Bottled Copepods

[t5Nitro]

Are you guys going to have these available soon again? I just picked up a mandarin today. My tank is younger, but 50 pounds of the rock came out of the old tank so 50 pounds of LR is about a year old and it was LR from fiji before I got it. The person at the retail store in Rhinelander said it should be OK. So I picked up the small 1.5" - 2" mandarin. Just to be on the safe side, I will put a bottle of pods into the tank anyway, and maybe keep doing that once per month until the new tank is older too. I have noticed pods on the rocks a few times while looking really close. What would be the shipping charge on bottled pods, and how long can they live in a bottle?

Thanks.

 

[dfs/la2]

t5Nitro,

Thank you for your interest in our Copepods. We apologize at this time we are not planning on having them in stock soon as they are seasonal. Once you receive the copepods, it would be our recommendation to add the entire bottle to your aquarium, refugium or hatchery. Because these are shipped from our holding facility in California, the LiveAquaria minimum charge and shipping charges would apply.

The Mandarin that you purchased from our Retail Store was also fed Frozen Mysis Shrimp. We would recommend soaking the food in Garlic Xtreme or a vitamin supplement for 2 to 3 minutes prior to offering this.

If we can be of additional assistance, please feel free to contact us.

Michelle H.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

 

[t5Nitro]

Very nice! I also picked up a CBB while I was there in my CBB thread in this forum. I acclimated them yesterday so the lights are still off until later today. Hopefully it will eat the frozen then I have 50 pounds of fiji rock that I have had for about a year and it was cured LR before I got it, I just don't know how many pods my tank would have with the new LR with the old 50 pounds. Would you recommend buying 1000 amphipods and copepods? I found a place where they sell bags of 1000. That, or if it takes the frozen mysis, will it not need as many pods and the pods can just get their population up on their own while the mandarin eats a few pods and then frozen?

 

[dfs/la2]

t5nitro,

If the Mandarin acclimates well and begins to eat the frozen preparations you offer, the addition of the Copepods and Amphipods to the aquarium will not be needed.

It will be your personal choice whether you add the Copepods and Amphipods to your aquarium. With your existing live rock you may already have enough pods to sustain the addition of the Mandarin. You may wish to monitor the level of the pods in the aquarium in order to replenish the population if it becomes depleted.

Joyce F.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

 

[t5Nitro]

How do I monitor the pod population? I think the mandarin might be a bit shy yet, it was the first day with the lights on yesterday and he only stayed in the back hunting around the rocks, never came out in front, so I don't think he ate any frozen mysis soaked in garlic xtreme. I tried to target feed him, but I couldn't tell if he ate any.

If I could monitor the pod level, I will be able to tell if I need to buy any then, thanks.

 

[dfs/la2]

t5Nitro,

Thank you for contacting us with your question about the Copepods. The best way to monitor for them is by watching your aquarium. You should be able to see them moving around on your live rock. When first introduced it is common for them to be quite shy while they acclimate to your water conditions. Once they adjust you will see the mandarin out much more which is a beautiful addition to any well-established aquarium. If you can see the copepods moving around on your live rock you have a healthy amount of them.

If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us.

Stacie R.
Technical Support
Drs. Foster and Smith, Inc.

 

[t5Nitro]

Alright, I didn't really find any/many lol. You would think there would be more for how loaded full the old 46 gallon was with that live rock. Maybe I'll have to get some pods from someone.

 

[t5Nitro]

Actually I rechecked with a flashlight and the lights are off now. When I looked before, I don't think it may have been a real close look, because now the first rock I looked at it has tiny pods on it in a small area of the rock, so maybe they are all over the rock and other rocks. I would say they are a few mm in size. Those would be copepods, correct? I think I was looking for more of the larger ones which would be amphipods? Hopefully the old 50 pounds of really cured LR will keep the pod population up.

I do have a fuge where I didn't really notice any pods, but I changed the carbon which is also in the sump and 2 pods (larger - amphipod?) fell out, so they must be in the sump/fuge. I just don't know how they can get through the foam filter into the mag pump and to the display tank. Can they make it through the foam filter the mag pump comes with?

 

[dfs/la2]

t5Nitro,

It may take up to a year for a well-established aquarium to flourish with Copepods and Amphipods. Copepods and Amphipods are little crustaceans. Copepods have little antenna, while Amphipods do not. They are microscopic therefore, they are able to get through the prefilter of you water pump.

Stacie R.
Technical Support
Drs. Foster and Smith, Inc.

 

[t5Nitro]

I have noticed a few of the larger pods, but did notice the copepods on the rocks and sand using a flashlight. Maybe the 50 pounds of really cured LR will help that out. I will keep watching the pod population and go from there.

Thanks!

Again, your customer service is top of the line and always a recommended vendor.