PHYTO BUFFET CORAL DELIGHT

NEW PHOTOS COMING SOON

FRESH LIVE 11 STRAIN Custom blend of a combination of all 5 of our brown diatoms, all 4 of our red/purple strains and both of our gold strains., cultured in sterilized synthetic saltwater.

ENHANCED CORAL COLORATION AND GROWTH

Do you want the healthiest, most vibrantly colored corals? I think most of us do, but how do we get there. When I first got into the reefing hobby, I was convinced, as were a lot of others in the 80's, that clean water and bright lights (in the right spectrum) was all corals needed. I can truly say that those early years for me were fraught with struggles and challenges. Some success, but lots of failure as well. When we returned to the hobby, oh so much had changed. LED lighting with ability to set your own color and intensity settings and producing so much less heat. Powdered coral foods, just add water. Bottled coral foods with trace elements, carbohydrates, amino acids, and vitamins, to feed and enhance corals and their coloration. However, these products seem to come with a potential drawback as they tend to increase nutrients (Phosphates and nitrates) in our aquariums. For some this isn’t a problem, but for many of us, nutrient export or reduction is a major battle we face. So, what is the best option to get our corals the proper nutrition they need, without raising nitrates and phosphates? Is there a more natural method to provide for our corals needs?

Why, thank you for asking! At Reef By Steele, we are constantly researching to ensure we have the most up to date products, techniques, and knowledge? Recently I was researching the various strains of phytoplankton to ensure success in our new aquaculture endeavor and kept coming across a common theme. Certain strains of phytoplankton produce carotenoids. There are some amazing claims about the uses of these carotenoids in science, health care, and beautification products. What I found really exciting is that these carotenoids have been shown in studies to be consumed by corals and have been connected to enhanced coloration of corals and fish in aquaculture.

Isn’t all phyto the same? How does a reefer know if they are getting the right stuff? But which strains of phytoplankton can it be found in?
These are all great questions, so right off the bat, no not all phytoplankton is the same. Each and every strain is unique. They vary in cell size, vitamins, carbohydrates, fatty and amino acids produced and vary by color. When we started selling product on Reef2Reef, it was to try to offset the culturing expenses so we could continue to dose to our own tanks. When we made the decision to go commercial and make this a business, I had decisions to make. Among those decisions was what to offer for a phyto blend. There are so many different choices and each seems to have a different number of strains. Is more the merrier, or is basic the best? What I found is that no two strains are the same, each offers differences in the levels and types of nutrients provided. For this reason we started out with 10 separate strains trying to hit at least one in every category. What I found when we started is that the non-green phytoplankton are more nutritious and beneficial for almost all the inhabitants of our reefs, leading us to focus 60% of our strains in these specific strains. What we learned from our customers is that there is a perception of phytoplankton that it should be green. Questions like, why is brand x greener than yours. Unfortunately, I would guess that some customers may not reach out but instead assume that our product isn’t as rich as the green bottles they have previously purchased. Another belief that I have encountered is that many reefers believe that brown colored phytoplankton is going to make their tank water “dirty”, again an impression based on visual cues. The truth is, no phytoplankton is going to dirty your tank water, it will actually make it clearer. In a discussion I had yesterday with a friend who has been in aquaculture and phytoplankton production for over 30 years (has published articles) brought this same point up with me.

I reached out to him, as we prepare for the next phase in our continued development of our business as we start aqua-culturing three new products. Part of this discussion was the proper food sources for our rotifers which we will use to rear the new invertebrates we are breeding. His recommendation is feeding rotifers only brown and gold phytoplankton for our goals. We already harvest in this manner as this is required for culturing our Parvo pods. It was during this research that I came across study after study linking these same strains of phytoplankton to enhanced coloration and growth in many corals. Especially SPS, and red, yellow and orange LPS and NPS corals. I learned that the red strains, Rhodomonas lens, Rhodomonas Salina, and Porphyridium cruentum would enhance coral colors, but the fact that the diatoms do this as well was something I had not found in my previous research.

For this reason, we have expanded our phytoplankton culturing system adding 7 new strains. Also, we are going to offer our “Parvo” blend (this is what we have previously only used in house) which will be a combination of all 5 of our brown diatoms, all 5 of our red/purple strains and both of our gold strains. This blend will still be a powerhouse for nutrient export and silicate removal, superior copepod nutritional value (yes, copepods are a better food source when eating phytoplankton vs detritus and nuisance algae) and target coral reefs growth and coloration.

Yes, we understand that this is going to increase the confusion on our website. However, this decision is being made, not because it might drive increased sales, but because it offers real options for our customers to get the RIGHT PRODUCT for their needs. We have done the same thing with our copepods.

Initially I too felt “more is better” which is true from a marketing standpoint, but our underlying purpose is to provide our customers with the highest quality product that will give them the best results to meet their needs. So, selling our pelagic pods to reefers who do not have high metabolism cruising fish like leopard wrasses and Anthias would be doing them a disservice. This is the driving force behind our expansion remodel, which will allow us to offer some new products which we find difficult to obtain (more to follow as this come to fruition).

