Boosting Aquarium Ecosystem with Live Phytoplankton
At PepperforPets, we aim to help you achieve healthy and balanced nutrition for your marine aquarium. Yes, one can use expensive tank equipment and additives for that, but what can beat live phytoplankton as an affordable and convenient solution to creating a lively ecosystem for your reef tank?
What are Phytoplankton?
Phytoplankton are microscopic marine algae. The word 'Phyto' means 'Plant', and 'Plankton' means 'drifting' - isn't that a perfect description of what these little creatures are? You may have read about the important role of microalgae in our world in consuming carbon dioxide and release oxygen - yes, that is them.
Many phytoplankton are single cellular orgamism, but some are multicellular, most having sizes ranging from 1 micronmetre to mutiple microns. Species such as Nannochloropsis are immotile, buoyant and floating in the upper part of the ocean, where sunlight penetrates the water. Other species such as Tetraselmis are motile, thanks to their cellular organelle called 'flagella'.
A) Tetraselmis sp. in resting stage, B) Tetraselmis sp. in motile form, C) transmission electron micrograph of Tetraselmis sp. Strains, and D) structure of Tetraselmis cells and organelle, and E) ultrastructure of Tetraselmis cell wall. [References: Manton and Parke 1965; Arora et al. 2013; Baudelet et al. 2017]
Benefits of Phytoplankton to Our Marine Aquarium
Phytoplankton as one of the most fundamental species in the entire marine food chain require inorganic nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates, and sulfur and convert them into proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. So they are natural consumers for the unwanted waste materials/chemicals in your aquarium.
Importantly, phytoplankton are loaded with high-energy antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and proteins as well as all sorts of other essential chemicals for living organisms (including us humans). It contains within it every nutrient needed for the creation and maintenance of cells.
Moreover, they are also the main food, besides detritus, for zooplankton such as copepods, which then grow and breed in your aquarium and consume nuisance algae. Also, the nutritional values of the phytoplankton get passed onto copepods, which are then consumed by your corals and fish - absolute wonders, isn't it?
And there has been scientific evidence to suggest that phytoplankton are also directly consumed by your tank habitants, particularly soft corals and clams. The nutritional values of phytoplankton would also make them excel in your tank, with improved healthy growth and colouration.
Dosing Phytoplankton from PepperforPets Cannot be Simpler!
At PepperforPets, our phytoplankton is cultured in the UK and harvested on the same day of order despatch. Our premium quality phytoplankton are highly concentrated, offering a cost-effective way of boosting your marine aquarium. The best thing is - they can be stored in your fridge for weeks and you only need to dose it once every two days! All you need to do is to follow our dosing guidance and you will have a healthier and happier reef aquarium within days and weeks!
Start transforming your marine aquarium with our live phytoplankton from PepperforPets today, and these little creatures will do wonders in creating a balanced, diverse ecosystem in your tank!
Explore our full range of live phytoplankton to begin your 'affordable reefing' journey with PepperforPets.