Collection: Phytoplankton for culturing

Attention single strain culture bottles are currently only shipped on Mondays & Wednesdays. Shipping will either be Monday or Wednesday each week, please call 801-901-0970 for questions on shipping days. Orders that come in after Wednesday's at 8am MST/MDT will ship the following week. There are no discounts, sales or 8 ounce bottles available on culture strains. 

Inventory is updated Wednesday/Thursday evenings. If you want to request a strain please reach out.

Our single strain bottles are phytoplankton are bottled and shipped same day. They are bottled at exponential growth phase  and will bloom and flourish faster than our competitors. 

We currently have the largest selection of live monoculture phytoplanktons offered without buying wholesale or from a lab, all at reasonable pricing. These are not lab grade cultures, we do not have the equipment currently. These strains are offered to hobbyist in the reef aquarium trade that want a clean culture without paying $100 plus dollars for a small clean culture. We do offer a 3 day guarantee* that the culture wont crash due to contamination on our end. 

These strains are not met for feeding your reef at their shipping stage. 

These strains are grown in 1 gallon jars, if you need a larger volume size than listed please send an email and we will get your culture going. 

If there is an issue with the strain you received please email, call or text us within 3 day to get a replacement. If you receive your order on Wednesday's and need a replacement, please notify us and a replacement can be sent out on Wednesday afternoon 90% of the time for Friday arrival. 

Learn how to grow all the phytoplankton here!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2I_tL0r56K/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://youtu.be/jXRHERyCjjI?si=vnnjee9bb7cTxl4a

Sterilization Protocol: Use a bag inside a 1-gallon wide-mouth mason jar. Bags are available on our website under culture supplies. We recommend using 12.5% T Chlor bleach, which can be found at pool supply stores. To detoxify, use only Sodium Thiosulfate Pentahydrate. Dose 8 mL of 12.5% bleach into each gallon of mixed saltwater and allow it to sit for a minimum of 12 hours before adding Sodium Thiosulfate.

3-Day Guarantee: To claim a 3-day guarantee on any culture strain, please email us at reeflegends@gmail.com with a photo taken on the day you started the culture and another when it crashed, including your name and order number. All photos must retain the time and date (encoded into photo), as claims without this information will be void. NOTE: Leaving cultures in the bottle overnight upon arrival will also void your claim.

For any questions, please reach us at 801-901-0970. Additionally, Reefer Dan on YouTube offers excellent guidance on growing phytoplankton.

*Rhodomonas salina, Rhodomonas lens, Isochrysis galbana & T-isochrysis lutea all require overnight shipping and to have the culture running the day of arrival to get our 3 day guarantee. 

Last update January 20 2026.