We can now target a new offering to those customers whose goals are the brightest, healthiest corals naturally with the same food source available to them in the ocean. Phytoplankton is the first step in the global food chain. Not only does all life and nutrition start with phytoplankton, but it is also the largest oxygen producing organism on the planet.

Wow, so just adding this to our reef tanks will immediately brighten our corals and exhibit new growth immediately? Of course not. Dosing phytoplankton will have immediate positive impact on our tanks ecosystem, but as with many things in life, consistency is key, and it can take several weeks of consistent application to see the results. These results can be achieved through broadcast and targeted feedings, personally I like to broadcast with only circulation pumps running and return pumps off as it is more natural. Target feeding could cause the target to close so the food hits it in high quantities but the coral doesn’t take in as much. This is especially true of SPS corals, where LPS corals may catch the phyto on their slime coat. Our dosing recommendations for this product would be the same we have for our full blend. Ramp up to allow your system to acclimate, and then dose 1 ml per system gallon for lightly stocked or younger tanks, 2 ml per system gallon for more established or more highly stocked tanks and 3 ml per gallon of system volume for tanks with filter feeders, clams and other mollusks, or NPS corals such as gorgonian and sun corals. Maintain or increase testing to monitor nitrates and phosphates. If they begin to sharply decline reduce dosage or supplement with products such as Brightwell neo-nitrate and neo-phosphate if you are happy with the results and don’t want to reduce the phytoplankton.

Corals also “eat” consume copepods. Again this is well documented but I believe under appreciated. Here is one place that size matters. Our Harpa pods are tiny little cousins to the Tisbe biminiensis and even as adults are the perfect size for SPS corals. Here again, their nutritional content will depend on their diet. Utilizing copepods as a micro-CUC (Clean Up Crew) is advantageous, but they provide so much more utility to our systems than just feeding Mandarins and eating GHA. Almost if not every living thing in our reef tanks will benefit from a strong copepods presence and consistent application of live phytoplankton. But once again, targeting your tank’s specific needs is paramount to the success you are striving to achieve. PM me or visit our website and start a chat and I am more than happy to help you choose the right products to get the best results for your specific needs.

BENEFITS OF PHYTOPLANKTON IN YOUR AQUARIUM

Phytoplankton is an abundant source of macro- and micronutrients. You will find protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, lipids, and trace elements. One of the most important nutrients contained within phytoplankton cells are lipids, in particular Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids, often referred to as highly unsaturated fats (HUFA), are absolutely essential for the health and coloration of marine invertebrates and fish. Of these fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA (found generally in green-colored phytoplankton species) and docosahexaenoic acid or DHA (found generally in brown-colored phytoplankton species) are of critical importance to marine life, with DHA proving to be the more essential of the two.  This is why our PHYTO BUFFET incorporates 5 brown strains, 4 green strains, and one red strain added for improved coral coloration.

In aquariums, regular dosing of phytoplankton increases the health, coloration, growth, and polyp extension of corals. It also increases the development and vibrancy of your marine life, and boosts zooplankton populations.

Phytoplankton can play a major role in water quality and nutrient recycling through their consumption of nitrogenous wastes. Phytoplankton consume nitrogen and phosphorous to perform photosynthesis. In an aquarium environment, adding LIVE phytoplankton will reduce your nitrate (NO3) and phosphate (PO4) levels as the living phytoplankton consume these nutrients for photosynthesis.

Not only will live phytoplankton help reduce NO3 and PO4 levels, but through photosynthesis the phytoplankton help balance pH levels by increasing dissolved oxygen levels in the aquarium while simultaneously reducing carbon dioxide levels.

A further benefit of dosing live phytoplankton in an aquarium is to help reduce or prevent nuisance algae growth (e.g., hair algae, bryopsis, cyano, etc.). Nuisance algae in aquariums consume the same nutrients as live phytoplankton to grow and survive. If live phytoplankton is dosed regularly and consumes these nutrients, the nuisance algae will eventually wither away.

There are a lot of phytoplankton products on the aquarium market, and there is a lot of misinformation about what constitutes a quality phytoplankton product. If you are looking for a quality phytoplankton product that will give your reef the benefits of maximum nutrition, optimal water quality, and help reduce nuisance algae growth, then here's what you need to look for:

• MULTI-SPECIE BLEND

Our PHYTO BUFFET contains a blend of 10 species of phytoplankton covering all the nutritional needs of your aquarium.

***For proper nutrition, you need to dose a MINIMUM of TWO species of phytoplankton.***

• EPA & DHA (GREENS & BROWNS)

Our PHYTO BUFFET contains 5 browns, 4 greens and 1 red strains of phytoplankton covering all the nutritional needs of your aquarium.

**It is critical to dose BOTH high-EPA (typically "green") and high-DHA (typically "brown") species.***

• LIVE (in contrast to concentrates, pastes, or cryopreserved)

Our PHYTO BUFFET is harvested fresh and live each week on the shipping day providing you with the highest quality product you can get.

***In order to receive the benefits of nutrient consumption, the product must be LIVE.***

• NO PRESERVATIVES, GELS, BINDERS, OR OTHER ADDITIVES

Our PHYTO BUFFET is cultured in sterilized water in sterile vessels with no additives or preservatives ever added.

***Avoid products with additives that could be potentially harmful to your reef.***