A question about copepods

Reefkeepers Archive · Aug 7, 2023

For some context, I have a 6 month old 120 gallon, and I started with dry rock so there are little to no copepods. I don't have any fish, but I have a duncan colony and a sinularia that are doing quite well, lots of polyp extension and growth, a leptastrea that's not looking to hot and a leather that's been in shed for a few weeks. Now I'm currently on vacation, but have an LFS looking after my tank, which is doing the same as when I left. Now I have a large shipment of LPS (2 platygyra, 2 lobos, 1 galaxea, 2 favias, 2 goniastrea, 1 moseleya, 1 fox coral, 1 blasto, 1 symphyllia, 1 trachy) they are all pretty simple lps but since this is a younger tank and coral is expensive, I want to give them my best shot at success. I think I'm going to place an order with algaebarn galaxypods but have no prior experience with this brand or dosing pods in general, they would arrive one of the days there coming so they would be able to add them to the tank, my question is how many bottles would be sufficient for a tank of my size, would i need to dose phyto (my nitrates are around 3, working on raisingthem, it's (probably) why the leptastrea is dying) do they eat cyanno, and how long can they stay on the doorstep? Anyone with experience with algaebarn copepods, need to hear your opinion. Thank you.

Jekyl · Aug 7, 2023

Tldr. Might be better off providing food for pods than adding them. Dosing live phyto or keeping macro algae.

Reefkeepers Archive · Aug 7, 2023

Jekyl said:
Tldr. Might be better off providing food for pods than adding them. Dosing live phyto or keeping macro algae.

Pretty sure I don't have any pods to feed

Mr. Mojo Rising · Aug 7, 2023

pods will have hitched into your tank with the corals you bought. We all had pods in our tanks long before they sold pods at the store. Buying pods is a relatively new thing, maybe thats why its so popular....

But anyway, I wouldn't personally add more than one bottle to the tank, and then feed phyto afterwards. Their population will increase or decrease depending on the available food in the system.

Jekyl · Aug 7, 2023

Reefkeepers Archive said:
Pretty sure I don't have any pods to feed

It's literally next to impossible to keep pods out of a system.

BRS named someone who heat treated everything prior to setting up a tank and they still were in the system.

At night, shine a flashlight on the glass and look for pin point size white dots on the glass.

nothing_fancy · Aug 7, 2023

I've dosed pods into my system from algaebarn quite a few times. I wouldn't leave them out too long, try to get them acclimated float to temp as soon as you can. I would personally go with tisbe pods but thats just a matter of opinion. Adding microfauna to your system is never a bad thing iMO. However, I am not so sure you need to be concerned with this at the moment. I second the idea that you could start dosing phyto, especially if you're having some algae issues. You might just feed phyto for a few months, and generously, before you consider adding the store bought pods. I would also second the recommendation on macro algae, if you have a 120, setting up a small fuge for chaeto would be a very good addition to your filtration scheme IMO.

Reefkeepers Archive · Aug 7, 2023

nothing_fancy said:
I've dosed pods into my system from algaebarn quite a few times. I wouldn't leave them out too long, try to get them acclimated float to temp as soon as you can. I would personally go with tisbe pods but thats just a matter of opinion. Adding microfauna to your system is never a bad thing iMO. However, I am not so sure you need to be concerned with this at the moment. I second the idea that you could start dosing phyto, especially if you're having some algae issues. You might just feed phyto for a few months, and generously, before you consider adding the store bought pods. I would also second the recommendation on macro algae, if you have a 120, setting up a small fuge for chaeto would be a very good addition to your filtration scheme IMO

My concern with the phyto dosing beforehand is I am struggling with low nitrates, same problem goes with the Chaeto. I am away from home for the week (which is why I have my lfs looking after my tank for the time being) so I wouldn't be able to dose phyto beforehand, however I have been wanting to add pods to stabilize the system, clean up algae/cyanno/leather sheds, but most importantly act as a live food for the LPS. I added a leptastrea a few weeks back and it hasn't been doing well so I'm working on my system, I had extremely low nitrates and no pods so I've been wanting to resolve those issues. I will pick up the corals in a week and I can get the pods in a few days so I want to get them going, also which ones do you recommend?

