To make phytoplankton in a pond you dissolve appropriate amounts of fertilizer into the pond water column at temperatures above 55 degrees each spring (in areas of the nation where it makes sense) a plankton bloom is started.
For the ponds already loaded with nutrients, the plankton bloom often starts by itself.
The requirements for phytoplankton growth are few: water, light, favorable temperature and inorganic nutrients.
Because there is such a wide variety of phytoplankton, there are species that can grow in almost any kind of water.
The way you grow phytoplankton is you first provide a starter culture with light, nutrients, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and a clean place to live.
Then about every 7 days, you harvest about half to two-thirds of the culture to feed the rotifers, brine shrimp or corals, and you repeat the process over and over again.
You can grow phytoplankton in almost any translucent container, glass is probably best.
Now you need to introduce carbon dioxide.
And like all other plants they consume carbon dioxide, which is easily introduced using an aquarium air pump.
Some fun facts about phytoplankton are.
Phytoplankton are responsible for cloud formation.
Phytoplankton are a type of algae.
Phytoplankton help in absorbing of carbon emission.
Phytoplankton produce half of the world's oxygen.
And some types of phytoplankton are also bioluminescent.
If all the phytoplankton are eliminated from a pond the fish and aquatic life in the pond would quickly die off.
If there's no phytoplankton in the pond there will also be no oxygen for the fish and so only Anaerobic bacteria will be able to grow in the pond.
Eliminating phytoplankton from a ponds ecosystem will destroy the ponds ecosystem completely and restrict the flow of energy.
The things that mainly feed on phytoplankton include crustaceans, zooplankton and small fish.
Phytoplankton is an algae that is a microscopic marine algae which provides food for a wide range of sea creatures in a balanced ecosystem.
The food that phytoplankton eat is food they produce through the process of photosynthesis.
Phytoplankton convert sunlight into energy and use the converted energy to form sugar called glucose which they then store as a source of nutrients.
Life on earth would be affected terribly if phytoplankton disappeared as the entire aquatic system would collapse and the oxygen on earth would also decrease.
Through photosynthesis, phytoplankton use sunlight, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and water to produce oxygen and nutrients for other organisms.
With 71% of the Earth covered by the ocean, phytoplankton are responsible for producing up to 50% of the oxygen we breathe.
If all of the phytoplankton died there would be a complete collapse of our aquatic ecosystem which would also increase levels of carbon in the air and also accelerate climate change much faster and further.
The loss of phytoplankton would be a huge problem for marine food chains because every creature in the ocean either eats phytoplankton or eats other organisms that depend on it.
If the numbers of phytoplankton start to decrease, the populations of these species would drop as well.
Phytoplankton is used as a supplement for humans as well as food for sea creatures and also for the base of several aquatic food webs and to keep a balanced ecosystem.
Phytoplankton is worth taking because of it's ability to strengthen your cell membranes and also induce cell regeneration.
Phytoplankton is high in Vitamin E, bioflavonoids, beta-Carotene and alanine which also helps strengthen and improve your immune system.
The side effects of taking phytoplankton are nausea, burping, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, stomach pain or stomach discomfort, joint pain and heartburn.
Phytoplankton does expire and has a shelf life of around 12 months.
Phytoplankton will also settle out of suspension and also die if left packed down on the bottom too long.
Phytoplankton does not need to be refrigerated as it contains preserving agents which prevent the phytoplankton from going bad.
You can keep phytoplankton at room temperature and it will be just fine.
Phytoplankton is edible and is most often eaten as a supplement.
When phytoplankton is eaten as a supplement it's thought to be a mood lifter and is recommended as an addition to depression diet treatment plans.
Phytoplankton Supplementation Lowers Muscle Damage and Sustains Performance across Repeated Exercise Bouts in Humans and Improves Antioxidant Capacity in a Mechanistic Animal.
The phytoplankton powder tastes green, healthy, slightly aquatic.
Not disimilar to spirulina, chlorella or wild blue green algae if you've ever taste those but, we think, milder, sweeter and more palatable.
If you have any problem with the taste of phytoplankton, simply mix it into juice or a smoothie and you won't notice it!
Phytoplankton and algae form the bases of aquatic food webs.
They are eaten by primary consumers like zooplankton, small fish, and crustaceans.
Primary consumers are in turn eaten by fish, small sharks, corals, and baleen whales.
Most phytoplankton are harmless to animals.
However, a few species can produce toxic, or poisonous, chemicals.
Some dinoflagellates and diatoms can make poisonous compounds that cause diarrhea, paralysis, dizziness, and even memory loss.
Not only do marine phytoplankton toxins cause seafood poisoning, but they also induce skin, liver, hepatic, and gastrointestinal tumor promotion activity.
Additionally, the toxins cause allergic reactions, irritants, headaches, and several other diseases.