Phytoplankton in freezer

An LFS employee gave me some phytoplankton and told me to freeze it. I was not being smart and didn't read the label that said "DO NOT FREEZE". I think its useless now, but just double checking.

 

Hmmm. Interesting topic. Ive often wondered about the stuff they say you cant do on the phyto bottles as well. Being that they are already probably dead, my logic comes up with "why would it matter". But I honestly dont really know. Maybe it clumps real bad?
You can always try it after freezing, before just tossing it

 

Will the leathers and featherduster eat dead phyto?

 

I would think so. Its probably dead anyways. How is all that phyto supposed to stay alive in a bottle for who knows how long?

 

Generally, it's still alive. At least until you freeze it. Once frozen you'll burst the cell walls of the plankton, and it'll certainly be dead then.

If you buy a bottle of phytoplankton, decant it into a bottle full of fresh salt water, add fertiliser, give it light, it'll reproduce and grow to fill the new bottle. Proof enough that it's still alive.;D

 

Well, theres your answer Good post, As I wondered about this myself

 

If it's a bottle of cryopaste like Brine Shrimp Direct's Tahitian Blend, then yes you can freeze it as it has glycerin in it to keep it from going solid.
I think nannochloropsis cryopaste is supposed to be ok for freezing also.

 

The glycerin may not freeze, but the single cell plankton is only suspended in gycerin. I'm not convinced that glycerin will insulate or protect the plankton from cell wall damage or bursting simply by being the medium in which it travels. :-/

 

Well, in my case, I guess it doesn't matter because it works just fine for my application. I don't know why it matters if the cells freeze if it will still be eaten by the intended target.
I use the Tahitian Blend to augment the feedings of brine shrimp and rotifers so I don't have to grow more nanno, and, I also use it as one of the gut loading materials to boost the nutrition profile of the brine/rots.
However, if I was one to dose phyto to my tank, I wouldn't hesitate to use cryopaste, especially the Blend. (I dose rotifers to my tanks, as a zooplankton instead of phytoplankton)
It's a lot cheaper than live product if you are buying it, and a heck of a lot more convenient than growing it.

 

That's fine. My point was that freezing (in my view) will kill phyto, but if it's still okay for what you need afterwards then it's not an issue. If you're intending growing it, then the freezer isn't the place to store it.

I suppose the issue should be "What use will it be after it's been frozen" rather than "Is it okay to freeze it". ;D