Recommendations to setup a copepod population

[Econ]

Hi folks,

With the recent discussions on proper food supply for Mandarins, I would like to get your recommendations as to how to properly setup a copepod population for your tank.

I'm about to establish a 143 gallon tank with its proper sump, so I guess I'm at the right time to establish a Copepod population for the tank, so I can perhaps add a Mandarin later on.

Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!!

 

[m0nkie]

just leave a refugium section in your sump. Make it as big as you want. toss in some rocks and let it cycle. When cycle is finished, toss in some macro algae and pods. you can buy live rocks and hope for pods or buy them online to seed your fuge. Feeding the fuge will help increase pod population. you will see a huge boom, then a steady decline of pods until it reaches a stable level.

 

[Zer0.]

i didnt do anything. bought about 165 pounds of dry rock and about 7 pounds of live rock and have a ton of pods every where.

P.S. what do you feed into your refugium monkie? I always thought pods lived off bacteria. All my pods are the smaller copepods, no larger amphipods.

 

[m0nkie]

I've had good luck with DT's live phyto.. just drip a few drops every 2-3 days into the fuge. I can't say there was a big boom in population after, but I have noticed pods crawling everywhere now. a lot more than previous few months.

some people say you can crush pellets into crumbs and just toss it into the fuge.