, as Madison pointed out. I would argue ... while acknowledging the legitimacy and concerns of differing schools of thought ... that the dosing of live phytoplankton (from whatever source) is potentially advantageous to zeosystems, because such dosing has the potential to enrich the bacterioplankton guilds that comprise "the core" of ZEOvit systems (in terms of water parameters ... as distinct from coloration enrichment mechanisms).

Oligotrophic: From the Greek for "poorly nourished" (www.lcbp.org/atlas/HTML/glossary.htm); Waters that are poor in dissolved nutrients, have low photosynthetic productivity, and are rich in dissolved oxygen at all depths (www.cbfishwildlife.org/glossary/index.php).

As of 1.06.2006 your system was at stage 3 (ZeoThread "SPS with white tips"; Rozman; 1.06.2006). So in terms of water chemistry, your system could generally be termed "oligotrophic", yes? Your concern is that the dosing of live phytoplankton will disrupt your ecosystem's water chemistry, correct?

If so, no worries ... as long as you don't overdose for any extended periods. In the short term (the time during which the phytoplankton cells remain alive in your ecosystem), there are absolutely no worries in terms of water chemistry ... nutrients remain sequestered within the phtoplankton's cells. The only area of concern pertains to what starts to happen to dead phytoplankton cells which begin to accumulate within the system ... having been neither exported through skimming, nor "immediately" consumed. A ZEOvit system's rich heterotrophic bacteria population will metabolize the dead phytoplankton cells very quickly, releasing the previously sequestered nutrients (ammonia, nitrogen compounds, and PO4 molecules primarily, but not exclusively) directly into the water column. No accumulation ... no worries.

... I want to feed copepods for mandarin & seahorses.
thanks in advance
David

Are you talking about dosing live phytoplankton as a primary food source to sustain a "reproducing population" of copepods? Cool ... very cool ... but finding the correct "dosing balance" may be an issue. You're considering epibenthic Harpacaticoid copepods like Nitokra lacustris and Trigriopus californicus, yes? I bring this up because, "Harpacticoid Copepods can also subsist on diets other than live phytoplankton and have the added advantage of keeping the tank clean by grazing on leftover fish food, bacteria, and other detritus ('Pods. Delicious and Nutritious; Dr. Adelaide Rhodes; Wet Web Media)." In other words, you may not need to dose as much live phytoplankton as you might otherwise expect if the system provides alternative food sources.

Another issue may prove to be determining a "dynamic pattern" of dosing. If the copepod population is going to be undergoing constant changes as a result of predation, then the dosing pattern is also going to need to be adjusted in response to such population changes. It takes approximately 28 days for Harpacaticoid copepods to reach sexual maturity, so a "static" dosing pattern might risk phytoplankton accumulation within the system. Mandarin gobies and seahorses are aggressive zooplankton predators, so finding the correct balance between 'phytoplankton dosage' vs. 'actual zooplankton population' could prove to be an interesting exercise ... and well worth the effort.

Other ways to mitigate the uncertainty from constant predation might include constructing a "sanctuary" within your system where predators will be unable to access the copepods, and periodic replenishment of the population from outside sources such as EssentialLiveFeeds and Reed Mariculture. You may also wish to increase diversity of zooplankton prey with additions of amphipod and mysid shrimp populations.


JMO ... HTH

[mesocosm]

Greetings All!

i was wondering this too. any zeo users use zeo to feed pods. i need pod population up w/ 2 wrasses. would like a mandarin too. currently i use DT's and bioplankton. not starting zeo till mid february.

While I suppose ... in theory ... zeo biofilms and "mulm" are capable of sustaining copepod populations over time (after all, Harpacaticoid copepods, amphipods, and other zooplankton are consumers of both bacteria and detritus), I suspect such a nutrient source is unable to sustain any significant "reproductive population" over time.

Regarding Liquid Life USA's BioPlankton ... great stuff, great company, and Ed has earned an excellent reputation within the industry, IMO. I use and sell the product ... I have no higher endorsement. IIRC, several members have posted that they've used BioPlankton in their zeosystems successfully and without problem. Having said that ...

... ...

... Liquid Life USA's website asserts that continual dosing of BioPlankton, "... develops a marine food web resulting in visible increases in zooplankton and filter feeding inhabitants (BioPlankton Product page) ...", and, "Continued usage creates a food web where zooplankton is consumed by fish and corals (Homepage)." Both these statements are, in my own experience, true. But food webs don't just develop spontaneously ... they require chemical energy input (among other things).

The thing is ... we're talking about the accumulation of dead phytoplankton cells, and a sugar/carbon source (the preservative) within the ecosystem. Not necessarily a problem by any means ... but definitely a potential issue. JMO. I would think that a continual review of dosing quantities and system dissolved nutrient observation would be in order.

BioPlankton can be quite useful and effective in zeo-systems (and other system "styles", for that matter) ... if dosed properly.


JMO .. HTH