FAQs on Phytoplankton Part 2
TARAS PLESKUN1 DAY AGO
Phycologist Taras V Pleskun answers more of your most frequently asked questions on Phytoplankton.
Is the algae I scrape off the front glass phytoplankton?
Yes and No! Though this is more an exercise in wording, there is a profound difference between algae that needs to be scraped off the glass from phytoplankton in general and especially the microalgae species commonly offered as live feed.The term phytoplankton refers to anything suspended in the water column which is conducting photosynthesis. This does not necessarily pertain to algae which exists as a biofilm or other superstructure attached to glass, rockwork, etc. Besides being an esoteric discrimination of terms, there are profound differences in the biology and behavior of suspended cells versus those in biofilms. This is even more fascinating considering the same species of algae can exist either as suspended cells or as a biofilm and can alternate between the two growth states according to environmental conditions and microbial ecology. But overall, the brown algae associated with healthy seasoned reef aquariums are likely various diatom species.
more info can be found in the whole article/thread:
FAQs on Phytoplankton Part 2 | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog
Phycologist Taras V Pleskun answers more of your most frequently asked questions on Phytoplankton. Yes and No! Though this is more an exercise in wording, there is a profound difference between algae…
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