Jekyl · Aug 7, 2023

Reefkeepers Archive said:
My concern with the phyto dosing beforehand is I am struggling with low nitrates, same problem goes with the Chaeto. I am away from home for the week (which is why I have my lfs looking after my tank for the time being) so I wouldn't be able to dose phyto beforehand, however I have been wanting to add pods to stabilize the system, clean up algae/cyanno/leather sheds, but most importantly act as a live food for the LPS. I added a leptastrea a few weeks back and it hasn't been doing well so I'm working on my system, I had extremely low nitrates and no pods so I've been wanting to resolve those issues. I will pick up the corals in a week and I can get the pods in a few days so I want to get them going, also which ones do you recommend?

Phyto will raise nitrate slightly

Lavey29 · Aug 7, 2023

There are easy ways to raise nitrates which I'm sure you are aware of. Around the time my tank was 5 months old I had to dose neonitro for several months to keep numbers up. I think it's just part of the biome development and not enough intake source to produce enough nitrates for everything in the tank that uses them.

As others said pods will dome naturally but seeding never hurts. To be honest pods don't ship well especially in warm weather. If your LFS has reef nutrition Tigger pods in stock that is a good option. They seem to survive shipping the best. Ive tried algae barn and others to but usually arrive mostly dead.

Jeffshoe61 · Aug 7, 2023

Reefkeepers Archive said:
For some context, I have a 6 month old 120 gallon, and I started with dry rock so there are little to no copepods. I don't have any fish, but I have a duncan colony and a sinularia that are doing quite well, lots of polyp extension and growth, a leptastrea that's not looking to hot and a leather that's been in shed for a few weeks. Now I'm currently on vacation, but have an LFS looking after my tank, which is doing the same as when I left. Now I have a large shipment of LPS (2 platygyra, 2 lobos, 1 galaxea, 2 favias, 2 goniastrea, 1 moseleya, 1 fox coral, 1 blasto, 1 symphyllia, 1 trachy) they are all pretty simple lps but since this is a younger tank and coral is expensive, I want to give them my best shot at success. I think I'm going to place an order with algaebarn galaxypods but have no prior experience with this brand or dosing pods in general, they would arrive one of the days there coming so they would be able to add them to the tank, my question is how many bottles would be sufficient for a tank of my size, would i need to dose phyto (my nitrates are around 3, working on raisingthem, it's (probably) why the leptastrea is dying) do they eat cyanno, and how long can they stay on the doorstep? Anyone with experience with algaebarn copepods, need to hear your opinion. Thank you.

Check out Dinkins aquatics best phyto and pods and stuff I have ever used

Reefkeepers Archive · Aug 7, 2023

Was checking out Dinkins aquatics, I do think I am going to go with algaebarn pods because of more diversity but the phyto definitely looks good, how often and how much do you dose though, as it says that I should dose 1 ml per gallon daily, and my tank is 120 gallons

Jeffshoe61 said:
Check out Dinkins aquatics best phyto and pods and stuff I have ever used

Reefkeepers Archive · Aug 7, 2023

Is that only dead phyto, as I've read that live phyto lowers nitrate?

Jekyl said:
Phyto will raise nitrate slightly

Reefkeepers Archive · Aug 7, 2023

Lavey29 said:
There are easy ways to raise nitrates which I'm sure you are aware of. Around the time my tank was 5 months old I had to dose neonitro for several months to keep numbers up. I think it's just part of the biome development and not enough intake source to produce enough nitrates for everything in the tank that uses them.

As others said pods will dome naturally but seeding never hurts. To be honest pods don't ship well especially in warm weather. If your LFS has reef nutrition Tigger pods in stock that is a good option. They seem to survive shipping the best. Ive tried algae barn and others to but usually arrive mostly dead.

