Ocean Pastures Live Green Phytoplankton - Reef Genetics

Tetraselmis chui is a green flagellated microalgae with a slightly larger cell size than many commonly dosed phytoplankton strains, making it effective for feeding bivalves, LPS corals, and larger filter feeders that require more substantial particles. Its nutritional profile—anchored by EPA, free amino acids, and a range of vitamins—provides measurable support for coral coloration, copepod reproductive health, and the general vitality of reef microfauna. The active swimming behavior of Tetraselmis also triggers natural feeding responses from invertebrates and microfauna in ways that settled or dead phyto cannot.

Reef Genetics cultures this strain in-house under controlled conditions and harvests it fresh before bottling. There are no fillers, preservatives, or extended holding periods that compromise cell viability. What arrives is a live, dense culture ready for immediate use in display tanks, refugiums, or as a starter inoculation for home algae culture systems.

Ocean Pastures works well in several dosing formats. Broadcast feeding distributes phyto throughout the water column, drip feeding allows for continuous low-level supplementation, and target feeding directs nutrition to specific corals or filter feeders. When dosing, shut off return pumps, protein skimmers, and UV sterilizers for approximately 20 minutes to allow organisms to feed before the water is processed. Combining Tetraselmis with frozen or powdered coral foods can broaden the nutritional spectrum delivered in a single feeding session.

Available in an 8oz bottle suited for tanks up to 20–40 gallons or algae cultures up to 10 gallons, and a 32oz bottle for tanks from 50–100 gallons or home cultures up to 40 gallons. Hobbyists running larger refugiums or active copepod reactors will generally get more value from the 32oz format, while the 8oz is a practical entry point for smaller systems or those supplementing an existing phyto rotation.