Copepod Culture transitioned into Phyto & Copepod Culture... is this bad?

[BigAl07]

I'm dabbling in culturing my own Copepods as well as Phyto but in totally separate containers. I've noticed that my Copepod culture is now a nice rich dark green very similar to my Phyto culture yet it's beaming with Pods.

Is this a bad thing? I kinda like the idea of adding Pods and Phyto to the tank at the same time but don't want to risk causing issues if this Copepod culture is bad or something.

 

[Turtle_reef]

It's interesting that your copepod culture has turned a dark green.
A few possible reasons for the green color could be, phyto contaminiation, It's possible some of your phytoplankton culture has accidentally contaminated your copepod culture. While not necessarily harmful in small amounts, a large amount of phyto can overwhelm the copepods and reduce their oxygen levels. It could also be microbial growth. The green color could also be due to the growth of other microalgae or even bacteria within the copepod culture. While some bacteria can be beneficial, an overgrowth could impact the copepod's health.
It could potentially have an impact in your main tank Adding both together and the green copepod culture together carries some risk. The excess phyto or microalgae could cause nutrient spikes in your main tank. Healthy pods despite the green color, if your copepod culture is thriving and the pods appear healthy (active, swimming), then a small amount might be okay for your main tank. If you have a microscope you could do an inspection there's on on Amazon I've been wanting to get to look at my corals when dipping them. Ideally, use a microscope to examine the copepods and identify the source of the green color.
You could also try seperate dosing If you're comfortable, consider separating the copepods from the green water using a sieve or pipette. Then, you can dose the pods to your main tank and discard the green water. Or worst case restarting the culture If the green color seems concerning, consider restarting your copepod culture with fresh saltwater and a small seed amount of healthy copepods.

 

[BigAl07]

I have no problem scrapping the Pod culture at all. I'm wondering if I over-fed that culture and caused the Phyto Bloom. I increased the air bubbler in that culture and I'll give it a closer look maybe this evening.

THANK YOU!!

 

[BigAl07]

Both cultures are "still running". I noticed tonight that the "Copepod/Phyto Combined" culture is teaming with pods (like crazy amount) and it's a nice dark/rich color. Ironically, it's the color I'm shooting for with my Phyto only culture LOL.

 

[BigAl07]

It's interesting that your copepod culture has turned a dark green.
A few possible reasons for the green color could be, phyto contaminiation, It's possible some of your phytoplankton culture has accidentally contaminated your copepod culture. While not necessarily harmful in small amounts, a large amount of phyto can overwhelm the copepods and reduce their oxygen levels. It could also be microbial growth. The green color could also be due to the growth of other microalgae or even bacteria within the copepod culture. While some bacteria can be beneficial, an overgrowth could impact the copepod's health.
It could potentially have an impact in your main tank Adding both together and the green copepod culture together carries some risk. The excess phyto or microalgae could cause nutrient spikes in your main tank. Healthy pods despite the green color, if your copepod culture is thriving and the pods appear healthy (active, swimming), then a small amount might be okay for your main tank. If you have a microscope you could do an inspection there's on on Amazon I've been wanting to get to look at my corals when dipping them. Ideally, use a microscope to examine the copepods and identify the source of the green color.
You could also try seperate dosing If you're comfortable, consider separating the copepods from the green water using a sieve or pipette. Then, you can dose the pods to your main tank and discard the green water. Or worst case restarting the culture If the green color seems concerning, consider restarting your copepod culture with fresh saltwater and a small seed amount of healthy copepods.

Which microscope on Amazon are you looking to get?

 

[Turtle_reef]

Which microscope on Amazon are you looking to get?

Andonstar AD246S-M HDMI Digital Microscope 2000x for Adults, 3 Lens 2160P UHD Video Record, 7 Inch LCD Soldering Microscope, Coin Microscope, Biological Microscope Kit, Windows Compatible https://a.co/d/dBugsTt

 

[BigAl07]

As a Follow-Up to my OP here....

I went ahead and started a new Copepod Culture, just in case and I merely left the Culture noted above going and just quit feeding it. In a few weeks the water became crystal clear so I started feeding it again. It's absolutely stuffed with Copepods and has been producing like crazy now since June 1st. I'm currently pulling a bottle out every couple of days.

 

[anizato]

dude show us pictures/video of the culture. i'd like to see your setup.

 

[BigAl07]

I'm currently running 3 different cultures of Copepods.
1st Culture that "went green" is in the upper right
2nd Culture that was a restart is on the lower shelf
3rd Culture which is SA's Tigriopus californicus and these are by far my favorite pods thus far.

In the upper left is my Phyto culture which I'm about to restart tonight or tomorrow pending the time to sterilize and go again.