Reef Nutrition FAQ

Reef Nutrition Myths and Rumors

Myth	Tigger-Pods are a cold water copepod species and will quickly die in a reef system
Reality	FALSE - Tigger-Pods (Tigriopus californicus) LOVE warm water and will thrive in your reef tank. They are native to the west coast of North America. They range from the cold waters of Washington state to the very warm waters of Mexico. They can live semi-dormant for many weeks when stored in a refrigerator. Warmer water speeds up their metabolism and reproductive rate. Tigger-Pods will reproduce very well in your sump or refugium, especially if they are fed with products that contain large amounts of brown algae. They can also feed a bit on green algae, but it is much harder for them to digest. Phyto-Feast is primarily brown algae and is an excellent feed for all types of copepods. It will typically take 20-35 days to see a significant population spike because of their slow life cycle (laying eggs, hatching, growing to a noticeable size). For more information about Tigger-Pods, please CLICK HERE

Myth	Phyto-Feast Live is not alive
Reality	FALSE - Phyto-Feast Live DOES contain live microalgae. The CCMP has tested it and both our biggest competitor and a Federal Judge have accepted evidence affirming that it contains live microalgae. To see a copy of the CCMP report click here.

Myth	Microalgae (phytoplankton) smells bad
Reality	FALSE - Absolutely not! If your algae smells bad, especially if it smells like rotten eggs, it is decomposing and bad - throw it away! Algae can have a strong or soft odor, but should never be unpleasant.

Myth	Phyto-Feast contains preservatives and additives
Reality	TRUE - Phyto-Feast does contain preservatives. They are: * Salt * Vitamins Federal labeling laws require us to include all ingredients in our products on our label. Every ingredient in Phyto-Feast is "human food grade"

Myth	Fuzzy-Phytes are not real or are genetically modified (yeah, seriously - that rumor is flying around)
Reality	FALSE - Fuzzy-Phytes are 100% real, 100% natural, and 100% good for your fish. They are an ultra-fine macroalgae that we isolated and culture. Instead of growing in large clumps they grow in round balls, the perfect size for fish to feed on them. Genetically modified? Yeah, we wish we were smart enough to do something like that :)

Myth	Instant Algae and Phyto-Feast can NOT be used to feed bivalve shellfish, or do not produce growth and survival
Reality	FALSE - We actually know the source of this myth - and it is completely ridiculous. Instant Algae Shellfish Diet is used in oyster, clam, scallop, mussel, and geoduck hatcheries all over the United States and around the world, and Phyto-Feast is simply a diluted version of this product. We have been selling Shellfish Diet to hatcheries for over 10 years, and our customers would not keep coming back if the product did not work.