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Live Phytoplankton Dosing Instructions

Live phytoplankton cells from Dinkins Aquatic Gardens

Consistency is key when dosing live phytoplankton

Consistent dosing of live phytoplankton for coral health in reef tank
  • Consistency is key when dosing live phytoplankton. Since phytoplankton is an actual food source, your corals will respond the best when you dose on a regular basis. We suggest daily dosing, but an every-other-day schedule can work as well.

  • The benefits of live phytoplankton dosing - more vibrant colors, better polyp extension, and faster growth - will fade over time if phytoplankton dosing is stopped.

We suggest setting up a monthly subscription to buy live phytoplankton

Setup a subscription for Dinkins Aquatic Gardens live phytoplankton
  • Since consistently dosing live phytoplankton is so important, we recommend buying a month's supply at a time.

  • For the same reason, we strongly recommend setting up a monthly subscription so you never run out of phytoplankton. You receive a subscription discount, and have one less thing to deal with!

Every reef tank is different, so regular testing is the key to live phytoplankton dosing

Testing is key to dosing live phytoplankton
  • Regularly testing your water chemistry - particularly your nitrate and phosphate levels - is extremely important when dosing our live phytoplankton.
  • Every reef really is different; in most cases, our live phytoplankton reduces nitrates and phosphates or has no effects at all. But in some cases, they can cause nutrient levels to rise.
  • It's important to dose at a level that will not disrupt your reef chemistry.

Recommended live phytoplankton dosing amounts are based on the needs of your reef tank

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  • 0.5 Milliliter Per Gallon

    This level is ideal for reef tanks that are lightly-stocked with corals, fish-only tanks with copepods, or tanks that are extremely sensitive to changing parameters. If you're new to dosing live phytoplankton, dose at this level for at least two weeks.

  • 1 Milliliter Per Gallon

    For reef tanks that are well-stocked with corals, or new tanks with a large copepod population, use 1ml per gallon of tank water. This is the recommended level for most tanks.

  • 1.5 Milliliter Per Gallon

    For reef tanks that are well-stocked with corals, are seeing stable nutrients levels, and want to push the benefits of phytoplankton dosing to the max. You can dose more than this if your parameters are stable, but you'll face diminishing returns.