Plankton

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Feelin_Salty

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Mar 4, 2006
Messages
51
Alright I'm thinkin about getting a feather duster, but I'm noticing about them, that they eat Plankton...what's that. Is it alive or dead? I saw somewhere that you can bread it in your tank? So if I get a bottle of plankton and put some in my tank it'll breed until I get a filter feeder of some sort? Or is it just that you have to put some in the water every day or so for a filter feeding invert? Thanks in Advance
 
There are various products on the market for filter feeders.
I use kent chromamax and phytomax and dt's plankton, with good success (I have a large rock COVERED in the smaller varieties of feathers, as well as several large ones).
Most all LFS' have those or similar products.

The stuff is a'live culture' I guess. It needs to be refridgerated and added to a certain amount of tank water a few times a week (follow the instructions!).

Growing your own would require a seperate tank and lots of unneccesary work..especially when a bottle of dt's or kent stuff last months on end and can provide proper nutriets for hundreds of gallons of water in that time frame.

hth
 
FYI... Plankton, by definition, is small organisms that live in the water column. They are separated into zooplankton (heterotrophic, ie: copepods), phytoplankton (autotrophic,
ie: algaes) and protoplankton (bacteria).
 
I have a feather duster and seems to be doing quite well without adding suppliments like invert food. Don't know for sure, but I am thingink that in the confinements of an aquarium, there is enough in the water for the duster to filter, but I may be wrong.


John
 
My feather dusters did well without food as well, but the smaller variety didn't start proliferating in the way they are now (they grow like weeds!) until I started dosing with dt's etc.. I mostly started doing so when I started adding gorgs and corals and what not, to ensure a proper level of nutrition for all beings (basically make the every two day feeding a buffet for all, keeping in mind I have to monitor levels more since I add more nutrients).

I do know that adding a food (afore mentioned ones in my case) for the feathers increases/betters the color and 'fan quality' for the duster, as the fan can 'wilt' so to speak without a 'well balanced diet'.

First hand experience, yur mileage may vary.. always follow instructions and keep up on levels..

(the instructions for all products I have mentioned do recommend a trial run, so follow the instructions :p )
 
If you have a filter feeder you should put some form of plankton but not alot as it will foul your tank up if you overdo it. If that`s the only filter feeder I would do maybe once a week.
 
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