CJO
New member
Closest thing I could find:
http://www.zazzle.com/cr/design/pt-...ic&lifeStyle=classic&get_started_dialog=false
CJ
My Tigriopus Pod farm diary
- Thread starter Western_reefer
- Start date
Closest thing I could find:
http://www.zazzle.com/cr/design/pt-...ic&lifeStyle=classic&get_started_dialog=false
CJ
Can tell me a little more?
-What type of pods?
-Are you using air bubbles?
-Do you monitor temperature, salinity or do water changes?
I am wanting to try this again on a small scale using HARP#@$%&* type copepods. From reading numerous posts it appears they dont consume phyto and do well with crushed pellets or flakes (also detrius). Nor is there a lighting requirement.
I have BC29 and have been considering a HOB fuge or a DIY fuge in the stand, but I honestly dont have the resources for a project like that right now.
I have a container that will fit in my stand or i can go the bucket route. The bucket would have to be in the garage and the temps can get high in the summer (south Florida). I have tried 2 liter bottles with bubbles in the garage feeding phyto, but everything died. I dont recall what brand of pods the were, but i attributed it to the heat.
Is it OK to continue asking questions here or is this oficially a thread hijack?
CJO
New member
-I'm using the Tigriopus californicus (started with Tigger Pods)
-I am using an airline at around 3 bubbles per second (don't use an airstone!)
-I'm keeping this in my basement, which has been staying around 76 degrees. I'll probably put in a heater once it starts cooling down.
-I started with the specific gravity around 1.019 and top it off every week or so with RO/DI. Pods live in tide pools and can deal with a great amount of variation in salinity.
-I'm donig this in a 5-gallon bucket filled about half way.
-They do live eat phytoplankton and, from what I've read, good quality phytoplankton is needed for raising nutritious copepods. I'm culturing nannochloropsis, t. isocrysis and thalassiosira weissflogii to feed them.
CJ
-I am using an airline at around 3 bubbles per second (don't use an airstone!)
-I'm keeping this in my basement, which has been staying around 76 degrees. I'll probably put in a heater once it starts cooling down.
-I started with the specific gravity around 1.019 and top it off every week or so with RO/DI. Pods live in tide pools and can deal with a great amount of variation in salinity.
-I'm donig this in a 5-gallon bucket filled about half way.
-They do live eat phytoplankton and, from what I've read, good quality phytoplankton is needed for raising nutritious copepods. I'm culturing nannochloropsis, t. isocrysis and thalassiosira weissflogii to feed them.
CJ
kermit_criminal
New member
will tigger pods survice a trup through the main pump? i have some in my fuge and was wondering if they'l successfully make their way to the main tank eventually via the pump
Your comment couldn't be the furthest from the truth. Moses and I had numerous emails back and forth, a few phone calls and several PM's. I want everyone to be successful as well as enjoy the hobby.
In all my trials, yes, they sure will. Females may loose their egg sack but they themselves survive just fine. They are so small that their interaction with water is a wee bit different, like they crawl through water, not swim
I've seen 4" fish pass through Sequence 5800 pumps with no marks or nicks.
Western_reefer
Reef keeper
Western_reefer
Reef keeper
I think I went large scale too fast. I think there weren't enough pods in the 180 gallon to find each other. lol I think I'll start over small scale.
Western_reefer
Reef keeper
Ah, ok. Will do.
I will let you all know how things go this this time. I bought a bottle of Dr. G's and a small plastic container (small enough to fit in my BC29 stand).
I am going to try the keep it simple approach and do the following:
-Start with only an inch or so of water
-No air bubbles (I have read with small cultures this is not needed)
-Add some crushed pellets & flake every couple days.
-Either do a small water change(not much water to start with) or add "dirty" tank water a few times a week.
-I may add some phyto down the road, but I dont have any lights over the culture so I dont know if that will do a lot of good.
Does anyone have any other suggestions? I am looking into a HOB refugium so this may or may not be a long term thing, but I would really like be successful with this.:wildone:
Thanks all and I will let you know in a few weeks how things turn out.
Should I see a noticable increase within two weeks? Let me know what you all think.
