Copepods and Amphipods

[Witchdoctor_h]

Does anyone know of a way to increase the pod population in my tank? Can eggs be purchased? My 55G has hundreds of pods and my 225G is almost free of pods. I have a LOT of rock in both but I can't seen to increase the population.

Any suggestions?

 

[mystikdragon7]

You can add phyto to your tank and you will get an enormous increase of pods. You can also buy them off web sites like here.

 

[bertoni]

InlandAquatics.com also sells copepod starter cultures. Feeding is going to be necessary as well, though, and your live rock might already have enough animals to get started.

 

[Witchdoctor_h]

Can they be bred like brine?

 

[chemisfun11]

I don't think they can breed like brine per say, but if you have a refugium or a stack of rocks where they can "hang" and not be preyed upon you population will rise. I've been using DT's phyto for a while and I always find a ton of pods in my filter sock when I change it every week.

 

[bertoni]

They can be cultured, but the density needs to be low, so it's not very practical for most people. A good-sized refugium is probably the best approach.

 

[JRPhd]

"They can be cultured, but the density needs to be low"
Hey BErtoni, can you expand on this? I've set up a little 2.5 gallon in preparation a pod culture ala:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/breeder2.htm

Seems like a viable option for culturing pods for my 40g.
Jon

 

[bertoni]

It should be fine, but compared to the high-density brine shrimp or rotifer densities, copepods take up a lot more space. You wouldn't be able to see through the tank there with a dense rotifer culture.

 

[whiteshark]

Get a fuge, even a small one, will help.

 

[JusJim]

So I've had 100# Of "pre-cured" Live rock, and 25# of live sand in my tank for almost two weeks. Going thru the cycling process...should I be seeing some copepods by now, or is it ok to assume they are there, or should I "seed" my tank with some I can buy?

 

[bertoni]

Two weeks is nothing. I would just wait a month or two and see how the tank shapes up.

 

[larac]

Re: Copepods and Amphipods

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6937814#post6937814 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Witchdoctor_h
Does anyone know of a way to increase the pod population in my tank? Can eggs be purchased? My 55G has hundreds of pods and my 225G is almost free of pods. I have a LOT of rock in both but I can't seen to increase the population.

Any suggestions?

Do you have anything in the 225 eating the pods? My Coral Beauty finally accepted fish food after she had eaten every pod in the tank.

Could you transfer any small pieces of LR in your 55 temporarily
to your other tank? I notice at night that some of my smaller rocks tend to house huge pod populations.

 

[Witchdoctor_h]

Larac, I thought about doing that. I just wonder if the ones I transfer would be eaten too fast.
And yeah, there are a lot of things that will eat them in the 225. That's part of my problem.

Eric