Copepod vs UV or Ozone or....

gdw

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ok, this might be an easy answer...
I am setting up a mainly coral 750lt tank (lots of inverts but little to no fish that do not have a coral caring purpose)

I am pushed to get reactors, to use anti phosphates and carbon, probably uv and ozone....

I believe it is overkill, to my wallet but also to the circle of life I want to set up.
I want to have algae and copepods in the refugium, and have areas in the tank that are inaccessible to fish so that I get a copepod colony there too.
I am under the impression that all these (UV-ozone-carbon-phosphate removal) will be obstacles to this thing I want for my tank.

My reasoning is:
  • UV - kills copepods
  • ozone - kills copepods??
  • carbon kills nutrients that copepods need-also needs at least a sock that will filter out copepods
  • phosphate removal solutions - removes the nutrients that the sump algae will need to house most of my copepod colony.
Is there a balance you have seen to work in your tank? Is there an alternative? Am I wrong ?
 

Spare time

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I would just avoid the UV and ozone.

Carbon doesn't remove what pods eat. Pods eat microalgae, detritus, etc. Phytoplankton is a big benefit to them and a UV will kill that. I also think that a UV will have a negative effect if you get filter feeding invertebrates.

If you have a refugium with proper lighting, you don't need a phosphate remover unless you have extremely high phosphates or that and no nitrate.

Socks are fine. Just get species of pods that are not free swimming if you are really worried.
 

VetReefer

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ok, this might be an easy answer...
I am setting up a mainly coral 750lt tank (lots of inverts but little to no fish that do not have a coral caring purpose)

I am pushed to get reactors, to use anti phosphates and carbon, probably uv and ozone....

I believe it is overkill, to my wallet but also to the circle of life I want to set up.
I want to have algae and copepods in the refugium, and have areas in the tank that are inaccessible to fish so that I get a copepod colony there too.
I am under the impression that all these (UV-ozone-carbon-phosphate removal) will be obstacles to this thing I want for my tank.

My reasoning is:
  • UV - kills copepods
  • ozone - kills copepods??
  • carbon kills nutrients that copepods need-also needs at least a sock that will filter out copepods
  • phosphate removal solutions - removes the nutrients that the sump algae will need to house most of my copepod colony.
Is there a balance you have seen to work in your tank? Is there an alternative? Am I wrong ?
I've never seen any ill effect with either nor have I heard it killing anything besides bacteria and toxins. I've ran a UV since I've started and never had any problems what so ever. I'm running ozone on my new build and never heard nothing but great things
 
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gdw

gdw

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I've never seen any ill effect with either nor have I heard it killing anything besides bacteria and toxins. I've ran a UV since I've started and never had any problems what so ever. I'm running ozone on my new build and never heard nothing but great things
have you had thriving copepod colonies? are there any pics of the system you run? I f you have copepod colonies any advice?
 

Spare time

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for carbon, is it enough to use it in a sock, or do I need an installation? The sump has 4 socks on the ready....


I would not turn it in a sock as the carbon will get clogged. I run mine in the little area of the sump where the overflow pipe drains into the sump before the socks but a reactor is ideal. THe main thing is getting flow through it but not letting it get clogged or tumbled.
 

VetReefer

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ok, this might be an easy answer...
I am setting up a mainly coral 750lt tank (lots of inverts but little to no fish that do not have a coral caring purpose)

I am pushed to get reactors, to use anti phosphates and carbon, probably uv and ozone....

I believe it is overkill, to my wallet but also to the circle of life I want to set up.
I want to have algae and copepods in the refugium, and have areas in the tank that are inaccessible to fish so that I get a copepod colony there too.
I am under the impression that all these (UV-ozone-carbon-phosphate removal) will be obstacles to this thing I want for my tank.