I am going to try the keep it simple approach and do the following:
-Start with only an inch or so of water
-No air bubbles (I have read with small cultures this is not needed)
-Add some crushed pellets & flake every couple days.
-Either do a small water change(not much water to start with) or add "dirty" tank water a few times a week.
-I may add some phyto down the road, but I dont have any lights over the culture so I dont know if that will do a lot of good.
Does anyone have any other suggestions? I am looking into a HOB refugium so this may or may not be a long term thing, but I would really like be successful with this.:wildone:
Thanks all and I will let you know in a few weeks how things turn out.
Should I see a noticable increase within two weeks? Let me know what you all think.
CJO
New member
Sounds good, but remember that the lower the volume of water, the more you have to worry about water changes to keep it somewhat clean. Also, be careful that salinity doesn't change too much.
It's all based on surface area per volume to make sure you get enough gas exchange. Since you only have the water 1" deep, you should have plenty of surface area for that volume of water (assuming that the container isn't too small).
Sounds good, but not as nutritious as phytoplankton.
That works. I've always heard of using dirty tank water, but am a little concerned that you might introduce a copepod predator (brine shrimp) or something that might compete with it for the available food. If you use it, you might want to consider filtering it through a 10 micron sieve or sterilizing the old tank water before introducing it to your culture.
You don't have lights over the copepod culture? That shouldn't be a problem- you're not trying to grow the phytoplankton in the copepod culture, just have it available as food.
Around that time you should see a pretty big increase in population.
CJ
PS- this is just based on my limited experience with raising copepods and the research I've done. You might want to consider picking up a copy of the Plankton Culture Manual. It has a ton of useful information.
Brine Shrimp (artemia) do not eat copepods, they are not predators but rather they are filter feeders. They feed upon small particulates like bacteria and phytoplankton. The real danger for introduction is msyids and amphipods.
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Dr G's just nanno? If so nanno makes for a horrible feed for copepods. Iso or Pav is much much MUCH better. It's good to have a little nanno in the mix, but not as the sole source.
I dont know what type of phyto comes with the pods, but I will definitely look around for some at the lfs. Can you recommend a commercial phyto feed that has those?
CJO
New member
Thanks for the info.
Dr G's makes several products. I think that the one he was referring to is their copepods. They refer to them as tiger pods, so I think it's safe to assume that they are the tigriopus califoricus (or possibly japonicus). There isn't much information on their website on the phytoplankton, though they do say that it is a blend.
CJ
How does this mix of phyto sound? There is a guy selling this on ebay:
....16.9 oz bottle of aquacultured phytoplankton ranging between 2 to 20 microns. The phytoplankton is filtered twice through a 20 micron filter prior to shipping and consists of Nannochloropis oculata, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Chorella...
Is this a nutritous mix?
....16.9 oz bottle of aquacultured phytoplankton ranging between 2 to 20 microns. The phytoplankton is filtered twice through a 20 micron filter prior to shipping and consists of Nannochloropis oculata, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Chorella...
Is this a nutritous mix?
I was wondering what about the excess nutrients in the cultures? Like with the uneaten food or the dead pods or their wastes, dont these need to be removed?
Wouldnt pod cultures do better with some sort of macroalgae for them to shelter in and which would double as something to absorb excess nutrients?
Wouldnt pod cultures do better with some sort of macroalgae for them to shelter in and which would double as something to absorb excess nutrients?
wdt2000
Member
What has worked for me,Tigriopus californicus
I don't try to keep them clean (Maybe once every month or two I will clean their container)
I don't add air
I don't add light unless I am collecting them.
I do keep them cool
I do add a piece of Blue Bonded Filter Pad
I only add food once per week unless I need a large harvest.
If I want a large harvest I add live Thalassiosira weissflogii and some type of enrichment that will not foul the water too much.
I don't try to keep them clean (Maybe once every month or two I will clean their container)
I don't add air
I don't add light unless I am collecting them.
I do keep them cool
I do add a piece of Blue Bonded Filter Pad
I only add food once per week unless I need a large harvest.
If I want a large harvest I add live Thalassiosira weissflogii and some type of enrichment that will not foul the water too much.
