Spirulina is usually grown in large ponds

However, there have been other techniques attempted:

Growing Spirulina is only one part of the problem. The next step would be an efficient harvesting and preservation process. Bigger farms have specialized equipment. The emphasis is on scale.

My setup is humble. A storage box with a lighting and air source.

Spirulina Tank 60L

To harvest the Spirulina, I first use a series of filters, ending with a 30 micron nylon film which is sufficient to trap the Spirulina and easy to clean. My initial experiments involved using a 200 micron silkscreen, which was too large to trap the algae. I also tried coffee filters, which were extremely difficult to use as the Spirulina would get trapped in the fibres, leading to a low yield.

A sieve acts as a first stage filter to trap larger pieces of dirt or debris

A water pump simplifies Spirulina extrcation

Chunks filtered out through larger sieve

Rinsing with saltwater for preservation

Rinsed Spirulina

Storing in a freezer

Now that the Spirulina is extracted, I will need to figure out a way to dehydrate and powderise the product.