Adding Copepods after cycle - no refugium yet

[bsdubois00]

About to begin the cycle and reading up on adding copepods to the tank. Once the cycle is complete (fish less - using Fritz) it seems that is an ideal time to add copepods to the tank.

Question:

I wont have the refugium set up until it’s needed so do you just add the copepods straight to the DT? Since there is likely very little algae and what not at first would you need to dose Phyto for the copepods to eat? Would it be best to wait for the refugium or go ahead and get them going now?

 

[fishywishy]

yes, you’re going to have to dose phyto if you put them in right now. Its best to just wait until you have a refugium or until your tank is more established.

 

[exnisstech]

Pods always appear in my tanks but I've never added them.

 

[PotatoPig]

Pods always appear in my tanks but I've never added them.

I’m not entirely sure it’s possible to keep them out even. I suppose maybe with a CUC free tank, started from dry rock, with all corals treated with ivermectin, and all fish put through 30 days copper, you might have a chance of a pod free tank.

 

[saltyfish24]

If you add pods into a brand new tank, then you'll need to feed them something to keep them alive. Phyto would work, but it's expensive. It's like cooking meals for your pet - you have to get fresh phytoplankton either making your own or keep buying bottles of the fresh stuff.

You can also use powdered spirulina. It's a lot cheaper, and come in dry powder so you just buy a bag and keep dosing it into your tank. That's actually how I cycled my tank - the ammonia source was pods and decomposing spirulina. I did that for two weeks before adding fish (but also had chaeto refugium to consume any ammonia the fish make). I had initial ammonia spike in the 0.25 ppm range or so when adding the first two clown fish, but it was short. I think the caribsea sand came with dormant bacteria that fast started the cycle.