Will dwarf seahorse eat BENTHIC copepods

[km2393]

I have sea squirt only tanks for lab work, and the copepod population gets so out of control that they kill all the animals that are under about a centimeter.

I've tried bleaching the tanks, fresh water baths, siphoning, no matter what they always come back in astounding numbers.

I'm thinking, now, about getting a natural predator for the copepods. Someone mentioned dwarf seahorses. I understand I will have to culture shrimp for them as well to keep them alive when the copepod population declines, but I need to know if they will eat the benthic copepods, because that's the only type I have.

If not, what is a species that will? I'm going to post a picture of the tank set up and the Ciona to give everyone a better idea of what I'm working with.

If not a predator, does anyone know of a way to control copepod populations, like a water treatment procedure that is constant, because they are reintroduced often with new juveniles (they seem to have copepod egg cysts on them) and the cysts themselves are definitely bleach resistant.

Thanks!

 

[rayjay]

While you might get some dwarfs to eat them, it won't be a common practice for all of them.
The reason we have to feed high densities of brine to the dwarf tanks is because most often, but not always, dwarfs prefer to sit perched and wait for their food to pass by close enough for them to snick it up without leaving their perch.
There are probably quite a few fish that would be much better but you would have to research what would be suitable for your tank size.
I'm sure others can chime in with species if you post the tank size.

 

[cjm3]

How about setting up a small colony tank of Mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis)?
These are easily converted to saltwater and will GLADLY take any pods for food.

Keep them in a colony tank then add them to your sea squirt tanks as needed, remove them back to the colonly tank until needed again.
One or two Mosquito fish to a tank should make short work of the pod population.

Chuck

 

[km2393]

The tanks are 5.5 gallons. I'm worried about getting a fish that feeds aggressively because the juvenile sea squirts are only about 5mm long, so anything with enough power will probably suck them right off the plate.

 

[joshky]

Just thinking out loud, but maybe there's a pipefish small enough that could work?

 

[DanU]

Blue stripe pipes should work well.

Dan