Reef Genetics live foods and reef care
Reef Genetics combines Top Shelf Aquatics’ in-house live phytoplankton and copepod cultures with foods, aquacultured invertebrates, filter media, fragging products, and other reef-care essentials. The collection is built for reef keepers who want to compare live cultures and practical supplies in one place.
Each product has a different purpose. Live phytoplankton can feed compatible corals, clams, filter feeders, rotifers, and copepod cultures, while live copepods add mobile microfauna that can serve as prey and help establish biodiversity. Foods, media, and tools support separate feeding, filtration, and maintenance jobs, so choose products around the animals and equipment in your aquarium.
How to choose Reef Genetics phytoplankton
Ocean Pastures uses Tetraselmis chui, a green, actively swimming phytoplankton with a comparatively larger cell size and a profile that includes EPA, amino acids, and vitamins. Pigment Power uses Rhodomonas salina, a smaller red phytoplankton with soft cell walls, EPA, DHA, and natural pigments. Golden Fats uses Tisochrysis lutea, a golden phytoplankton selected for its DHA-rich profile.
There is no single culture that is best for every aquarium. Compare the organisms you intend to feed, cell size, nutritional profile, bottle size, and whether the culture will be dosed directly or used to enrich another live food. A blend or alternating cultures can provide variety, but every addition should still fit the tank’s nutrient-management plan and the directions on the product page.
Compare live copepod cultures
The Live Mixed Copepods blend combines Tisbe and Apocyclops for reef keepers who want both substrate-oriented and water-column activity. Tisbe biminiensis is a small benthic copepod that tends to occupy rockwork, substrate, and refugium surfaces, making it a practical culture for seeding protected habitat. Reef Genetics also offers single-species Apocyclops and Tigriopus cultures for more specific feeding or culturing goals.
Choose a mixed culture for broader behavioral variety or a single-species bottle when you need a known culture. Tank age, refugium space, predators, filtration, and the timing of introduction all affect how well a pod population establishes. Use the bottle size and introduction guidance on the product page instead of treating every copepod culture as interchangeable.
Reef Genetics foods, media, and fragging supplies
Beyond live cultures, the collection includes prepared fish and coral foods, seaweed, macroalgae, activated carbon, GFO, media bags, reef glue, epoxy, coral cutters, frag plugs, and complete fragging kits. This range makes it possible to pair routine feeding with nutrient management, coral propagation, and day-to-day aquarium maintenance.
For a narrower selection, browse coral food, filter media, or aquarium maintenance supplies. Match carbon and phosphate media to the manufacturer’s usage guidance and measured water conditions, and use coral-cutting tools only with appropriate eye protection, handling practices, and species-specific safety precautions.
Using and storing live cultures
Read the individual product directions before dosing or introducing a live culture. Direct phytoplankton feeding may call for temporarily pausing equipment such as a protein skimmer or UV sterilizer, while copepods are often introduced when predation pressure is lower. Exact dosing, timing, and equipment steps vary by culture, aquarium volume, and feeding goal.
Live goods are temperature-sensitive and should be inspected promptly after arrival. Keep bottles away from heat and direct sunlight, follow the product-specific refrigeration or storage directions, and use the culture within its recommended window. Start conservatively, monitor nutrient trends and animal response, and adjust only from measured results rather than adding more by default.
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