Dont have cheato for my order of copepods

[kingkapoor]

I ordered a few thousand copepods for my new mandrin. I dont have a sump but I was told I could make a separate refugium under my tank cabinet and swap live rock every few days.

do I need cheato for them? Will they live off detritus only?

 

[Sod Buster]

Pods eat phytoplankton and use the cheato as a safe breeding house.

 

[Jesterrace]

Definitely want Chaeto. As mentioned it's a breeding place for them. Without it they don't have a place to stay and breed.

 

[Flowering Reef LLC]

In an effort to provide more options you could also go with a "pod hotel" which is like this plastic box with holes in it that allows the pods to use it as a safe breeding ground eliminating the need to swap rocks and such, if you really wanted to you could put cheat in there as well

 

[Sod Buster]

In a pinch, go to the dollar store and throw in a few of these plastic dishwashing scrubbers for a temporary pod house.

 

[BigT75]

Is what I am doing

 

[Sod Buster]

A 3 pack of dish scrubbers for $1. That is a pretty pod house for $25. I also have used a shower loopha for a pod hotel.

 

[ThePurple12]

They don't need chaeto, but it gives them a safe place to breed. Pods do fine with live rock.

 

[Dennco2000]

I have tons of them every time I do a chaeto trimming.