Phytoplankton Automatic Dosing System

[Reef By Steele]

WE GOT THE REEF​

Our commitment to our customers is a driving force behind our business and a major reason that we receive such positive feedback from our customers. Because we listen our business has expanded and grown. Earlier this year I had a customer ask me a question that I had been considering for some time.

“Can you auto dose phytoplankton?”

​

This is Eugene's @ebgclef tank, and because he travels and didn’t want to lose the progress he had achieved through consistent dosing we brainstormed for a solution. And now we have an answer, YES! There are intricate challenges to auto dosing phytoplankton, but through thoughtful planning and experiment we have developed a working system. Doesn’t phytoplankton need to be refrigerated? No, live phytoplankton can last 2-3 weeks at room temperature (we recommend not over 10 days), refrigeration does extend the storage capacity to up to 3 months industry standard (we recommend 4-6 weeks as we love our phyto fresh). Doesn’t phytoplankton settle, yes that is why you need to shake stored phytoplankton at least every three days so the settling doesn’t smother and kill the cells trapped below. This means the phyto must be agitated to keep it in suspension so that the dosage stays consistent. My first thought was to aerate it like I do with our harvest, but that also promotes evaporation. As this customer, Eugene, and I discussed these challenges he suggested a magnetic stirrer. In his system he uses the stirrer under a dosing chamber he already had on hand, a drawback is that the chamber is square, so some settling occurs in the corners. We have alleviated this with a round dosing chamber. With this setup, he has lowered his nitrates from mid 30’s to 1-2 ppm. Eugene does see them rise if he runs out of phyto between shipments, which reinforces just how effective dosing live phytoplankton is. Eugene dilutes our phyto 3 to 1 with saltwater then doses 4x the volume, to be able to run the dosing pump all day to avoid long term setting in the lines, but it can be dosed at full strength as well to simplify things.

Runs silent.

Eugene also shared a pic, he says can be our new Mascot!

STARTING @ $79

Buy in Combo and Save 50% on Phyto Buffet or Phyto Buffet Extreme

Phytoplankton Dosing Kit

Automate your Phytoplankton Dosing Routine to maximize the benefits your tank receives!

reefbysteele.com

What is in the kit.

1 - 1/2 gallon glass jars w/plastic lid, 1/4" bulkhead, 1/4" acrylic siphon tube
1 - 2' PVC line
1 - 2' RO line
1 - 8' feed line
1 - Line clip
1 - Magnetic Stirrer customized to silence

Also available with
1 - Kamoer Programable Auto Dosing Pump

ALL KITS SHIPPED GROUND FREE!
If prompted that it is out of stock, you can complete the purchase and we will ship as soon as components are back in stock.

And how does it work.

Attach either the PVC or RO line to intake of an available dosing pump on one end and the bulkhead connection on the dosing vessel.

Connect 5’ feed line to output of the dosing pump and route to tank, or return pump chamber of sump/refugium (to bypass skimmer, UV) allowing the phytoplankton to be broadcast throughout the reef.

Calibrate and prime the dosing pump setting it to deliver the daily amount to the tank. We recommend either continual dosing, or multiple smaller dosages to keep the lines filled with fresh fluids, or running a reverse cycle to clear the line.

Every 7 to 10 days remove the dosing vessel rinse with distilled or RO water and refill.

 

[GlassMunky]

LOVE this idea!! Gonna have to get this for when we go on vacation!!

I for sure notice a difference in the tank if I run out and have to wait a few days for a new bottle as well.

 

[Reef By Steele]

LOVE this idea!! Gonna have to get this for when we go on vacation!!

I for sure notice a difference in the tank if I run out and have to wait a few days for a new bottle as well.

Love to hear positive results from a frequent and satisfied customer. Thanks.

 

[Fishy_mcfish]

This is intriguing. I’m assuming I could use my Neptune dos to dose? What’s phyto run from you guys?

 

[Reef By Steele]

Yes you can dose through Apex DOS. That is what we use.

Here is a link to our Phyto pricing

Phytoplankton

Awesome selection of Phytoplankton

reefbysteele.com

Click on either the Phyto Buffet $9-65or the Phyto Buffet Extreme (concentrated to approximately 2x the cell count) $15-99 to get pricing. Scroll to the bottom of the page and you can combine with the kit and save 50% on any size of either with the kit.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

WE GOT THE REEF​

Our commitment to our customers is a driving force behind our business and a major reason that we receive such positive feedback from our customers. Because we listen our business has expanded and grown. Earlier this year I had a customer ask me a question that I had been considering for some time.

“Can you auto dose phytoplankton?”

