Copepod and Amphipod Tank - Cycling

cassilyn

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Hi all!

I just got a double tank for Mother's Day and have plans to set up one side as a quarantine tank and one side as a live food tank for copepods and amphipods. I was thinking about using a refugium starter kit to get that side going. My question is, do I need to cycle the live food side before adding any critters? I know I'll have to cycle the quarantine side and will do so asap. But do I just put the refugium kit in the live food side with some live rock or do I cycle it like any other tank?

Thanks
Cassi
 

Perthegallon

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Hi all!

I just got a double tank for Mother's Day and have plans to set up one side as a quarantine tank and one side as a live food tank for copepods and amphipods. I was thinking about using a refugium starter kit to get that side going. My question is, do I need to cycle the live food side before adding any critters? I know I'll have to cycle the quarantine side and will do so asap. But do I just put the refugium kit in the live food side with some live rock or do I cycle it like any other tank?

Thanks
Cassi
I’m not expert But I guess it depends on water changes and how food you will be adding but I’d say cycle it or at least add bottle bac
 

Perthegallon

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Hi all!

I just got a double tank for Mother's Day and have plans to set up one side as a quarantine tank and one side as a live food tank for copepods and amphipods. I was thinking about using a refugium starter kit to get that side going. My question is, do I need to cycle the live food side before adding any critters? I know I'll have to cycle the quarantine side and will do so asap. But do I just put the refugium kit in the live food side with some live rock or do I cycle it like any other tank?

Thanks
Cassi
How are you adding amphipods as well
Side note they can kill pod polpulation
 
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cassilyn

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How are you adding amphipods as well
Side note they can kill pod polpulation
Which are the better food for a treat for seahorses? Amphipods? Or is there any other ideas anyone has to use the second side of the tank for? It's 10 gallons per side. I'll have to get a bigger HOB filter for the quarantine tank I think, but wanted to do something useful with the other side. I thought amphipods ate copepods, but they sell them together so I thought maybe I heard wrong. So, what nifty thing can I do in a cheap 10 gallon salt tank? I have two grandkids at home that would love a clown/anemone tank, but I don't know what I'd have to do to convert it. Just another good HOB filter system? Any thoughts are appreciated.
 

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Which are the better food for a treat for seahorses? Amphipods? Or is there any other ideas anyone has to use the second side of the tank for? It's 10 gallons per side. I'll have to get a bigger HOB filter for the quarantine tank I think, but wanted to do something useful with the other side. I thought amphipods ate copepods, but they sell them together so I thought maybe I heard wrong. So, what nifty thing can I do in a cheap 10 gallon salt tank? I have two grandkids at home that would love a clown/anemone tank, but I don't know what I'd have to do to convert it. Just another good HOB filter system? Any thoughts are appreciated.
Very easy you don’t need much for a clown nem tank. I don’t believe they sell them together if so I’d be happy to buy them anyways alage barn sells copper pods but I’m not sure there the best for sea bourse you will have to look at the description for most people I thought they just hatched brine shrimp and used that I hatch brine shrimp in these two dishes to feed my fish and corals. You can covert the other tank in a nem and clwonfish as soon as you cycle it good recommendation is some rock and sand for looks and you could even add corals if you’d like I ran a 10 gallon for a while. Also you won’t need a hob filter if you have something for bacteria like sand rock or bio media as long as you have water movement of some kind even adding a small power head is good. For me I ran the bio wheel on my 10 gallon and now I run sump with a bio brick in it and that has way more room then I’d ever need for bactera surface area. If you are breeding copper pods or even phytoplankton do it in a separate container no point in using a tank
 

Perthegallon

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Which are the better food for a treat for seahorses? Amphipods? Or is there any other ideas anyone has to use the second side of the tank for? It's 10 gallons per side. I'll have to get a bigger HOB filter for the quarantine tank I think, but wanted to do something useful with the other side. I thought amphipods ate copepods, but they sell them together so I thought maybe I heard wrong. So, what nifty thing can I do in a cheap 10 gallon salt tank? I have two grandkids at home that would love a clown/anemone tank, but I don't know what I'd have to do to convert it. Just another good HOB filter system? Any thoughts are appreciated.
These are the dishes I use to feed my jellyfish and fish I hatch two batches when there’s none left I dump the water out add my old water tank water in and hatch more live and happy food

