Dinoflagellate Puns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gpMQZE9u8I

Already the text below is in the Description of the Video, but just for redundancy. ;)

++ PyroFarms.com

I got my first culture of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates from PyroFarms.

Most of the containers I have I got from them. They run out of the culture flask that i got from them, but hopefully they will bring them back soon. ^_^

https://pyrofarms.com/collections/frontpage/products/grow-pro-flasks

But I already got an equivalent from another source of algae resources that I use. (I show their Culture Flask in the video).

https://algaeresearchsupply.com/products/culture-flask-600ml

++ MagicalMicrobes.com

They recently started using another supplier of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates that grow faster and get together in some clumps that because they flash all at the same time looks brighter.

From Magical Microbes I got the https://www.magicalmicrobes.com/collections/kits/products/bioglo-explorer-bundle

That in addition to other things, it includes:

- The Hourglass Container:

Good Plastic, just confirm that it closes properly with the silicone ring. At least in the last version, the instruction recommends to keep it close most of the time.

I decided to keep it open unless I plan to shake it, so there is a better interchange of gasses between the surface of the water of the culture and the atmosphere.

- Two sets of nutrient vials and salt (Growth Medium):

I like it, because is not already in liquid form.

So there is less chance of "accident" when is delivered and is not difficult to prepare.

- One BaseLight:

I did like the concept, so I ordered extra BaseLight, although with the stand LED that I got that you can see in the video, I do not think is necessary anymore.

But I do like the feature that is the temperature gets near 77 F, it start giving a "flashing red" light.

That I ignored when the summer started so I allowed the temperature to go higher to the point instead of "flashing red" the the BaseLights had a constant red status. In less than 2 weeks this reflected in all the cultures! Some started to become "white clouds" and others started to thin out all together. -_-

Now I only allow the temperature to raise to just when I see any of the BaseLights starting the red flashing alert.

Then I turn on the A/C on. Since then, all my Dinoflagellates cultures have recove

Fairly average water conditions. Not low nutrient. Flow could be improved, but have had tanks in the past with worse flow with no issue.

I don't like the idea of peroxide.

Any other ideas?

Thanks.

I was just scrolling on a website that offers Dinoflagellates lighting to people for aesthetics. And i’m really curious in regards of the process revolving around Dinoflagellates production for commercial purposes, in other words, how can we stimulate its growth and reproduction artificially?

Because other context, I have tools to measure (with respect saltwater):

- Salinity

- Ammonia

- pH

- Nitrate

- Nitrite

- Carbon Root

- Hardness

- Free Chlorine

- Total alkalinity

- Iron

- Copper

I tried to find on my own any other factors that I should be testing to keep my Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates alive and multiplying.

Normally the sources that I find either is focus on how "run off" sources affect their bloom, or the bloom of other algae that could harm their growth.

But that is not my case. I plan to get the Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates from 3 different sources (at least up to now, I have not found any more) and each source offers their own "growth medium".

So I am wondering if I should test any extra factors in addition to the ones I already listed to try to determine "how well" the Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates and the "growth medium" of the same source work together.

Thanks.

The Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates in the video have over 3 months since I got them from Pyrofarms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAm7KvW2a5s

The the Bio-Orb that gave me trouble on March 2020, was doing great, until a couple of days ago.

The green algae was more persistent than I expected. -_-

So after the video, I put the content with the offending algae in a separate container and social distanced it from the rest of the cultures.
Over 6 feet away. They will be used up by the Brine Shrimps, found out Brine Shrimps love to gobble up Dinoflagellates. ^_^

So instead of 20% Clorox and 80% water, this time I will wash the Bio-Orb for a few weeks with 50% Clorox and 50% water. I basically shake the orb about each day so anything that could grow, shrivels up and dies. After enough time I remove the mixture, and wash it with saline water to then try to use the Bio-Orb again.

But since at least I was successful in 6 of the 7 containers, I already ordered Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates from Carolina Science Supplies and Magical Microbes.

I got already the ones from Carolina Science Supplies and they look good.
I am still waiting for the ones from Magical Microbes to be shipped.

Greetings:

I have read there are difference types of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates, I know there are places that you could get them in the wild, but I do not have the expertise to single them out from all the other stuff that would get from their location in the wild.

>> Sources to purchase Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates?

So I am trying different companies that distribute these, plus the growing mediums they might provide.

Anyone in the USA has been able to purchase Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates in addition to the 3 companies I mention below?