​

This is Eugene's @ebgclef tank, and because he travels and didn’t want to lose the progress he had achieved through consistent dosing we brainstormed for a solution. And now we have an answer, YES! There are intricate challenges to auto dosing phytoplankton, but through thoughtful planning and experiment we have developed a working system. Doesn’t phytoplankton need to be refrigerated? No, live phytoplankton can last 2-3 weeks at room temperature (we recommend not over 10 days), refrigeration does extend the storage capacity to up to 3 months industry standard (we recommend 4-6 weeks as we love our phyto fresh). Doesn’t phytoplankton settle, yes that is why you need to shake stored phytoplankton at least every three days so the settling doesn’t smother and kill the cells trapped below. This means the phyto must be agitated to keep it in suspension so that the dosage stays consistent. My first thought was to aerate it like I do with our harvest, but that also promotes evaporation. As this customer, Eugene, and I discussed these challenges he suggested a magnetic stirrer. In his system he uses the stirrer under a dosing chamber he already had on hand, a drawback is that the chamber is square, so some settling occurs in the corners. We have alleviated this with a round dosing chamber. With this setup, he has lowered his nitrates from mid 30’s to 1-2 ppm. Eugene does see them rise if he runs out of phyto between shipments, which reinforces just how effective dosing live phytoplankton is. Eugene dilutes our phyto 3 to 1 with saltwater then doses 4x the volume, to be able to run the dosing pump all day to avoid long term setting in the lines, but it can be dosed at full strength as well to simplify things.

Eugene also shared a pic, he says can be our new Mascot!

STARTING @ $79

Buy in Combo and Save 50% on Phyto Buffet or Phyto Buffet Extreme

Phytoplankton Dosing Kit

Automate your Phytoplankton Dosing Routine to maximize the benefits your tank receives!

reefbysteele.com

What is in the kit.

1 - 1/2 gallon glass jars w/plastic lid, 1/4" bulkhead, 1/4" acrylic siphon tube
1 - 2' PVC line
1 - 2' RO line
1 - 5' feed line
1 - Line clip
1 - Magnetic Stirrer

Also available with
1 - Kamoer Programable Auto Dosing Pump

ALL KITS SHIPPED GROUND FREE!

And how does it work.

Attach either the PVC or RO line to intake of an available dosing pump on one end and the bulkhead connection on the dosing vessel.

Connect 5’ feed line to output of the dosing pump and route to tank, or return pump chamber of sump/refugium (to bypass skimmer, UV) allowing the phytoplankton to be broadcast throughout the reef.

Calibrate and prime the dosing pump setting it to deliver the daily amount to the tank. We recommend either continual dosing, or multiple smaller dosages to keep the lines filled with fresh fluids, or running a reverse cycle to clear the line.

Every 7 to 10 days remove the dosing vessel rinse with distilled or RO water and refill.

So the phyto does not need to be refrigerated?

 

[Reef By Steele]

So the phyto does not need to be refrigerated?

Not if you keep the surplus in the fridge and only put out as much as you will dose in 7-10 days. When we harvest we bottle what is sold the same day, then what is left is either refrigerated our in separate vessels with air. We use this for our own tanks and pod cultures. Whenever we use up the 10 gallons we have running we refill it from the fridge. This allows us to feed the cultures anytime without adding cold phyto.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Not if you keep the surplus in the fridge and only put out as much as you will dose in 7-10 days. When we harvest we bottle what is sold the same day, then what is left is either refrigerated our in separate vessels with air. We use this for our own tanks and pod cultures. Whenever we use up the 10 gallons we have running we refill it from the fridge. This allows us to feed the cultures anytime without adding cold phyto.

Hmmmm

Do you think a glass vessel is better than plastic?

 

[Reef By Steele]

Hmmmm

Do you think a glass vessel is better than plastic?

I prefer glass as it can be cleaned with bleach and other cleaners without fear of degrading. I do culture in food grade plastic containers, but I run all my backups in 1 gallon glass jars.

 

[Bobby daniels]

I've lived around ideas on how to go about doing this but have never gotten around to experimenting with it.
How lid is the stirrer in the glass jar? Or systems pretty much run dead silent and are in our main living room so the silence is important

 

[Reefing_addiction]

WE GOT THE REEF​

Our commitment to our customers is a driving force behind our business and a major reason that we receive such positive feedback from our customers. Because we listen our business has expanded and grown. Earlier this year I had a customer ask me a question that I had been considering for some time.

“Can you auto dose phytoplankton?”

​

This is Eugene's @ebgclef tank, and because he travels and didn’t want to lose the progress he had achieved through consistent dosing we brainstormed for a solution. And now we have an answer, YES! There are intricate challenges to auto dosing phytoplankton, but through thoughtful planning and experiment we have developed a working system. Doesn’t phytoplankton need to be refrigerated? No, live phytoplankton can last 2-3 weeks at room temperature (we recommend not over 10 days), refrigeration does extend the storage capacity to up to 3 months industry standard (we recommend 4-6 weeks as we love our phyto fresh). Doesn’t phytoplankton settle, yes that is why you need to shake stored phytoplankton at least every three days so the settling doesn’t smother and kill the cells trapped below. This means the phyto must be agitated to keep it in suspension so that the dosage stays consistent. My first thought was to aerate it like I do with our harvest, but that also promotes evaporation. As this customer, Eugene, and I discussed these challenges he suggested a magnetic stirrer. In his system he uses the stirrer under a dosing chamber he already had on hand, a drawback is that the chamber is square, so some settling occurs in the corners. We have alleviated this with a round dosing chamber. With this setup, he has lowered his nitrates from mid 30’s to 1-2 ppm. Eugene does see them rise if he runs out of phyto between shipments, which reinforces just how effective dosing live phytoplankton is. Eugene dilutes our phyto 3 to 1 with saltwater then doses 4x the volume, to be able to run the dosing pump all day to avoid long term setting in the lines, but it can be dosed at full strength as well to simplify things.

