BioPlankton provides big results in a small bottle!  Part No. BPK1 - $29.99 Quantity : Reefs are a garden of organism diversity, activity, color and beauty. The closer you view a reef, the more you experience the one common feed that supports the dynamic of the world's marine food web is phytoplankton. Unfortunately, nutrient-rich phytoplankton is missing from marine aquariums. Therefore aquarists provide the missing link by using BioPlankton to achieve the beauty and diversity of a marine reef in their marine aquarium. What Is BioPlankton? BioPlankton is a preserved algae feed that meets the needs of the most demanding saltwater aquarist and mariculture professional. Through the dynamic of the marine food web, BioPlankton provides nutrient rich phytoplankton to direct and indirect consumers in the captive marine food web. Key Benefits Highest cell count per milliliter of any retail plankton feed 3 algae species ranging from 2-16 microns to feed a larger range of consumers 12 month freezer storage life In the ocean, phytoplankton is one of the smallest particles in the food web. Yet, it is responsible for supporting an incredibly diverse array of species, from the barely visible planktonic feeders to the largest predators. BioPlankton Usage To use BioPlankton, use 1 pump of product per 30 gallons of tank volume every other day. Depending on bioload use more or less. (See chart below). To administer, mix BioPlankton in a glass with saltwater until completely dissipated. Pour the contents into your reef tank just after your protein skimmer to insure BioPlankton is available to all inhabitants. Use the food chart below to indicate how much algae to feed your reef:  Stocking Density/Reef Maturity  Number of Pumps  Lightly Stocked less than 4 months old  1 pump per 60 gallons  Medium Stocked over 4 months old  1 pump per 30 gallons  Heavily Stocked Mature Reef  1 pump per 20 gallons Direct Feeding A filter feeding feather duster directly ingests passing planktonic cells. Through adequate nutrition, filter feeders can be made to reproduce in a captive environment   Indirect Feeding A sand sifting goby consumes microfauna and zooplankton that is grown on phytoplankton Benefits of Usage: Aquariums with less than optimum nutiritional foods inhibit an organizm's ability to grow and reproduce. Flake and frozen foods are sized for larger organisms, but this diet does a poor job of establishing a marine food "web". With phytoplankton feeding it is nescessary to avoid a "one cell type fits all" approach. PhytoPlankton with its range of plankton sizes and nutritional profiles, has proven to be a key to success for starting the dynamic marine food web. To sum it all up: BioPlankton meets the complete feeding needs of a marine aquarium.  Algae Type Content Concentration per ml  Cell size Benefit Nannochloropsis/Green Algae  33.3%  76 billion cells  2-4 microns Riboflavin (vit.B2), Tocopherol  Tetraselmis/Green Flagellete  33.3%  .85 billion cells  8-16 microns Ascorbic acid (vit C), Thiamine (vit B1)  Isochrysis/Golden Algae    33.3%  8.6 billion cells  5-6 microns Excellent PUFA  Frequently Asked Questions Is BioPlankton alive? No, BioPlankton is a preserved feed. By preserving our BioPlankton, we insure that its nutritional profile is left intact. Therefore, when you purchase our product, and store it in properly, you are assured of feeding a nutritionally sound algae diet to your saltwater aquarium. How does BioPlankton compare to Live Algae? Aquarist who actively grow their own micro algae have the best possible nutrition. Unfortunately, growing your own algae is time intensive and requires specialized skills in culture protocols, and sterilization. Most hobbyists that culture their own algae usually culture one species. However, because of the special procedures and equipment needed to get maximum cell concentrations, they may not be providing enough algae to have a positive impact on their aquarium. Because BioPlankton contains three different types of algae, your reef will receive a greater benefit from the variety of nutritional profiles that can feed a larger range of consumers. In the 2002 Marine Reef Annual, Dr. Rob Toonen and researchers at the University California Davis published their findings on the benefits of marine algae feeds. BioPlankton was compared to a variety of both live and preserved algae feeds. A comparative test was done on the culturing of rotifers in a closed environment. BioPlankton was shown to be superior in its ability to culture the highest number of rotifers in a specific time frame. BioPlankton was compared to very good and established products. We believe that the positive results came because BioPlankton's has the highest cell count of any products tested.