CHEMICALS FOR ALGAE CULTURE


From: Shailendra Indulkar indulkarshailu@yahoo.com
To: shrimp@yahoogroups.com
Date: 4 July 2004

QUESTION:

Sodium nitrate, sodium orthophosphate, sodium molybdate, ferric chloride, EDTA lab grade, silicate gel, D-Biotin, cynocobalamine, thiamine hydrochloride, copper sulphate, magnesium chloride, cobalt chloride, zinc sulphate are few chemicals used in lab for algae culture.
Could you please tell how the presence or absence or percentage /ratio of certain chemicals affects the culture of algae?

Shailendra Indulkar

***************

COMMENTS 1:

In addition to nutrients, trace elements and vitamin combinations are used to enhance the cell quality of the algae. For example, silicate is used to improve the quality of cell wall. They also determine the duration of active cells in each culture cycle. This is particularly important for hatcheries and good quality algae can replace the requirement of Artemia and other artificial diets by more than 70%.

M.Chandrasekar
Aquaculture Manager
Oman Fisheries Co SAOG
PO Box 2900
PC 112, Ruwi
Sultanate of Oman

Phone: +968 597805
Fax:              597804
Mobile:          9523620
Email: aqua@omanfisheries.com
Web:   www.omanfisheries.com

***************

COMMENTS 2:

Most aquaculturists use culture medias such as Guillard or Conway. These formulas have been used for decades. I think that differences in practise will be site-specific, and also depend on what species of algae you cultivate. As far as economics a good way to lower your production cost is to run the last stages of culture in an outdour structure. To eliminate or modify some of the nutrients the best way is to run your own trials on site using 5 replicates of each, and modifying only one parameter at the time.

François Brenta
e-mail: fbrenta@hotmail.com

***************

COMMENTS 3:

In 1997 Okauchi and Kawamura of National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Japan published an optimum medium for large scale culture of Tetraselmis tetrathele, an algae commonly used as live food for aquatic animal larvae.

Sumitro Wijaya
Singapore
e-mail: sumitro_wijaya@yahoo.com


home