How Can I Collect Enough Copepods From My Nano Tank to Start a Culture?

[livinlifeinBKK]

Yes but you will contaminate the experiment if you use tank water/rock/anything. There are tons of microbial life forms that will compete with your copepods unless you start with a very clean, "single organism" setup. (I mean clean as in nothing that will compete w/ the copepods for food source/space).

Actually it wouldn't be nearly as hard as you're making it sound if you have access to the proper tools needed.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Check out paulb’s feeding set ups. He’s kind of a legend if you haven’t come across him yet. He knows how to keep fish fat.

Thanks!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Hey, thank you guys so much for all the tips and links! I really do appreciate it because I've actually wanted to try mid-large scale copepod breeding for a while!

 

[Hermie]

Actually it wouldn't be nearly as hard as you're making it sound if you have access to the proper tools needed.

lol I take that as an insult

It's not hard.

But ask any competent aquaculture farmer what happens when rotifers start competing against your copepods? You are drastically decreasing yield.

I guess some people don't care to do things the right way and that's fine. But quote me where I said it was "hard" and I'll happily recant my statement.

 

[Hermie]

Sorry, not true. I’ve got pod cultures that are a year old that were started from tank water.

It is true. Take a microscope and see what's in there. Where did you get the copepods from?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Yes but you will contaminate the experiment if you use tank water/rock/anything. There are tons of microbial life forms that will compete with your copepods unless you start with a very clean, "single organism" setup. (I mean clean as in nothing that will compete w/ the copepods for food source/space).

I wasn't trying to insult but take it however you like. No, you didn't use the exact word hard. However, you obviously used other words to imply practical impossibility. And yes, if I want to identify the exact species of a copepod, I would be able to since I have access to state of the art equipment to do exactly that. I also have University professors who could assist and seeing as they are considered experts by the professional community, I believe we could do it.

 

[ClownWrangler]

Will a dragonet eat rotifers or are they too small? They are easy to produce in large numbers with consistency without much space.

 

[ClownWrangler]

https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/about-us/articles/raising-live-rotifers-copepods/

I also found these useful. I have been doing research lately to grow Phyto, rotifers and pods for feeding shrimp larvae and fish fry.


https://www.saltwateraquariumblog.com/home-cultures-phyto-rotifers-copepods/phytoplankton-culture/
https://www.melevsreef.com/articles/culture-your-own-phytoplankton

 

[lelandmarine]

How I Culture Pods: An Introduction for Those that Are Interested in Doing the Same

I've received a lot of questions regarding my pod cultures on many different threads throughout the months. I ended up writing a brief tutorial on an old thread of mine but it was obscured on page 4. I thought I might just make a thread devoted...

www.reef2reef.com

here is the article i mentioned

 

[Hermie]

I wasn't trying to insult but take it however you like. No, you didn't use the exact word hard. However, you obviously used other words to imply practical impossibility. And yes, if I want to identify the exact species of a copepod, I would be able to since I have access to state of the art equipment to do exactly that. I also have University professors who could assist and seeing as they are considered experts by the professional community, I believe we could do it.

You are putting words in my mouth.

And apparently missing the point.

The best way to culture copepods is to start with a healthy population from a reputable source that will contain as few (read: none) undesirable competitive species. What is "best" ? It means the highest yield, highest chance of success. But if you want to do it any way you want, then who is going to stop you? I'm merely giving advice on best practices.