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

[mistergray]

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.

 

[Durabane]

Do you have a fuge? do you dose live phyto to the tank as well as the clams?

No the Tank set up i have is just a 125 that I converted from fresh to salt for my daughter no sump or ref yet. I bought a couple pieces of live rock to jump start my dry rock and they were just covered in pods waiting a month before adding any fish so the Pods moved out to the rest of the rock

 

[Sleepingtiger]

I had a really good population of pods they were swarming over rocks you could see them with the naked eye. I got a Copper banded butterfly and within 2 weeks they were gone. Is there a good place to buy more? If Copper likes them that much should I Buy and Feed along with the Clams and Mysis I am feeding him at the moment still a fairly new tank.

you can buy from multiple sources, ebay, algaebarn, reefcleaners. Honestly, it will cost you a ton. I cultivate my own pods. I bought a phyto package and led light from amazon, three bottles of pods from ebay, five 1 gallon glass jars from walmart for a total of about $90. I produce 2 gallons of phyto and 3 jars of copepods per week. 1 gallon of phyto is used to start a new cultivation, half the copepods is used to restart a new batch. 1/2 a gallon of phyto is used to feed the new copepods cultivation.

So my actual production that I can use to dose my tank is about a gallon of pods, and 1/2 of phyto. If I had to buy what I produce on a weekly basis, it comes to about $70 in pods and $30 in phyto. It only takes about 30 minutes for me to start a new batch every week. Also, I am producing so much pods that I am selling them as well.

Only negative is that you have to start a new batch weekly. You can let the phyto go for more than 10days but you risk the culture crashing. Also, you need a fridge to store what you produce. I have five 16oz water bottles full of pods and 2 1qt jars of phyto in my fridge right now.

My goal is to have enough pods to support my copperband, 2 mandarins and several wrasses.

 

[Durabane]

this is the stage we are at now

 

[GARRIGA]

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.

If you're adding live algae to your tank that will deplete nutrients. Something I've done in the past.

 

[GARRIGA]

80 gal DT, 20 gal sump. feed 100 ml of live, Nannochloropsis phyto per day. Feed the equivalent of 1 16 oz Algae Barn jar of Tisbee pods per week. I grow both of these in separate tanks. Fug has a thriving culture of Amphipods. Tisbee pods are visible in the DT about 1 hour after full lights out. Mostly in the water column and feeding on the glass algae. Amphipods are present in the DT but not very visible and only after lights out. All of my fish eat pods and my Red Scooter is a fat little girl.

I would pass this opinion on for consideration. The cleaner and more pristine your tank is the harder it is to keep your pod level up. These things love detritus and green things to eat. So the more your rocks are covered with algae and other food the better. This is an ecosystem so the more we try to make it clean the less life it can support. The trick it to balance everything. If you want pristine and clean that is fine. However, that probably will not support a large amount or variety of pods and other zooplankton. After dark, my water column looks like a snow storm.

When I first started keeping fish in the early 70s the clinical approach was popular. Found a book on the natural approach and lucky to know others with greater knowledge than myself. Over the decades have discovered that natural is considerably better long term to clinical. Today's fish keep runs socks to remove detritus and skimmers to remove everything else. Large emphasis on mechanical to the point many have to now introduce nitrates, phosphates and trace elements to compensate.

Currently testing a theory I started in the mid 80s but didn't fully grasp until recently. If all goes as planned then my future display won't have socks or skimmers but lots of pods to help break down detritus and let everything cycle naturally. Why my substrate is Reborn as it creates naturlal hiding places for benthic pods to escape, feed and multiply. Have dry rock that isn't porous like live rock of old but enough crevices for pods to hide. Might even introduce the safe kind of Bristol worms to help decompose waste. Although have a feeling the pods will control that, given a way to survive. Trick might be to introduce them first.

 

[Durabane]

If you're adding live algae to your tank that will deplete nutrients. Something I've done in theIf I understand correctly I probably will never be able to get a culture set in the tank I would have to grow outside the tank and then import them in the feeding cycle

 

[Durabane]

So if I understand correctly I will probably never be able to set up a sustainable Culture in my tank I would need to set up a growing system outside the tank and just incorporate them into my feeding. My CBB basically cleaned out my tank in 2 weeks after 4 weeks of growth so that is what I need to aim for. Or buy Thru one of the places Sleeping tiger suggested. Thank you

 

[Sleepingtiger]

So if I understand correctly I will probably never be able to set up a sustainable Culture in my tank I would need to set up a growing system outside the tank and just incorporate them into my feeding. My CBB basically cleaned out my tank in 2 weeks after 4 weeks of growth so that is what I need to aim for. Or buy Thru one of the places Sleeping tiger suggested. Thank you

I have purchased pods from ebay and reefcleaners. Whatever they send me is always invisible to the naked eye as they are ridiculously small. If you were to add these to your tank, I am not sure the % will survive your mechanical filter and skimmer and grow large enough to be eaten by your copperband. I am very skeptical. I think you will need a huge fuge to allow the pods to mature and make it to the display.