Eugene also shared a pic, he says can be our new Mascot!

STARTING @ $79

Buy in Combo and Save 50% on Phyto Buffet or Phyto Buffet Extreme

Phytoplankton Dosing Kit

Automate your Phytoplankton Dosing Routine to maximize the benefits your tank receives!

reefbysteele.com

What is in the kit.

1 - 1/2 gallon glass jars w/plastic lid, 1/4" bulkhead, 1/4" acrylic siphon tube
1 - 2' PVC line
1 - 2' RO line
1 - 5' feed line
1 - Line clip
1 - Magnetic Stirrer

Also available with
1 - Kamoer Programable Auto Dosing Pump

ALL KITS SHIPPED GROUND FREE!

And how does it work.

Attach either the PVC or RO line to intake of an available dosing pump on one end and the bulkhead connection on the dosing vessel.

Connect 5’ feed line to output of the dosing pump and route to tank, or return pump chamber of sump/refugium (to bypass skimmer, UV) allowing the phytoplankton to be broadcast throughout the reef.

Calibrate and prime the dosing pump setting it to deliver the daily amount to the tank. We recommend either continual dosing, or multiple smaller dosages to keep the lines filled with fresh fluids, or running a reverse cycle to clear the line.

Every 7 to 10 days remove the dosing vessel rinse with distilled or RO water and refill.

I do not believe the kamoer runs in reverse?

 

[Doompastew]

Are you dosing live phyto? I guess I'm curious about unrefrigerated phyto for 5 to 7 days. I love this idea!

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Are you dosing live phyto? I guess I'm curious about unrefrigerated phyto for 5 to 7 days. I love this idea!

See below

So the phyto does not need to be refrigerated?

Not if you keep the surplus in the fridge and only put out as much as you will dose in 7-10 days. When we harvest we bottle what is sold the same day, then what is left is either refrigerated our in separate vessels with air. We use this for our own tanks and pod cultures. Whenever we use up the 10 gallons we have running we refill it from the fridge. This allows us to feed the cultures anytime without adding cold phyto.

 

[Reef By Steele]

Are you dosing live phyto? I guess I'm curious about unrefrigerated phyto for 5 to 7 days. I love this idea!

When I first started culturing for my own use I googled and read everything I could find to learn everything I could. Industry standard is up to 3 months in refrigerator as long as it is shaken every 2-3 days to keep the cells that settle from being smothered. We do not recommend unrefrigerated storage, as at room temp it will continue to grow and dies off without additional nutrients being added. That being said, we keep live phyto in aerated containers running a week or more between batches to have room temp phyto to dose our copepod cultures throughout the week and refill them from surplus we refrigerate (unsold product from our harvests). Also the phyto in the doser is kept in suspension keeping it from dying out from being smothered.

 

[Reef By Steele]

I've lived around ideas on how to go about doing this but have never gotten around to experimenting with it.
How lid is the stirrer in the glass jar? Or systems pretty much run dead silent and are in our main living room so the silence is important

I will shoot a short video and post here in a bit.

 

[Reef By Steele]

I've lived around ideas on how to go about doing this but have never gotten around to experimenting with it.
How lid is the stirrer in the glass jar? Or systems pretty much run dead silent and are in our main living room so the silence is important

Bobby,

The stirrers are quite loud as they come, but we customize them so they are silent. The sound on the video is quite extreme, they are not that loud in person but my phone mic must really pick it up. You can see from the second “pill” that it is pretty much totally eliminated.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Bobby,

The stirrers are quite loud as they come, but we customize them so they are silent. The sound on the video is quite extreme, they are not that loud in person but my phone mic must really pick it up. You can see from the second “pill” that it is pretty much totally eliminated.

What do you coat them in

 

[Reef By Steele]

I do not believe the kamoer runs in reverse?

That is true. We run ours on Apex DOS but do not run a reverse cycle. We run small amounts continuously to keep it from settling. Someone else mentioned reversing, but we don’t recommend that as it can pull contaminants back into the vessel. We leave our feed line above the water level to avoid this. Our dosers run it across a 6’ stand, this allows the phyto to be added to the return pump chamber to bypass the UV and skimmer.

 

[Reef By Steele]

What do you coat them in

We tried several reef safe products before finding the product we settled on. Part of what adds value to our products is the time and expense in development and testing, so somethings we consider proprietary knowledge.

 

[Kovenant]

Wow, you just got me at the exact moment when I was searching for more live phyto becuase I ran out of it couple days ago and I'm all about phyto for corals, roti and AB +. Phyto is one the best things you can do for healthy reef tank. I actually do manually dosing of it but this new phyto doser bundle sound pretty good. I'm on it. I will get one.