I Need to Know The Strongest Copepods...Battle Tested Copepods, Copepods That Beat Up Fish, Copepods That Survive Like Bruce Willis :-)

mistergray · Oct 18, 2021

Tell me about your copepods. Copepods that don't just offer themselves up on a silver platter when put in the tank. Copepods that literally come from hiding in the rock and slap fish, throw their hands out and say "Want some of me"? Copepods that bench press 225lbs for a warm-up. Copepods that have Rambo and The Terminator in their contacts list. Copepods so bad that fish tremble at the sight of their glorious cope-muscles. Lol! Okay, sorry for all the jokery. Now down to business...

What's your favorite type and/or brand of copepod and why? I've tried several, I'm just curious what you all have a preference for and is there a specific reason for your preference.

Lost in the Sauce · Oct 18, 2021

Another option to strengthen you pod numbers is dosing phyto daily. You'd be amazed as how fast they can cover your glass even with wrasses hunting constantly.

Isopod80 · Oct 18, 2021

Tisbe have always been my favorite. They reproduce quickly and are hardy. Being benthic is a plus as well.

Lavey29 · Oct 18, 2021

I'm curious about this also. Mine seem to get wiped out constantly except in the sump but in the DT the fish make them disappear.

mistergray · Oct 18, 2021

Lavey29 said:
I'm curious about this also. Mine seem to get wiped out constantly except in the sump but in the DT the fish make them disappear.

Same here! Seems like no matter where I put them they lose the battle.

Lost in the Sauce · Oct 18, 2021

Lavey29 said:
I'm curious about this also. Mine seem to get wiped out constantly except in the sump but in the DT the fish make them disappear.

mistergray said:
Same here! Seems like no matter where I put them they lose the battle.

This is one reason refugiums exist. To provide a place for your pods to reproduce without pressure from fish.

If your fish are wiping them out, there isn't a "specialized pod" that your fish won't decimate. You must need a bigger supply.

Zoa_Fanatic · Oct 18, 2021

Lost in the Sauce said:
This is one reason refugiums exist. To provide a place for your pods to reproduce without pressure from fish.

If your fish are wiping them out, there isn't a "specialized pod" that your fish won't decimate. You must need a bigger supply.

You need more pouros rockwork. My pods hide in my rocks until nighttime to avoid my fish

Lavey29 · Oct 18, 2021

mistergray said:
Same here! Seems like no matter where I put them they lose the battle.

I had these big white amphipods in my sump for quite awhile but they never made it into the DT. I have dosed bottles like 5 times over 4 months and see them in the tank for awhile but then they just disappear. My tank is 6 months old with stable numbers, fish and coral but maybe it needs to mature more to sustain pods. I do have 3 wrasses though that always seem to be hunting.

Zoa_Fanatic · Oct 18, 2021

Lavey29 said:
I had these big white amphipods in my sump for quite awhile but they never made it into the DT. I have dosed bottles like 5 times over 4 months and see them in the tank for awhile but then they just disappear. My tank is 6 months old with stable numbers, fish and coral but maybe it needs to mature more to sustain pods. I do have 3 wrasses though that always seem to be hunting.

3 wrasses are gonna be murder on pods. If you put them in it’s a good idea to put them in at night since most wrasses sleep:

PeterC99 · Oct 18, 2021

mistergray said:
Tell me about your copepods. Copepods that don't just offer themselves up on a silver platter when put in the tank. Copepods that literally come from hiding in the rock and slap fish, throw their hands out and say "Want some of me"? Copepods that bench press 225lbs for a warm-up. Copepods that have Rambo and The Terminator in their contacts list. Copepods so bad that fish tremble at the sight of their glorious cope-muscles. Lol! Okay, sorry for all the jokery. Now down to business...

What's your favorite type and/or brand of copepod and why? I've tried several, I'm just curious what you all have a preference for and is there a specific reason for your preference.

Are you sure this is a battle that can be won???

Hermie · Oct 18, 2021

Be sure to feed your copepods if you want them in tip top shape.

Hermie · Oct 18, 2021

Be sure to feed your copepods if you want them in tip top shape.

Sleepingtiger · Oct 20, 2021

My biggest issue is my pods are tiny. I can’t see them unless I am wearing my glasses. They cant more than 100 microns. There’re tons of them though. All over the glass. I just ordered some tigsbe pods and hopping these are bigger.
Oh yeah. I don’t have any fish that consume them. The smallest fish is a flame angel.

Zoa_Fanatic · Oct 20, 2021

Sleepingtiger said:
My biggest issue is my pods are tiny. I can’t see them unless I am wearing my glasses. They cant more than 100 microns. There’re tons of them though. All over the glass. I just ordered some tigsbe pods and hopping these are bigger.
Oh yeah. I don’t have any fish that consume them. The smallest fish is a flame angel.

Flame angel will eat them. My coral beauty did when I had him

Wick3d_1 · Oct 20, 2021

My Mandarin decimates my pods. I add one bottle to the DT and the rest go in my fuge. My Mandarin is a fat, happy girl so that's all that matters. Pods are mostly free food but I get needing them to outpace consumption. Mine don't so I buy pods once every month or so because my Mandarin isn't prepared food trained.

radiata · Oct 21, 2021

Lost in the Sauce said:
Another option to strengthen you pod numbers is dosing phyto daily. You'd be amazed as how fast they can cover your glass even with wrasses hunting constantly.

Does your daily phyto dose consist of live phytoplankton (like maybe nannochoropolis?), dead bottled phyto plankton (like maybe Brightwell), or maybe "cyro~preserved" frozen pastes (like those from BSD https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/algae-pastes/)?

If you are using any of the above phyto sources, what is the size of your system, and what is the volume of the dose you recommend? If your source is different, please explain...

TIA...

Sleepingtiger · Oct 21, 2021

radiata said:
Does your daily phyto dose consist of live phytoplankton (like maybe nannochoropolis?), dead bottled phyto plankton (like maybe Brightwell), or maybe "cyro~preserved" frozen pastes (like those from BSD https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/algae-pastes/)?

If you are using any of the above phyto sources, what is the size of your system, and what is the volume of the dose you recommend? If your source is different, please explain...

TIA...

I am not sure what I am doing is correct so don’t follow my lead, but I dose live phyto (nanno). About a cup every 3-4 days. My phyto culture works great. I produce about 1.5 gallons per week. 2 quarts go in a bottle. Half a gallon to restart my culture and the rest to feed my copepod. I have no idea how much copepod I add a week. Maybe a gallons worth of copepods. I clean my culture every Friday. I fill a 1 gallon glass jar halfway with phyto, add maybe two cups of copepods and the rest saltwater from the tank. By Wednesday, the copepod jar has already cleared. I either add more phyto or just let it sit until Friday. On Friday i pour maybe 3/4 of the jar into the sump. Some copepod cultures my require two weeks before harvest.
Not sure if it has anything to do with me dosing phyto and copepods, but my nitrates dropped dramatically. It is down to 3ppm from 30ppm within two weeks. And I have actually double my fish feeding. I might have to add more phyto cultures as I run out of phyto quickly. It’s only Wednesday and i already used up two quarts. That because one copepod jar clears up by Sunday. There were millions of pods in that jar. When I shined a flash light, the side glass would turn white as the pods are attracted to light.