Cultivating Algae For "Fish Food"

Who would have thought that I would get into algae culture and cultivate my own algae at home? A year ago, I delved into aquariums and decided to try my hand at keeping fish. Of course, that endeavor didn't end well, but it didn't stop me from trying again. I've learned a lot since my first experiment.

This time, I wanted to undertake something significantly different. Instead of commencing with a fresh and clean tank equipped with filters, cleaners, and the latest aquarium cleaning gadgets, I resolved to attempt the creation of an ecosphere, while concentrating on algae production. All my aquarium projects are oriented towards low-tech, filter-free, and natural setups.

In aquatic environments, algae play a pivotal role as the foundation of the food chain. Aquatic life heavily relies on microbes and algae as their primary energy source. With this understanding, I surmised that cultivating algae would be the ideal undertaking. If I can effectively cultivate algae, then tending to animals shouldn't be any dissimilar, right?

Currently, the algae is thriving admirably in a container where I placed a withering pepper plant. I did observe small organisms on the plant, which could have been aphids, though they have since vanished.

I also have another larger open container that I'm currently cycling to eventually add crustaceans in the container. To help filter the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, I'm waiting for the aquarium to cycle over and I may add freshly raised algae from my algae farm. As I build this up further, the crustaceans would be fed the algae that is grown and hopefully I can keep a sustainable cycle to raise more crustaceans.