Can I Help You?

Eienna · May 15, 2013

Hey, guys. I am in need of more copepods for my mandarin (first priority,) among other things, but my spending money for this month is gone. I could really use an odd job I can do on a computer for a few dollars if anyone has something. I can spellcheck, edit, organize, do math up to algebra 1, type something out from a handwritten paper (if you scan it or get a REALLY good photo), do some fish-or-coral-related research for you...if it's not on the list, please ask. :)

SeymourDuncan · May 17, 2013

Hey, I don't have any right now to get rid of but here's a good idea to look into.

Breed your own! Its very easy and adds an extra dimension to your hobby. Plus if you breed more than your fish can eat you have something to use as income to support small stuff for your tank like food and what not.

I set up a tank that is linked to my Sump, basically a 29 gallon version of a hang on refugium only on a stand. If you don't have a basement sump or fish room you can set up a small tank that isn't necessarily apart of your system.

The goal is an environment where pods will thrive, but also be easy to trap. I go bare bottom, I use only large pieces of rock, roughly 2 liter bottle sized, and I have massive lighting. I allow algae to over grow the entire tank, even the glass and it gets very thick. The flow is extremely slow, a seahorse would be bored. But it allows all types of organisms to thrive that would never survive in reef tanks fast current.

Pods are also very hardy so you do t have to worry about water params nearly as much. Of course you don't want to dump nasty water into your reef so keep it at least decent.

Feed the tank plankton or something small particled that dissolves fast and do it often. If you use a 10 gallon you could use only a hang on filter with no media and that would do great.

To trap the pods just use a water bottle or pipe that you can put rotten food in and they should pile right in. If not then lift the rock out of the water and dunk it into a bucket of water and they will jump in.
Just an idea

Eienna · May 17, 2013

I tried culturing them last month but I goofed (and my bottle of phytoplankton poofed during a fridge cleaning...) so it didn't pan out. I'm going to try again but first I have to get the starter cultures - and my mandarin's hungry XD