094D5847-5EFF-4E8B-B830-904581C1F103.png
 

Perthegallon

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Which are the better food for a treat for seahorses? Amphipods? Or is there any other ideas anyone has to use the second side of the tank for? It's 10 gallons per side. I'll have to get a bigger HOB filter for the quarantine tank I think, but wanted to do something useful with the other side. I thought amphipods ate copepods, but they sell them together so I thought maybe I heard wrong. So, what nifty thing can I do in a cheap 10 gallon salt tank? I have two grandkids at home that would love a clown/anemone tank, but I don't know what I'd have to do to convert it. Just another good HOB filter system? Any thoughts are appreciated.
These are the dishes I use to feed my jellyfish and fish I hatch two batches when there’s none left I dump the water out add my old water tank water in and hatch more
Which are the better food for a treat for seahorses? Amphipods? Or is there any other ideas anyone has to use the second side of the tank for? It's 10 gallons per side. I'll have to get a bigger HOB filter for the quarantine tank I think, but wanted to do something useful with the other side. I thought amphipods ate copepods, but they sell them together so I thought maybe I heard wrong. So, what nifty thing can I do in a cheap 10 gallon salt tank? I have two grandkids at home that would love a clown/anemone tank, but I don't know what I'd have to do to convert it. Just another good HOB filter system? Any thoughts are appreciated.
pm me if you have questions I’d be happy to discuss
 
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cassilyn

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Very easy you don’t need much for a clown nem tank. I don’t believe they sell them together if so I’d be happy to buy them anyways alage barn sells copper pods but I’m not sure there the best for sea bourse you will have to look at the description for most people I thought they just hatched brine shrimp and used that I hatch brine shrimp in these two dishes to feed my fish and corals. You can covert the other tank in a nem and clwonfish as soon as you cycle it good recommendation is some rock and sand for looks and you could even add corals if you’d like I ran a 10 gallon for a while. Also you won’t need a hob filter if you have something for bacteria like sand rock or bio media as long as you have water movement of some kind even adding a small power head is good. For me I ran the bio wheel on my 10 gallon and now I run sump with a bio brick in it and that has way more room then I’d ever need for bactera surface area. If you are breeding copper pods or even phytoplankton do it in a separate container no point in using a tank
Thanks! I'd really love to have a tank like that for the kids. (Of course, I'll care for it.) This tank came with two separate three stage filters, so I may be good there. They are completely separate tanks, just in one side-by-side unit. It's pretty cool.
 
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cassilyn

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These are the dishes I use to feed my jellyfish and fish I hatch two batches when there’s none left I dump the water out add my old water tank water in and hatch more live and happy food

094D5847-5EFF-4E8B-B830-904581C1F103.png
That is great! I'll grab one before I get my tank set up. It will be great for the other tanks too. Thanks!
 

Perthegallon

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That is great! I'll grab one before I get my tank set up. It will be great for the other tanks too. Thanks!
Very easy to set up use any normal tank water add brine to the outside layer and pull them out it does start to smell after a few days so I always clean it when I’m done with a hatch but cheap live food if they don’t hatch you have dead eggs and buy better quality ones
 

Perthegallon

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Thanks! I'd really love to have a tank like that for the kids. (Of course, I'll care for it.) This tank came with two separate three stage filters, so I may be good there. They are completely separate tanks, just in one side-by-side unit. It's pretty cool.
A cool secret with the nems if you run certain lights they will turn certain colors as I run my blue kessils over my nem tank to turn them yellow when they were originally red
 
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cassilyn

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Very easy to set up use any normal tank water add brine to the outside layer and pull them out it does start to smell after a few days so I always clean it when I’m done with a hatch but cheap live food if they don’t hatch you have dead eggs and buy better quality ones
Great info! Thanks
 
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cassilyn

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A cool secret with the nems if you run certain lights they will turn certain colors as I run my blue kessils over my nem tank to turn them yellow when they were originally red
That is an interesting fact. I didn't know that and I've had nems before. It's been a long time ago, back before there were cool blue lights LOL. Thanks!
 

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