Unfortunately my LFS is completely out of pods, as that is always my first option, I do live in the northeast so temp isn't usually an issue, but on Thursday it will get to a max of 83° Fahrenheit

Lavey29 · Aug 7, 2023

Reefkeepers Archive said:
Unfortunately my LFS is completely out of pods, as that is always my first option, I do live in the northeast so temp isn't usually an issue, but on Thursday it will get to a max of 83° Fahrenheit

Not to hot. You can always try it and see how it goes. I add Tigger pods to my tank monthly because of the mandarin but there is probably 6 or 8 different types of copepods and amphipods living in my fuge.

Idech · Aug 7, 2023

I like to add 3-4 bottles in my 75 gallons. I add phyto about twice a week for a while, then I forget and I stop, lol !

I let them float in the tank until lights go out, then I add them near the rocks and shut all filtration and pumps for an hour.

Jeffshoe61 · Aug 8, 2023

Reefkeepers Archive said:
Was checking out Dinkins aquatics, I do think I am going to go with algaebarn pods because of more diversity but the phyto definitely looks good, how often and how much do you dose though, as it says that I should dose 1 ml per gallon daily, and my tank is 120 gallons

Mine is also 120 and 40 sump I do about 20 ml 2 times one at lights on and lights off just watching to see what happens lol my tank is 15 months old but doing good

Jeffshoe61 · Aug 8, 2023

Jeffshoe61 said:
Mine is also 120 and 40 sump I do about 20 ml 2 times one at lights on and lights off just watching to see what happens lol my tank is 15 months old but doing good

nothing_fancy · Aug 8, 2023

Reefkeepers Archive said:
My concern with the phyto dosing beforehand is I am struggling with low nitrates, same problem goes with the Chaeto. I am away from home for the week (which is why I have my lfs looking after my tank for the time being) so I wouldn't be able to dose phyto beforehand, however I have been wanting to add pods to stabilize the system, clean up algae/cyanno/leather sheds, but most importantly act as a live food for the LPS. I added a leptastrea a few weeks back and it hasn't been doing well so I'm working on my system, I had extremely low nitrates and no pods so I've been wanting to resolve those issues. I will pick up the corals in a week and I can get the pods in a few days so I want to get them going, also which ones do you recommend?

Ok, so dosing phyto is not going to have much of an effect on your nutrient issue so thats no problem. You could dose Brightwell Neo nitro if you want more nitrates, this can be done over the course of a week. For a 120 with phyto dosing you would start fairly low and work your way up. For reference I use about 40 mil per day in a 40 gallon tank easily sometimes more. You would want to look into making your own phyto at home as it is very simple and will save you a lot of money. I understand you really want pods, but the timeline you're working with isn't going to really do what you want it to do IMO. Adding pods a few days before adding a ton of corals isn't going to turn your tank around. If you're having issues with LPS theres probably more going on than a nutrient issue That being said, if you do start dosing pods Id go with tisbe as they reproduce very well. Couple jars.

Salty_Northerner · Aug 11, 2023

Mr. Mojo Rising said:
pods will have hitched into your tank with the corals you bought. We all had pods in our tanks long before they sold pods at the store. Buying pods is a relatively new thing, maybe thats why its so popular....

But anyway, I wouldn't personally add more than one bottle to the tank, and then feed phyto afterwards. Their population will increase or decrease depending on the available food in the system.

One can ever have too many pods in the system. Especially if you have four or five different strains of them. They all have the job to do and more the merrier in my honest opinion. As long as they are fed every other day they will multiply pretty quickly. I just ordered for Jars of Eco pods for my smaller system compared to the OP tank. Last week I dumped in two jars of Galaxy pods and it's adding a lot of extra diversity to the system for sure.

Forgot to mention about pods hitchhiking on corals.. I received four different corals on Wednesday and they all went into a dip and there wasn't a single pod on any of the frags. But then again the shop I buy from have quite the quarantine process so it didn't surprise me that I never seen anything come off any of the frags whatsoever.