I'm Curious...Just What are the Actual Benefits of adding Copepods?

[livinlifeinBKK]

First of all, I'm a big fan of microfauna like copepods but since there are so many ways to get them pretty quickly (even simply by accident), what is the true value of adding one or multiple species? Please feel free to be as detailed as possible, or, if you feel it's kind of pointless, feel free to share your opinion as well. I've heard that they can help prevent the "uglies" or lessen them to some extent but how many people have really experienced this firsthand? Clearly there must be some reason people have made billion dollar companies out of startups that began with copepods. Very curious...

 

[Birdman Broham]

Copepods reproduce every 7 days. They are nutritious for your fish, who like to much between meals, they will also clean your tank. There is some fish that highly depends on pods. It’s a win win situation

 

[Spare time]

They eat algae and you never really need to add them more than once unless you have a fish that eats only copepods and such.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Copepods reproduce every 7 days. They are nutritious for your fish, who like to much between meals, they will also clean your tank. There is some fish that highly depends on pods. It’s a win win situation

I agree 100% with what you're saying...they seem to hitchhike on everything you introduce though so is there really a need to add them? I've always used live ocean rock with a lot of hitchhiker pods but I don't know if maybe dry rock/sand starts need to add them...do they have to add them or do they naturally hitchhike in most of the time?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

They eat algae and you never really need to add them more than once unless you have a fish that eats only copepods and such.

That's why I'm not sure I understand how these companies have grown so enormous primarily only selling pods (or starting out that way at least).

 

[Kasrift]

All of the above mentioned things, but I also think our corals eat them too. We might not watch as they make a snack of copepods, but they are a building block of the reefs.

 

[Birdman Broham]

You should 100% add a bottle or 2. Feed them plankton once a week. Your coral will enjoy it and your pods will enjoy it also. Once you establish a colony. Let them be!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

You should 100% add a bottle or 2. Feed them plankton once a week. Your coral will enjoy it and your pods will enjoy it also. Once you establish a colony. Let them be!

That's what I do. The hitchhikers and a little phyto every night has always grown the population like crazy though. Do many people continue to add them to an established tank? My question isn't really "IS" there a benefit, it's more "what are all the benefits" that have led to these companies like Algaebarn becoming so enormous.

 

[maxwellsmart455]

First of all, I'm a big fan of microfauna like copepods but since there are so many ways to get them pretty quickly (even simply by accident), what is the true value of adding one or multiple species? Please feel free to be as detailed as possible, or, if you feel it's kind of pointless, feel free to share your opinion as well. I've heard that they can help prevent the "uglies" or lessen them to some extent but how many people have really experienced this firsthand? Clearly there must be some reason people have made billion dollar companies out of startups that began with copepods. Very curious...

 

[Spare time]

That's why I'm not sure I understand how these companies have grown so enormous primarily only selling pods (or starting out that way at least).

People get fish that eat copepods so its a food service instead of a clean up crew service for them

 

[Birdman Broham]

That's what I do. The hitchhikers and a little phyto every night has always grown the population like crazy though. Do many people continue to add them to an established tank? My question isn't really "IS" there a benefit, it's more "what are all the benefits" that have led to these companies like Algaebarn becoming so enormous.

I haven’t added them since the first 2 bottles. I have a pod eating wrasse and a mandarin. Even when I upgraded tanks I noticed the next day my 125G glass was completely covered

 

[Debramb]

I haven’t added them since the first 2 bottles. I have a pod eating wrasse and a mandarin. Even when I upgraded tanks I noticed the next day my 125G glass was completely covered

I’m upgrading to 125gl from 100g, after battling phosphates, we got R/O replaced and now want too beef up old system before transferring substrate and LR to new system. Pods do look like “ ocean” fleas but more in the sump than DT. I do think fish eat them too! They’ll help get algae under control too.

 

[bushdoc]

We have copepods and amphipods, each one occupying different niche in nature and reef tank. Copepods are more herbivorous and amphipods more scavengers. Copepods are free swimmers, amphipods more of a benthic creatures.When I turn live rock from my DT, I see lots of amphipods dwelling there, I do not see copepods that often.
Reef tank is not a complete and self sustaining ecological system and I think that amphipods can sustain stable population there, but copepods are consumed by fish and have to be added periodically. Unless you have large sump or even better refugium, which serves as reservoir for them.
Even then you may need to add new cultures now and then.

 

[PotatoPig]

That's why I'm not sure I understand how these companies have grown so enormous primarily only selling pods (or starting out that way at least).

My 2c:

1. People add tigger pods as a direct feed option for planktivores. This is very expensive fish food, more economical if you culture, but more time consuming. Some folks also culture other species too with the same cost vs time trade off.

2. From a few threads I get the impression there’s a lot of confusion about how effectively some species of pods colonize tanks and/or which species won’t colonize, so people buy a ton of bottles on a regular basis when perhaps they don’t need to.

3. (Bonus cent!) For beginners starting with dry rock, which is common, bottle pods are an easy way to make sure these things are in the system early on.

 

[Dinkins Aquatic Gardens]

To echo the others in this thread, cleanup crew, biodiversity, fish and coral food, nuisance algae mitigation, fighting dinos… pods fill numerous roles in the ecosystem.

The thing I always come back to is this: we spend a great deal on lights, skimmers, controllers, etc…but what about food for those corals and fish? If we can replicate the micro ecosystem of the reef, that could be at least as valuable as the newest and greatest lights.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I honestly can't see any visible benefit with my own eyes. I cannot say that my algae is here today but gone the next day because I added copepods lol

To me, the benefits are invisible, similar to the benefit of having worms in my garden, or to having bee's in my backyard.

I feel they are important to the creation of a complete ecosystem, just like insects are an important part of our ecosystem.

Pods were in our tanks 20 years ago before you could buy pods at the store. Its only in the last few years that pods have become "the thing" to buy for the tank. Its heavily marketed and I feel is tricking newer hobbyists into thinking that pods are some kind of miracle bug, but they are not.

 

[TWYOUNG]

Although I continue to culture and add pods regularly I'm not convinced of their benefit. I can say they 100% did not perform as expected in eliminating new tank uglies. Tanknicians posted a rather convincing video claiming copepods will establish a balanced level in the tank and continually adding them will not lead to increased populations.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Although I continue to culture and add pods regularly I'm not convinced of their benefit. I can say they 100% did not perform as expected in eliminating new tank uglies. Tanknicians posted a rather convincing video claiming copepods will establish a balanced level in the tank and continually adding them will not lead to increased populations.

That's true because there has to be a carrying capacity in any environment, natural or artificial.

 

[His Coral Highness]

I agree 100% with what you're saying...they seem to hitchhike on everything you introduce though so is there really a need to add them? I've always used live ocean rock with a lot of hitchhiker pods but I don't know if maybe dry rock/sand starts need to add them...do they have to add them or do they naturally hitchhike in most of the time?

My thoughts exactly. I don’t need to be convinced of their benefits, but I’m not so convinced they are something I need to spend money on

 

[KenBabich]

If they are all over the display glass, isn't that unsightly. I have 50g AIO with HOB refugium. Added Tiggerpods. The 2 clowns went buffet crazy. The 2 mollies were like, we'll try them...the clowns can have them..and my lawnmower blenny was like what about me? and rubbed himself against sand and rock perhaps out of irritation (as did the mollies). I want to add copepods, but and leery of over population, irritation to the 3 fish....and reducing what little algae I have for Mr. Blenny to eat, who is already looking thinner than usual and not eating like he used to do (that's may be a separate thread - he's only likel 2 years old and my fave wet pet).