ARK Glowing Phytoplankton 4oz, 8oz, 16oz

ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons are a marine dinoflagellate named Pyrocystis fusiformis. They are plant-like plankton or phytoplankton. ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons are phototrophic (use sunlight as their main energy source) and can also be classified as single-cell microalgae or simply ‘algae.

ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons can be added to a saltwater aquarium or a reef system?

ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons are the dinoflagellate species Pyrocystis fusiformis. Some saltwater tank caretakers will cringe when they see the word ‘dinoflagellate’. They will warn that dinoflagellates can be a dreadful scourge to marine tanks. This notion is partly true. Some non-photosynthetic dinoflagellate species can be a plague to saltwater tanks. ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons are different because they are true phytoplankton.

They are non-toxic phytoplankton and will be snacks for most aquarium inhabitants. They may also be removed by mechanical filtration.

Phytoplankton (also called microalgae) are tiny photosynthetic organisms (similar to single-celled plants) that make up the bottom of the food chain. Phytoplankton use sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce simple sugars called glucose. Like land plants, phytoplankton convert light into sugar through photosynthesis. They make their own food and are a nutritious food source for many marine organisms (directly or indirectly). In addition, marine filter-feeding invertebrates up the food chain depend on phytoplankton as a primary or secondary food source.

What are the cons of adding ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons?

First, these ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons could be removed by mechanical filtration and protein skimmers (not to mention predation). And adding phytoplankton in a marine aquarium could add phosphates, nitrates, and silicates that could cause water imbalance. And some coral and invertebrate species in a marine aquarium do not directly feed on phytoplankton.

You may also grow ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons under standard lighting in a 2-liter bottle or refugium tank. You can then dose your marine tank at night with the ARK Glowing Phytoplankton culture. There are several ways to add (or dose) ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons from a culture bottle or refugium; manually or by using a reef dosing pump.

About Circadian Rhythm

Like many people, ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons have a circadian clock that helps them discern daytime from nighttime. ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons collect light energy during their ‘day cycle’ and produce bioluminescence during their ‘night cycle’. ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons will not produce light (bioluminescence) during their daytime cycle. Steady changes to their light conditions will change their day and night cycles. They can sustain day cycles up to 20 hours (of light) and should never have less than 8 hours of light in their day cycle.

Changing their day and night cycle (circadian clock) is easy. You will need a LED light, a light/outlet timer and a location that is relatively dark during daytime hours. Program the light timer to provide light during nighttime hours (from 10 to 14 hours of light) and keep the ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons in darkness during the day. You should see changes to their circadian clock (day and night cycles) after a couple of days. After a week the change in their cycle should be complete.

About Photosynthesis

ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons gain the majority of their energy from light. In nature, this would be sunlight and in a Bio-Orb it can be either filtered/indirect sunlight or artificial light (room lighting). Photosynthesis is a process plants use to convert the greenhouse gas CO2 (carbon dioxide) and sunlight into O2 (oxygen) and sugar. During this process which only occurs during their day cycle, ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons take CO2 from their environment and convert it into a usable food source (sugar) for cell metabolism. In doing this they produce life-giving oxygen as a byproduct.

On a global scale, the amount of oxygen produced and carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere is considerable. Scientists estimate that all the oceans’ phytoplankton, which ARK Glowing Phytoplanktons are a part of, produce up to 70% of the oxygen we breathe. Under this assumption, phytoplankton would be the most significant carbon sink we have. Our most important defense against climate change and leading supplier of life-giving oxygen.