 

[atomos]

Like others have said, I've used many other brands that all seem fine...but I tend to lean towards Algaebarn, Reef Nutrition, Algagen, and Jays Reef Bugs. Since some of them have a mix of different species, I try to mix up the coverage around the water column and bottom areas of the rocks/crevices. I get the sense our Coral Beauty, Hector's Goby and Rainfordi's Goby....enjoyed the Tisbee Biminiensis (crevices/bottom area; detritus and waste control) as well as the corals who catch a few them and also the Tigriopus Californicus.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

you can buy from multiple sources, ebay, algaebarn, reefcleaners. Honestly, it will cost you a ton. I cultivate my own pods. I bought a phyto package and led light from amazon, three bottles of pods from ebay, five 1 gallon glass jars from walmart for a total of about $90. I produce 2 gallons of phyto and 3 jars of copepods per week. 1 gallon of phyto is used to start a new cultivation, half the copepods is used to restart a new batch. 1/2 a gallon of phyto is used to feed the new copepods cultivation.

So my actual production that I can use to dose my tank is about a gallon of pods, and 1/2 of phyto. If I had to buy what I produce on a weekly basis, it comes to about $70 in pods and $30 in phyto. It only takes about 30 minutes for me to start a new batch every week. Also, I am producing so much pods that I am selling them as well.

Only negative is that you have to start a new batch weekly. You can let the phyto go for more than 10days but you risk the culture crashing. Also, you need a fridge to store what you produce. I have five 16oz water bottles full of pods and 2 1qt jars of phyto in my fridge right now.

My goal is to have enough pods to support my copperband, 2 mandarins and several wrasses.

Join a local reefing group on Facebook and you can give or sell your surplus of phytoplankton it's always in demand and a good way to interact with new reefers

 

[SlugSnorter]

Join a local reefing group on Facebook and you can give or sell your surplus of phytoplankton it's always in demand and a good way to interact with new reefers

Is there a good comprehensive guide to growing phyto somewhere?

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Is there a good comprehensive guide to growing phyto somewhere?

I use the KISS method. Keep It Simple Stupid

add tank water to a clean jar. Use RO water to clean jar. Now add phyto. I usually do a 30% phyto to 70% tap water mix. Add air pump, add fertilizer (F/2 from amazon) and cheap light and you're done.
When restarting a culture, only difference I do is clean the air tubing.

All this cleaning with rubbing alcohol, new batch of salt water, sacrifice a goat to the gods, is over the top.

My jar goes from very light green to dark green within a week.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Join a local reefing group on Facebook and you can give or sell your surplus of phytoplankton it's always in demand and a good way to interact with new reefers

I tried to post, dummy facebook shut down the ad saying I am trying to sell live animals

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

I tried to post, dummy facebook shut down the ad saying I am trying to sell live animals

Lol yup FB will do that try labeling it aquarium decorations

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Here is my favorite isopod: (we don't have any on exhibit at the moment though)

Giant isopods: They came from the deep

Many of the creatures of the deep ocean look like they belong in the marine version of the Star Wars bar scene. They are too alien to fit in elsewhere. ...

www.toledoblade.com

Jay

 

[elysics]

Here is my favorite isopod: (we don't have any on exhibit at the moment though)

Giant isopods: They came from the deep

Many of the creatures of the deep ocean look like they belong in the marine version of the Star Wars bar scene. They are too alien to fit in elsewhere. ...

www.toledoblade.com

Jay

So they are keepable? Or is it more a matter of dragging out their slow death? Aprevious poster said the lack of pressure isn't good for them

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So they are keepable? Or is it more a matter of dragging out their slow death? Aprevious poster said the lack of pressure isn't good for them

We had one live 9 years. I can usually keep them for 2 years or so, if they arrive in good condition. They need very cold temperatures and dim light. The smaller Bathynomus doderleini from Japan is a bit more active.
Jay

 

[Miami Reef]

Grrr. Culturing copepods and/or phytoplankton is too much work! It’s just not sustainable for me. I wish I could pay all the money in the world to buy those living green phytoplankton just for my skimmer to pull them out.

 

[Anihiel1]

Can i interest you in some magic amphipods? No idea where they came from or when, but one day I looked in the tank at night and the sand was moving. Since then they have only increased in numbers. There are thousands upon thousands of them. Teenytiny shrimps in every crevice of every rock and the entire sandbed. I can't vacuum enough of them out to make a dent. Nothing eats them. I think even my horseshoe crab is intimidated.
I fear their ultimate goal is become air-breathing so they can complete their diabolical plans of world domination.
Bonus, i have like -0- detritus now, so *shrug*