I found some sources that were 4+ years old, mostly based on universities, but most of them have dropped their support to Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates. :(

Any leads are welcomed and appreciated.

>> The 3 current sources of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates that I am trying.

Up to now, I have successfully grown Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates. I have not confirmed that the species in their documentation is the ones that I got, but since at simple eye you can see a difference between them I am planning to set a microscope that I got to check if there are significant differences that could be observed.

At this point, I got Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates from PyroFarms, Carolina Scientific Supplies. I tried to get also from Magical Microbes, but something when wrong in the silvery (Never got them. :( ) but I am in communication with Magical Microbes to address this.

This is what I I have seen up to now:

NOTE: I do not know if the growing speed is because the Dinos, the growing medium or a combination.

++ PyroFarms

Looks to be smaller, but brighter, and have the tendency of getting together, so when they "light up" they look to do it together in these "gatherings" up to the level that you can see the blue light even if there is some environment light if their "gathering" is thick enough.

Looks like they grow the fastest, and the color when they come together in patches look to be brown/mustard.

And either they gather at the bottom, or they float making a layer near the surface.

++ Carolina Scientific Supplies

I was surprised to see how different these look in the light. If you have seen "diamond dust" snow by the sunlight. Looks to be in two forms, for lack of a good description I will only say:

- Crystal Prisms
- Nylon Filaments ( Reminds me of "Dust Bunnies", expect translucent ).

This is how t

Hmm, looks like if I post a link of a company, the Reddit spam bot zeroes in on that posting. -_-

Anyhow, I found my answer on how tolerant are Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates are to Ammonia.

I just posted the response in the posting below:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SeaMonkeys/comments/m1lp5h/next_steps_to_try_to_get_my_shinny_sea_monkeys/

I asked in the past about how to cultivate Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates.
That I received great advice from this group, and since then, it has been paying off.

What I did not realized until recently is that Carolina Science Supplies has a nice webpage, that although is focus towards its products, for someone that know about algae, this might be a good introductions for those that are getting familiar with Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates.

So I am leaving this resource here since I have seen related questions in the past:
https://www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/living-organism-care-guide-bioluminescent-dinoflagellates/tr41209.tr#preparation

Pyrofarms Plastic Container included with the Grow Pro System.

Today I received the Pyrofarms plastic containers that they are offering as part of their Grow Pro System.

Since I got two containers, and I have a set up that there is low chance of contamination, I am testing one of the containers with the "open cap" just set on top of one of the containers and leaving the other container completely open to see if there is a significant difference on how both cultures of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates develops.

...

Two months after starting this 2021 group

After two months there is no signs of Green Algae "invasion", so this set up look to have avoided that.

And there is clear growth in the cultures, although I made another mistake that look to have set back the growth that I had. I will explain below.

>> To recap the culture sources that I have considered since Feb 2020.

(1) https://www.carolina.com/knowledge/2020/04/20/bioluminescence

They are the source that I learned about most recently.I have not tried them out yet.

(2) https://www.magicalmicrobes.com/collections/kits/products/bioglo-explorer-bundle

This is the second type of culture that tried. I was not too successful, so I am not using their culture for this 2021 attempt. But I am using the Hourglass Aquariums and Base Lights that I got with this. ^_^

(3) https://pyrofarms.com/collections/frontpage

These are the ones that I learned about Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates back in Feb 2020.

For this 2021 try, I decided to use their Dinoflagellates (That they identify as PyroDinos).

>> Steps that I believe have contributed to the growth for the last two months

- I have been using a stand grow lamp connected to a timer to keep a consistent source of light 12 hours per day.

- I never close completely the containers unless I am trying to "shake" them to light them up.

As they grow, Dinoflagellates consume CO2, so you want to provide access to the atmosphere most of the time possible.

- Spin/Swivel gently the containers from time to time.

I have been doing this almost every day. The idea is for better distribution and consumption of the nutrients in the water, and not allow individuals to be in spots of "low light" for long.NOTE: This should be done through the light hours of the cycle. (That they do not light up)

- I have been adding the saltwater nutrient medium with a pipette to all the containers, but I have not set a specific criteria or a schedule to do the yet.

I have added to each culture/container at minimum Once a Month in the last 2 months.The quantity has varied since the containers are of different sizes.

- PyroFa

I’ve really been wanting to get a tank of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates but it’s been difficult finding information so from what I’ve managed to find you start off in a flask or sealed container in a nutrient solution then when it multiplies you can dump it into a larger container and after that you have to have a strict day/ night schedule does anyone have anymore information of tips and tricks?