Media can be made using many different methods. The most important nutrients for kelp are nitrogen and phosphorus, but other micronutrients and vitamins play essential roles in the biological processes of kelp too. The easiest way to make media is using a premixed F/2 powder that is simply mixed into sterile seawater and filtered. The best dosage of nutrients is dependent on the life stage of the kelp (see Environmental Conditions Chart). When keeping gametophytes, the nutrient dosage is much higher than when keeping seed spools, and the dosage for seed spools may change during their time in the nursery. Other nutrient mixes that have been used to culture kelp are F/2 jugs, PES, and MES mediums. These recipes can be found online, but they are typically more expensive and difficult to make. 

Other culturing solutions may be used to treat certain types of contamination (e.g. bacteria and diatom outbreaks). Like nutrient dosing, the dosing of these solutions is different for tanks and cultures. You can reference this Media and Solutions Chart for more details and Protocol for Preparing Solutions below. Although these solutions can treat contamination outbreaks, it is important to follow the proper steps to avoid contamination in the first place. Remediation is rarely as effective as prevention, and the preparation and use of the solutions are costly and add labor to your operation.