DT's Question

[chopper]

just curious about some DT's I bought from a local store. It smells bad, but the owner of the store seems to think it is alright. I have heard that if it smells bad don't use it, any opinions?

[Alice]

If it smells bad, don't use it. Tell him you want a refund.

[ruhspolostar]

Aww, now I have to sound stupid again, because I'm not up on the sland or abbreviations

What the fruitloop is a DT and why are "we" smelling it??

______________________________________________
Data,"I belive that information has been irraticated from my personal memory banks, I will cross reference w/ Enterprises main computer, I will report at 0900 hours"

-H2o Polo

[cyberchef]

DT's is liquid live phytoplankton. Great algae food although some people feed it to thier corals. It is good for clams and feather dusters...


IMHO...








Or at least they think thier corals are eating it..

[Toadfish]

If it stinks take it back...Don't use it. DT's has a smell but it doesn't stink.

[Casey]

Dont use it DTS does not stink.

[Junkzoo]

couple of maybe's here, it was not refrigerated(i've caught a few LFS's that did this) and /or it's outdated,,,,check the "best by" stamped on it,,,
any place worth it "salt" would not /should not sell bad DT's, and make good on it for you , 'specially if you can prove you just got it,and make 'em smell it when you take it back .(it does say do not use if it smells ,on the bottle) make sure they keep their stock in the frig,
i've heard stories of LFS stocking it on the shelf with the other dry goods,,,

[chopper]

That's what I thought. If anything smelled as bad as this DT's I wouldn't use it. Seeing's how I didn't pay for it, I am not too concerned, but I don't want to be adding bad things to my water. Thanks again.

[Ray1214]

Yes, sometimes dts can go bad if it is too warm then cooled. Causes rot.

Ray

[AuroraDave]

2 questions...
1--Does DT's have a shelf life? How long do can keep it in the frig and use it?
2--I've read of those that "make more DT's" by adding DT's to an empty 2 litre bottle and exposing to sunlight. Anyone doing this successfully?

Thanks

[Reefdude5]

The shelf life is usually posted on it and I'd be interested to hearing about the 2nd question anwser!

[Casey]

Originally posted by AuroraDave
2 questions...
1--Does DT's have a shelf life? How long do can keep it in the frig and use it?
2--I've read of those that "make more DT's" by adding DT's to an empty 2 litre bottle and exposing to sunlight. Anyone doing this successfully?

Thanks

Welcome to TRT AuroraDave
Yes it has a shelf life stamped on bottle
No you can not culture new Dts from it anymore they changed it so we cant. From there website The old DT's live phytoplankton that contained only one species of phytoplankton were very much alive and it was possible to start new cultures, and many people used to do so. The new DTs now has more than one species and although still very much alive, it cannot be used as a starter culture. The species will compete with each other. Many people think that the 'strongest species will survive, but the only thing that is likely to survive will . The color of that cyanobacteria will likely be green, and the unsuspecting hobbyist will be adding cyanobacteria to there tanks, thinking that they're adding some pretty green phytoplankton. To grow good clean uncontaminated cultures requires a lot of time and effort. Many people that culture even a single species of phytoplankton eventually end up culturing cyanobacteria, and many times not realizing it. If you are going to culture you own, we recommend taking the time to do it right. Start by getting a copy of the Plankton Culture Manual, by Frank H. Hoff and Terry W. Snell. Before growing your own phytoplankton think about the nutrients and metals that are needed to feed the phytoplankton and how you can be sure they are removed from your cultures before you feed your reef tank. then look at our Cleaned and concentrated page.

[Reefdude5]

Hey WELCOME AURADAVE to TRT!!! THis is pretty wimpy, but...

[AuroraDave]

Casey--Thanks for the detailed answers.

I have been using Tahitian blend (frozen) and golden pearls (2 smallest sizes) since DTs costs too much for a larger tank.
Has anyone tried Cyclop-eeze? (I understand it is now available freeze-dried too.)
Any other ideas?

[Casey]

Dave I have cyclopeeze I cant tell it does anything. Have you thought about buying a culture and growing your own DTS?