Beyond Phyto?

Ok, for those that prefer research in English, cutnpaste this:

http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/W3732E/w3732e00.htm#Contents

Suzy, what makes you say that it turns out they aren't herbivores?  There are several articles on the net that claim soft corals have a 80% phyto / 20% zoo diet and LPS and SPS have 20% phyto and 80% zoo diet...

and of course, most corals will survive even without feeding utilizing photosynthesis

while we can't feed it to our tanks (or can we??) i claim soyflower is pound for pound more nutrious than copepods even when you "gut load" them with something else (which is where a lot of that nutrition comes from).  in fact the link above shows that soyflower is a commonly used food for culturing zooplankton.   here is a link with some dry weight percentages on soybeans.

OK, you guys can try to defer my quest but!!! I think I found a source!!!

OK, so there are some that think that phyto is for feeding zooplankton,
right? You can feed the resident zooplankton in your tank (if there is any
that has not already been snicked) or you can feed it in a culture vessel.

I do feed my tank with a strong phytoplankton and a quick growing
diatom, and I have had a recent explosion of mysis shrimp. But, I think
even though I am adding a gallon or so daily, I can grow more
zooplankton in a seperate culture vessel that does not contain predators.
With my systems needs, I think it is best for me.

Some corals, and esp sponges, do consume phyto directly but some
corals (animals) do not. We all know -and have seen with our own eyes-
SPS tanks that grow without any additional feeding, they live off their
symbiotic zooanthellae, But, there is research that concludes that better
growth -esp relating to gonad formation- requires heterotrophic
consumption.

Phyto is cool (depending on the species), but my tanks- with a diverse
population of sps and octocorals- need both meat and veggies, IMO.

So, back to the original topic: Where do I find Dinoflagellates?

(Off topic: I don't gut load my copepods. They make their own PUFAs
from fish poo)

 Thanks Ryan for the PM clearing things up.

Edited by Angel

And, Connie, you are always welcome to see our tanks!

 

Plus, I think I have a sponge growing that is THE cure for breast CA in zoop!

ryanj wrote: Sounds like you're on a pretty big quest.

That's pretty much how Suzy does it, on a pretty good sized scale!  Isn't she awesome!

You cannot be a leader of a revolution without thinking big and taking chances!  Go Suzy!

I bet your past friends at TLP would know someone who knows someone who is a researcher.  Maybe someone at a lab could put you in touch with the right person?  Or, maybe Adam B.?

Suzy it looks like your are on your way to becomming the goddess of dinoflagulates! I think Adam Haycock should jump in on this post.  I love this club