I received some queries about phytoplankton. So here are some comments.
The objective of adding phytoplankton is to feed small organisms (zooplankton) which in turn feed larger organisms. Those that benefit most are species that are deemed 'difficult to keep in a reef tank' because they simply starve to death due to missing base of the food chain / zooplankton in the water. (eg. flame scallops or non photosynthetic sea fans). Other corals like SPS generally should benefit as well.
Not all phytoplankton are alike (ease vs benefit). Some like Nannochloropsis is generally 'easy' to culture. Hence you see them commonly used for culturing rotifers or used in bottled phyto mixtures.
Others like Isochrysis are considered difficult. Difficult means they are sensitive to salinity, temperature & cleanliness & tend to crash easily. Isochrysis is considered the 'gold standard' due to its benefits. Literally, its also 'golden brown' in color.
Copy/paste from AlgaeBarn & other websites:
Isochrysis is capable of building stores of fats and oils. Isochrysis is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), stearidonic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. The Omega 3 composition is often over 22% total fatty acid content. For this reason, it is frequently used to enrich live zooplanktonic feeds (rotifers, copepods, brine shrimp, etc.). It has been used effectively to feed very demanding phytoplanktivorous corals such as Dendronephthya (Carnation Tree Coral).
It additionally boasts high concentrations of vitamins (Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, folic acid, nicotinic acid, pantotenic acid, etc.). These essential vitamins play a large part in overall health, including factors such as eye health, larval development and growth rates. Isochrysis is also a good source of the amino acids leucine, lysine and alanine.
It suppresses growth of dominance of Vibrio spp (a type of bacteria) resulting in improved egg hatching and larval survival
Acknowledgement to Chun Wai for the education on phytoplankton. Quite interesting indeed.