- Joined
- 27 Oct 2020
- Posts
- 5
- Reaction score
- 8
Let’s Talk Reef Stew.
Our Reef Stew is our flagship product, and as far as we currently know, the only suppliers in South Africa. We are sure in due time there will be others that follow, and this can only be a good thing for South African aquarists to have easy access to such a product.
First developed by Bob Bitner, a renowned clownfish breeder to feed and raise clownfish fry. Based on his method and mixture, we have come up with a product with what’s available here in South Africa because as you might know, not all products are readily available here.
So what is Reef Stew? Reef Stew is a blend of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Zooplankton is a combination of rotifers, newly hatched brine shrimp, medium-sized grown out brine shrimp, and Tisbe copepods.
Reef Stew can be used to feed and grow baby fish fry like clownfish. That is not the only application for Reef Stew; it is an excellent option to feed your fish, especially finicky fish like mandarins. Corals also benefit from being fed nutrients other than those created by photosynthesis, as well as clams and other filter feeders.
Here at Plankton on Tap, we have two variants, the first is the Baby Reef Stew and the second is the Adult Reef Stew. The difference here is that Adult brine shrimp gets added to the Baby Reef Stew, hence the name Adult Reef Stew. It should be noted that Adult brine shrimp is not always available; thus, Adult Reef Stew is not always available.
All Reef Stew is freshly prepared every Friday and delivered to stores in an On-Tap solution (up to 25l). We try to make cultures as dense as possible; however, there is a limit as cultures consume a lot of oxygen and phytoplankton; therefore stores are provided additional phytoplankton to keep cultures fed for at least three days. Stores are also required to aerate the cultures. All cultures are enriched with live Spirulina.
Once bottled, it should be fed to fish and corals as soon as possible or refrigerate to slow down the metabolism of the planktonic creatures, expanding it up to 3 days.
Reef Stew is only available in stores and cannot be shipped, and therefore is only available in the Gauteng area. If you own a store and would like to stock Reef Stew, please mail us for more information and it is possible.
FAQ
Why is the brine shrimp not pink or red like many images?
• The red or pink colours are due to a low oxygen environment or a high salinity environment. We avoid both these conditions as we want the water to be as close to marine tank water as possible
Should you strain and rinse the zooplankton?
• Some people feel it is better to rinse as to get rid of any unwanted nutrients, we feel that live phytoplankton feeds on these nutrients turning bad to good, and this feeds the zooplankton in turn. If you are to dump in 5 litres all at once, it might become a problem. Keep in mind the culture is alive, and it should be fed to your fish and corals before they die.
Happy Feeding
Our Reef Stew is our flagship product, and as far as we currently know, the only suppliers in South Africa. We are sure in due time there will be others that follow, and this can only be a good thing for South African aquarists to have easy access to such a product.
First developed by Bob Bitner, a renowned clownfish breeder to feed and raise clownfish fry. Based on his method and mixture, we have come up with a product with what’s available here in South Africa because as you might know, not all products are readily available here.
So what is Reef Stew? Reef Stew is a blend of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Zooplankton is a combination of rotifers, newly hatched brine shrimp, medium-sized grown out brine shrimp, and Tisbe copepods.
Reef Stew can be used to feed and grow baby fish fry like clownfish. That is not the only application for Reef Stew; it is an excellent option to feed your fish, especially finicky fish like mandarins. Corals also benefit from being fed nutrients other than those created by photosynthesis, as well as clams and other filter feeders.
Here at Plankton on Tap, we have two variants, the first is the Baby Reef Stew and the second is the Adult Reef Stew. The difference here is that Adult brine shrimp gets added to the Baby Reef Stew, hence the name Adult Reef Stew. It should be noted that Adult brine shrimp is not always available; thus, Adult Reef Stew is not always available.
All Reef Stew is freshly prepared every Friday and delivered to stores in an On-Tap solution (up to 25l). We try to make cultures as dense as possible; however, there is a limit as cultures consume a lot of oxygen and phytoplankton; therefore stores are provided additional phytoplankton to keep cultures fed for at least three days. Stores are also required to aerate the cultures. All cultures are enriched with live Spirulina.
Once bottled, it should be fed to fish and corals as soon as possible or refrigerate to slow down the metabolism of the planktonic creatures, expanding it up to 3 days.
Reef Stew is only available in stores and cannot be shipped, and therefore is only available in the Gauteng area. If you own a store and would like to stock Reef Stew, please mail us for more information and it is possible.
FAQ
Why is the brine shrimp not pink or red like many images?
• The red or pink colours are due to a low oxygen environment or a high salinity environment. We avoid both these conditions as we want the water to be as close to marine tank water as possible
Should you strain and rinse the zooplankton?
• Some people feel it is better to rinse as to get rid of any unwanted nutrients, we feel that live phytoplankton feeds on these nutrients turning bad to good, and this feeds the zooplankton in turn. If you are to dump in 5 litres all at once, it might become a problem. Keep in mind the culture is alive, and it should be fed to your fish and corals before they die.
Happy Feeding