Maintaining Copepods for Mandarin...
- Thread starter 90GalFOWLR
- Start date
rhdoug
New member
I have been looking to add some more pods to my sump/fuge area. I have an ATS and large wad of chaeto in there, along with rock and rubble. No skimmer. Is there any point in adding different species of pods, or will one eventually outcompete the others? The species available at livecopepods.com are:
Tigriopus californicus
Tisbe sp
Acartia tonsa
Is one "better" than the other, or is it better to add all 3 species? I am just looking to boost what is already there, and add some diversity to a mature tank.
Tigriopus californicus
Tisbe sp
Acartia tonsa
Is one "better" than the other, or is it better to add all 3 species? I am just looking to boost what is already there, and add some diversity to a mature tank.
stealle
Premium Member
I had similar concerns. I have read threads where people insist that copepods are going to get diced up in the return pump. However, most people that keep a refugium for the purpose of copepods report that the return pump causes negligible damage if any to the copepod population. I have also been in correspondence with Dr. Adelaide Rhodes from oceanpods.com . She is an expert on copepods. She did not believe that a return pump would be a concern. This was her response when I asked the same question: "When people are concerned about copepods getting chopped, they are probably referring to the species with long antennae. Honestly, most copepods will swim against the current or cling to surfaces. Any harpacticoid copepods that pass through which have small antennae will make it. All of my species are harpacticoids, which are compact, torpedo-shaped bugs."
(to me that another good reason why not to try to populate your tank with tigger pods. They are bigger and probably have more of a chance at getting chopped.)
The skimmer. Well that's a different story. I've never asked or thought about it much. I'm sure many copepods get caught in the skimmer. However, the skimmer should be positioned in the section of the sump that gets intake water from the overflow. So copepods from the refugium will go through the return pump and into the display where they will be eaten or take to the surfaces of sand, LR, and glass. I'm sure some will end up going back down into the sump. Remember we are talking about 1000's for copepods so I wouldn't be too concerned about loss in the skimmer. People who do this report having lots of pods even running a skimmer 24/7. I do think it would be a good idea to isolate the refugium for a period of a couple hours after introducing new copepods just so they have a chance to attach to the LR. I would also isolate the refugium for a couple hours after feeding DT's phytoplankton to the refugium to give the pods a chance to eat. By isolating the refugium I am referring to stopping flow into or out of the refugium for a period of time.
Some people will turn off the return pump, take the cheato out of the refugium, place it into the display tank and give it a shake to get pods into the main display, then return the cheato to the refugium. The turn the return pump back on after a few minutes to allow the copepods a chance to take to the LR. That's probably a good idea to do a couple times a week.
The message above from Dr. Rhodes. She says all of her species are from the harpacticoid family. I believe they are all around the 1/4mm - 1/2mm size. I don't think one species is any "better". And I don't think they out compete within the same family. Of course you could always ask Dr. Rhodes for yourself: adelaide@essentiallivefeeds.com
The way I look at it. Copepods are difficult for me to see. When I start my new tank (sometime early next year) I will probably introduced cultured copepods to the refugium every couple months for the first 6 months or so. Then every 3 months for the next 6 months. Then probably a couple times a year thereafter just to keep a diverse pod population. Many people probably wouldn't even bother with that, but I plan to introduced a Mandarin Dragonette into the (200+ gallon) system at about the 6 month mark which some people might consider a little too early, therefore I am going to take additional measures to increase the pod population. I also want a 6-line wrasse which is a much faster/aggressive pod eater than the Mandarin. However, a 200+ gallon system should be large enough for 1 mandarin and 1 6-line.
Last edited:
jglackin
New member
I am tagging along here, as I am very interested in pod culturing and ways to increase the naturally growing food sources in my reef tank.
I am no expert, by any means, but I have done a lot of reading and researching and my personal opinion on tigger pods is that they are not reef tank compatible. Tigger Pods (Tigriopus Californicus) are actually some of the toughest pods there are. They can live in high salinity, low salinity, high temperatures and very low temperatures. They are tide pool dwellers that are uniquely suited to tide pool conditions. When the tide goes out and "strands" the tide pool, the sun comes up and heats the tide pool to incredibly high temperatures and evaporates the water to incredibly high salinity. Just about when the pool reaches its highest temperature and highest salinity, the tide comes back in and shocks them with ice cold pacific water and much lower salinity. Or, as the tide pool is stranded, the rains come and dillute the tide pool to the point where the water is virtually fresh water. This is the world that Tigger Pods live in. Tigger Pods are hardy shippers, which makes them great for packaging and shipping all over the country. They can be cultured quite readily, as someone above indicated (at room temperature). The issue is, they likely will not maintain their populations in a reef tank environment. Theoretically, they will survive and breed at the higher temperatures of our reef tanks, but, at higher temperatures, they produce mostly males and eventually the culture will not be sustained in the reef tank. Your best bet, as indicated by several others in this thread, is to culture what is already living in your tank. Those pods are the pods that will most readily breed and thrive in your tank.
Harpacticoid copepods are not a specific breed. They are a type of copepod (3000 different species). Harpacticoid in general are the "crawling" pods, as opposed to the swimming pods (Calanoid Copepods). I would like to culture both types of pods. I have just been too lazy to get started. I guess I am waiting for when I can't golf here in Chicago anymore this year. Yeah, that's my excuse.
