is starting a copepod and phytoplankton culture hard?

[Susan Edwards]

It's worth it when you are spending close to 100 bucks every 4-6 weeks. Same for the phyto. Anything to keep some expenses down lol's

 

[Hitchhik3r]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but is a pod culture necessary if you have a refugium in place? I am still new to this but I am hoping dumping a bottle of pods into my refugium once following but frequent feeding of phyto will be enough to keep a thriving pod population. If that is the case, I might just buy the poseidon kit for phyto culturing.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but is a pod culture necessary if you have a refugium in place? I am still new to this but I am hoping dumping a bottle of pods into my refugium once following but frequent feeding of phyto will be enough to keep a thriving pod population. If that is the case, I might just buy the poseidon kit for phyto culturing.

depends on your needs. I have a 2 sump system, with a refugium in the 2nd sump. Pods may or may not stay there as they do end up in your display (plus hard to tell if and what you have growing your fuge). With a mandarin, I wanted to be sure there were tons so now I harvest some almost weekly . At night now, I can see pods on my rocks and corals. I also want to get a dragonet and that means more pods. Plus wrasses eat them. So for me, culturing my own made sense money-wise

 

[ying yang]

Are you able to post some pictures? I’d love to see them!
unfortunately I doubt I’ll be able to start and outdoor culture for a while as it’s starting to get Little chilly in the mornings over here.

Outdoor pod breeding station.

Following on from my thread on how to breed pods outdoors during the summer months I thought I would make a pod breeding station. I bought 2 x 3000 lengths of decking. The 3x2 for the legs I already had. The clear 35ltr poly boxes with handles and lids I bought from ASDA, your Walmart for £8...

www.reef2reef.com

Thread here about starting outdoor pod station and some videos in it

 

[ying yang]

Video here from atoll

 

[ying yang]

More pods.

My outside pod culture has exploded. I have millions of pods following on from last year. I will have live pods to feed until late summer at least now. So easy to culture nothing could be easier. All that's needed is a container, I use one of those under bed storage boxes, old tank water,a leaf...

www.reef2reef.com

Think this is original thread he started where video came from.
He lives in Wales/ UK which gets very cold in winter and he just let's freeze over and it restarts next spring I guess ^_^

 

[jason24365]

Ive watched a few videos on copepod cultures as well as phytoplankton cultures. They all seem fairly straightforward.

bought this combo from BRS https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/poseidon-s-feast-oceanmagik-phytoplankton-algaebarn.html, I intend to start a pod culture with the live phyto and then starting a phytoplankton culture with what I have left over from the bottle.

this should work right? or am i missing something?

No it isn'nt hard. 99% of the time you do nothing to it. its setting up their enviroment for them to breed. real easy with info and products out there

 

[Koh23]

Is light strenght important for phyto?

I currently have 10w reflector, and i wonder can i boost production with stronger light?

 

[Susan Edwards]

Is light strenght important for phyto?

I currently have 10w reflector, and i wonder can i boost production with stronger light?

they don't need high light. I have the Poseidon system and have lights turned way down, as well as the air stone

 

[Koh23]

Way back i used clf bulb, but not sure how strong. And now i have only 10w flood led spare....

But it going soooooo slow with grotech phyto.... Two weeks, and culture is now yellowish-pale green...

 

[Hitchhik3r]

depends on your needs. I have a 2 sump system, with a refugium in the 2nd sump. Pods may or may not stay there as they do end up in your display (plus hard to tell if and what you have growing your fuge). With a mandarin, I wanted to be sure there were tons so now I harvest some almost weekly . At night now, I can see pods on my rocks and corals. I also want to get a dragonet and that means more pods. Plus wrasses eat them. So for me, culturing my own made sense money-wise

Hmm got it. I am hoping to get a pod population growing to feed one mandarinfish as well as enough to act as cleaners for my 100g tank. It sounds like a refugium may not be enough based on your experience.

Does anyone have the podnest from poseidon? I was thinking of throwing in a sponge filter into my sump to act as a pod home but are these podnests better?

 

[ocncheffy]

they don't need high light. I have the Poseidon system and have lights turned way down, as well as the air stone

How did you turn down the lights that are built onto the glass? I also have this system and it’s a simple plug n play.

 

[Susan Edwards]

If you buy the copepod set up (I got 2 phyto and 1 pod), it comes with a dimmer. Also I have 1 plug with 3 adapters, one for each jar.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Hmm got it. I am hoping to get a pod population growing to feed one mandarinfish as well as enough to act as cleaners for my 100g tank. It sounds like a refugium may not be enough based on your experience.

Does anyone have the podnest from poseidon? I was thinking of throwing in a sponge filter into my sump to act as a pod home but are these podnests better?

I thought I answered this. I do. First one got so clogged with algae I replaced it. 2nd one, I just pulled algae off. I only change out the liner a nd restart every month or so. I don't think the algae hurts the pods though. Chaeto works good and ulva lettuce for pod in refugiums. Plus rocks. A sponge--becareful there is no bacteria inhibiting c hemicals in the sponge--could work. Could even make more holes in it. But I just use rocks, media bags and chaeto

 

[PeterEde]

Not from my reading.
Largish Container.
Light
Bubbler
Heater optional
I'll be harvesting my first culture this weekend and start another

Large are pods, small brine

 

[Susan Edwards]

here's my set up and harvest today. I let the jar get filled by adding phyto every other day or so, then use a baster and suck out 2-3 inches. Then add an inch or so of new phyto and repeat until jar full. Sometimes I add half an inch of bottled water just to be sure salinity not too high. Then the phyto

Hard to see but it is solid little beasties. This is about a week since I started the batch over--took some for tank, poured thru sieve into a bowl (do a couple times so I can get rid of at least half the water) , added half new saltwater and rest the pods in original water. Then phyto till it is tinted green (3-4 inches or so from top

Jar was 3/4 full when I was done harvesting