My reasoning is:
  • UV - kills copepods
  • ozone - kills copepods??
  • carbon kills nutrients that copepods need-also needs at least a sock that will filter out copepods
  • phosphate removal solutions - removes the nutrients that the sump algae will need to house most of my copepod colony.
Is there a balance you have seen to work in your tank? Is there an alternative? Am I wrong ?
I've never seen any ill effect with either nor have I heard it killing anything besides bacteria and toxins. I've ran a UV since I've started and never had any problems what so ever. I'm running ozone on my new build and never heard nothing but great things
have you had thriving copepod colonies? are there any pics of the system you run? I f you have copepod colonies any advice?
My old build has tons but no pictures and I would still add a jar in once a month to make sure and run a refugium with mirco agle
 

Jay'sReefBugs

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I breed Copepods/ amthipods/ phytoplankton. UV does not kill copepods ! I've ran UV on a couple occasions and zero impact I also run a gfo reactor with no impact on my population. UV kills single celled organisms such as algae. I mean if your running your UV as a trickle and they are baking inside the UV unit for 5 minutes yeah that could be a issue but pretty sure no one is running UV that slow lol
 

theMeat

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I run uv with no noticeable impact on pods. I don’t run carbon because I don’t like the swings in nutrient uptake.
If your flow through uv is slow enough it is possible for uv to sterilize pods but not kill them, but it won’t get them all and never noticed a dif in population. Also don’t think carbon can effect pods in any meaningful way.
 

Glenner’sreef

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True, UV does not kill pods. UV renders them sterile. They cannot reproduce. I have had a pair of Mandarins for well over 2 years. Spawning and always healthy they are the picture of health. I have heard they can eat up to a couple of a hundred pods a day. Give pods the credit they deserve, they are breeders! So much so that UV lights and hungry Mandarins won’t stop them.
 
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gdw

gdw

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So as I gather, as long as the uv is not on a slow flow or very strong, it is not a major problem , even if it is a factor.
Ozone, as it is right before the refugium is a no-no.
a carbon sock is not at all doing anything negative, especially if it is not between the refugium and the return pump.

I'll be going with carbon then. I will do the plumbing to easily add a UV in the future if it seems needed too.
 

ectoaesthetics

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I don’t use socks, ozone, UV or phosphate remover. I have tons of pods.

I don’t think pods are the reason I have no real algae in my tank but they contribute. I am a large fan of adding anything to the tank that will become a 24/7 food source. I am also an enormous fan of anything that consumes stuff I don’t want and then becomes a food source.,Enough of a fan that I don’t run socks.... my nitrates and phosphate is difficult to keep elevated anyway; the extra decaying food has not hurt. I do run carbon.
I am a giant fan of adding live phyto... I use a lot of it. It too soaks up nitrates and phosphates. It breeds faster than algae on rocks ...and key to my prior point.... it then is eaten by stuff in the tank. It s also a huge source of food for pods. It is my own personal belief that we underestimate the importance of plankton in the tank. Phyto is critical to a large pod population.
 

Jay'sReefBugs

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So as I gather, as long as the uv is not on a slow flow or very strong, it is not a major problem , even if it is a factor.
Ozone, as it is right before the refugium is a no-no.
a carbon sock is not at all doing anything negative, especially if it is not between the refugium and the return pump.

I'll be going with carbon then. I will do the plumbing to easily add a UV in the future if it seems needed too.
You will be fine. The majority of pod species you find on the market aren't pelagic so the majority will be in your rock work and substrate just waiting for a mandrine or 6 line
 
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gdw

gdw

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I am a large fan of adding anything to the tank that will become a 24/7 food source.
yes yes yes yes!
If I could do it i would just make a life feeding life in the tank... But I will keep adding foodsourses as I undrestand they are needed.... probably more than enough -
 

Spare time

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So as I gather, as long as the uv is not on a slow flow or very strong, it is not a major problem , even if it is a factor.
Ozone, as it is right before the refugium is a no-no.
a carbon sock is not at all doing anything negative, especially if it is not between the refugium and the return pump.

I'll be going with carbon then. I will do the plumbing to easily add a UV in the future if it seems needed too.


I forgot to mention that you can have 1 sock be a filter cup holder with floss or something before the carbon. That could work.
 

Spare time

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floss... could you enlighten me?

Filter floss is just a type of filter material to catch debris as what not like a filter pad or sock. You would put it on top of the carbon to keep the carbon free of debris.
 
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