I am no expert, by any means, but I have done a lot of reading and researching and my personal opinion on tigger pods is that they are not reef tank compatible. Tigger Pods (Tigriopus Californicus) are actually some of the toughest pods there are. They can live in high salinity, low salinity, high temperatures and very low temperatures. They are tide pool dwellers that are uniquely suited to tide pool conditions. When the tide goes out and "strands" the tide pool, the sun comes up and heats the tide pool to incredibly high temperatures and evaporates the water to incredibly high salinity. Just about when the pool reaches its highest temperature and highest salinity, the tide comes back in and shocks them with ice cold pacific water and much lower salinity. Or, as the tide pool is stranded, the rains come and dillute the tide pool to the point where the water is virtually fresh water. This is the world that Tigger Pods live in. Tigger Pods are hardy shippers, which makes them great for packaging and shipping all over the country. They can be cultured quite readily, as someone above indicated (at room temperature). The issue is, they likely will not maintain their populations in a reef tank environment. Theoretically, they will survive and breed at the higher temperatures of our reef tanks, but, at higher temperatures, they produce mostly males and eventually the culture will not be sustained in the reef tank. Your best bet, as indicated by several others in this thread, is to culture what is already living in your tank. Those pods are the pods that will most readily breed and thrive in your tank.
Harpacticoid copepods are not a specific breed. They are a type of copepod (3000 different species). Harpacticoid in general are the "crawling" pods, as opposed to the swimming pods (Calanoid Copepods). I would like to culture both types of pods. I have just been too lazy to get started. I guess I am waiting for when I can't golf here in Chicago anymore this year. Yeah, that's my excuse.
Last edited:
chilihedkc
New member
I have a mandarin and a scooter blenny, and a wrasse in a 75 with 120lbs live rock. I get a new bottle of live 'pods every few months and everyone seems happy. The wrasse eats flake food too so that might help. I see pods every time I change my sock, so they aren't all getting eaten. I do need to get a dedicated fuge though.
jglackin
New member
If you are seeing pods in the sock, are you talking about amphipods? They are too large for a mandarin to eat. Then again, if you see adult amphipods, then there are likely plenty of juvenile amphipods that the mandarin can live on. My turf scrubber is a pod farm in itself. It is always crawling with pods.
CLINTOS
New member
Was wondering if you noticed that you can keep them alive in population where they would spread inside your at tank at around 78F-82F?
or like ealier in this post someone mentioned that at higher temps they might all end up growing into males?
Last edited:
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
Well, like I say, I kept that culture on a kitchen counter in a poorly temp controlled place where they would get afternoon sun. I assume that the culture would hit >85-90. I never checked. But the temps never slowed their reproduction in that culture.
As for in the tank, well who knows? I'm putting them into a tank to get eaten, so I make no effort to try to give them conditions to reproduce. I do have copepods everywhere in my tanks. Are they tiggers from my cultures? I don't know. But my mandarins are fat.
As for in the tank, well who knows? I'm putting them into a tank to get eaten, so I make no effort to try to give them conditions to reproduce. I do have copepods everywhere in my tanks. Are they tiggers from my cultures? I don't know. But my mandarins are fat.
CLINTOS
New member
good info sounds promising, it's just there is so much info out there I think it's just best to try and see what happens I'll set up a few 10G split in half with tiggerpod culture and start to see If I can keep them in population if not no biggy since I'm culturing anyways
Last edited:
You'd think as much but they are so cannibalistic if you want any numbers you'll have to separate them daily like you would a mysid culture.
In the short term you might try feeding some bloodworms to your tank. Myself and others have had luck with mandarins eating bloodworms pretty readily.
If you have a fuge you will be able to raise pods. They can handle the ride through the return pump quite nicely. I dose phyto a couple times a week and have pods all the time.
If you have a fuge you will be able to raise pods. They can handle the ride through the return pump quite nicely. I dose phyto a couple times a week and have pods all the time.
SozyMozyKozy
New member
Is this enough?
Is this enough?
Ok, I know this is an old thread, but I thought I could try and wake you all up for my first post on this forum.
I want to get a mandarin eventually but I want a good pod population in a separate tank (not connected to my main tank, for lack of space). I came across a Refugium Starter Pack (link at bottom) that has several things including 8 oz. of pods, which has, as it states, 100-200 pods.
I was wondering if this is 1) a good pack and 2) if 100-200 is actually good to start with for making a huge population for a mandarin.
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/Refugium-Starter-Pack-with-Copepods-and-Macro-Algae_p_7222.html#
Is this enough?
Ok, I know this is an old thread, but I thought I could try and wake you all up for my first post on this forum.
I want to get a mandarin eventually but I want a good pod population in a separate tank (not connected to my main tank, for lack of space). I came across a Refugium Starter Pack (link at bottom) that has several things including 8 oz. of pods, which has, as it states, 100-200 pods.
I was wondering if this is 1) a good pack and 2) if 100-200 is actually good to start with for making a huge population for a mandarin.
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/Refugium-Starter-Pack-with-Copepods-and-Macro-Algae_p_7222.html#
SozyMozyKozy
New member
agreed
agreed
I agree. After reading the whole thread, I figured that if anyone can answer my two questions, it's the people on this thread. :spin1:
agreed
I agree. After reading the whole thread, I figured that if anyone can answer my two questions, it's the people on this thread. :spin1:
Last edited:
