Phytoplankton fertilizer F/2

We ourselves successfully cultivate all the microalgae we offer on this fertilizer.

The silicate component (e.g. for the cultivation of diatoms) is available separately.

Phytoplankton fertilizer F/2

The most well-known and most frequently used fertilizer for the cultivation of marine phytoplankton is the liquid phytoplankton fertilizer F/2. It goes back to the F fertilizer developed by Guillard & Ryther in 1962, whereby the original concentration of the recipe was then halved. This explains the name F/2. This fertilizer is suitable for the cultivation of most marine phytoplankton species.

3 or 4 components - why?

Our fertilizer is largely based on the F/2 fertilizer according to Guillard, but some modifications have been made that have proven successful for us in daily practice:

• The main components of the F/2 fertilizer (nutrients, trace elements and vitamins) have been divided into three individual solutions in order to significantly reduce the risk of contamination or the occurrence of precipitation. This means that the fertilizer can be kept and used for a much longer period of time!
• In addition, the silicate contained in the original recipe is available as an extra solution and can be added only when required, depending on the type of phytoplankton to be cultivated. This means that no unwanted silicate gets into your aquarium when feeding the mature phytoplankton. Silicate is usually only needed when cultivating diatoms. You can order the silicate component separately in the shop.

Application and dosage of phytoplankton fertilizer

We ourselves successfully cultivate all the microalgae we offer on this fertilizer.

To prepare the finished culture medium, add 1 ml of each of the three fertilizer solutions to 1 liter of fresh (preferably previously sterilized) sea water. If you want to cultivate diatoms in the medium you have prepared, you must then add 1 ml of our silicate solution. The recommended dosage of 1 ml of the respective fertilizer components per liter is to be understood as a guideline value that works for the cultivation of most phytoplankton species, but may need to be reduced or increased under certain circumstances (depending on the phytoplankton species to be cultivated).

How quickly the fertilizer is consumed depends primarily on the setup of your culture (culture vessel used, lighting intensity/duration, strength of aeration, additional use of CO ₂ , etc.) as well as on the amount and type of phytoplankton used for inoculation.

We recommend that you start with a phytoplankton:medium ratio of at least 1:5. This means that if you have a culture vessel with a volume of 5 liters, you will need 1 liter of phytoplankton as a starter culture and 4 liters of medium. In general, the more phytoplankton you use to start your culture, the lower the risk of contamination with bacteria or another type of phytoplankton.

In general, you should only feed phytoplankton that no longer contains any fertilizer. Otherwise, there is a risk that unwanted heavy metals/trace elements will get into your aquarium and cause damage to your aquarium inhabitants or lead to unwanted algae and bacterial growth!

You can determine whether your culture is ready for harvest by measuring the nitrate level. A crop that is ready for harvest no longer contains any nitrate, which in turn means that the fertilizer it contains has been completely used up (only applies to the special phytoplankton fertilizers!). Nitrate test strips suitable for seawater or normal droplet tests are suitable for the measurement.

storage

Store the vitamin solution in a dark, cool place (refrigerator).