Overview

• Formulated specifically for temperate (“cold water”) marine aquaria.
• Provides seven types of phytoplankton, and marine-based food particulates, collectively ranging in size from 1 – 50µm.
• Supplemented with a proprietary amino acid blend to aid in coloration and feeding response of invertebrates.
• Ideally-sized for many corals, clams, sponges, tunicates, tube worms, bryozoans, larval crustaceans, and juvenile fishes.
• Encourages polyp-expansion in corals, anemones, and their allies.
• Formulated to provide over 200-million phytoplankton cells per ml.
• Does not require refrigeration.
• Formulated by a marine scientist.

Technical Background

UltraPlanktōs-PCWM is a concentrated suspension of seven different species of marine algae, and two types of marine-derived food particulates, all ranging in size from 1 – 50µm and having an extremely diverse nutritional profile, rich in a number of fatty acids including the omega-3 fatty acids EPA, ARA, and DHA, as well as in chlorophyll, carotenoid pigments, vitamins, minerals, and several important amino acids. Of particular interest are omega-3 fatty acids and pigments, for these substances have been shown to provide tremendous benefit to the overall health and coloration of filter feeding and planktivorous organisms. Additionally, the particulates are infused with a blend of free-form amino acids that encourages feeding response (polyps extension) and improves coloration in Cnidarians. UltraPlanktōs-PCWM is a complete food complex for suspension-feeding invertebrates inhabiting temperate (“cold water”) marine aquaria; this includes many Cnidarians (particularly those with short tentacles), clams and other bivalves, sponges, tunicates (sea squirts), plumed worms, bryozoans, and larval invertebrates such as those of many crustaceans and bivalves, and juvenile fishes. For feeding of temperate marine motile invertebrates and planktivorous fishes, UltraPlanktōs-ZCWM provides a suitable size range of zooplankton and marine-derived particulates to ensure that nutritional requirements of those organisms are satisfactorily addressed.

Does not require refrigeration. Maintained free of contaminants and stored in a cool location, has maximum effectiveness within four (4) years of date of production.  Not impacted by temporary freezing.

Instructions and Guidelines

Shake product well before each use. Turn protein skimmer and other forms of mechanical filtration off prior to adding food suspensions to aquaria, and allow 10 – 15 minutes after feeding before resuming operation of filtration.

Target Feeding (recommended): Target feeding may be carried out with a lengthy piece of rigid air tubing, plastic syringe, pipette, dropper, or similar device; pour 5 ml (1 capful on 250- and 500-ml bottles; 1/2-capful on 2L bottle) into a clean container, such as a cup, and suck a portion of this into the feeding device, then slowly discharge the contents of the device 2 – 4” upstream of the target organism(s). Repeat these steps as deemed necessary. Rinse the portion (inside and outside) of the feeder that was placed into aquarium water before placing it into this bottle (if feeding directly from the bottle rather than from a separate container); failure to do so will contaminate the product and encourage it to decompose.

Broadcast Feeding: Add up to 5 ml per 50 US-gallons (189 L) of water in the entire aquarium system in an area of rapid water movement daily for the first four weeks of use; thereafter, the dosage may be increased as desired. Beginning with a low dosage and gradually increasing it with time will allow the biological filtration in the aquarium to adjust to the increase in nutrients, and helps discourage water quality from deteriorating.

Planktonic food suspensions (such as this one) are best utilized by target feeding specific invertebrates in an aquarium; in doing so, the majority of the food may be consumed by the intended organisms rather than ending up in filtration media or indirectly impacting water quality (as often occurs when indiscriminately “broadcast feeding” by adding liquid food suspensions to a stream of water and allowing the contents to disperse randomly throughout the aquarium system).

Guaranteed Analysis

Moisture (max) 95.0%, crude protein (min) 0.65%, crude fat (min) 0.35%, crude fiber (min) 0.85%, ash (max) 3.15%.

Ingredients

Purified water, proprietary food particulates (marine-derived), Haematococcus sp., Nannochloropsis sp., Tetraselmis sp., Isochrysis sp., Pavlova sp., Thalassiosira sp., Spirulina sp., proprietary free-form amino acids, ascorbic acid, citric acid.