Raising pods in a reactor?

[hardcorn77]

I have this reactor that I originally set up as a DIY algae reactor but have recently pulled it off the tank. I’m curious if I filled it with refuge rock from algae barn and introduced pods in it would it be a good place for them to grow and colonize in? I’m planning on running a smaller return pump from my sump and hanging the reactor on the back of my tank so it overflows directly into the display.

 

[ReefNutsThailand]

Interesting

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

IMO yes if you put rubble in it, they will colonize in the rubble. Similar with hob filters or canister filters that are filled with rubble, similar to rubble in the sump. Porous rock is the key. Good luck, sounds interesting.

 

[CedarReef]

Looks like a great idea, especially if you can exclude small pod predators like amphipods from the reactor.
The copepods I see in my tank graze on algae films on surfaces. Would you be supplying light to the reactor to grow algae films?

 

[hardcorn77]

Looks like a great idea, especially if you can exclude small pod predators like amphipods from the reactor.
The copepods I see in my tank graze on algae films on surfaces. Would you be supplying light to the reactor to grow algae films?

Only light would be from the over spill of my light above the tank. I had ordered some pods from algae barn but they are running way late so hopefully I still have enough alive to fire it up tonight.

 

[EnterName]

It might work, but I have read that yield improves drastically (at least for certain copepods) when there is a lot of horizontal surface area (so a large bottom surface). Yield is also "more dependent on surface area than volume of a culture.", so the reactor won't be optimal.

 

[hardcorn77]

It might work, but I have read that yield improves drastically (at least for certain copepods) when there is a lot of horizontal surface area (so a large bottom surface). Yield is also "more dependent on surface area than volume of a culture.", so the reactor won't be optimal.

I am filling it with those refuge rocks from algae barn so hoping that gives them plenty of areas to propagate.

 

[FUNGI]

It might work, but I have read that yield improves drastically (at least for certain copepods) when there is a lot of horizontal surface area (so a large bottom surface). Yield is also "more dependent on surface area than volume of a culture.", so the reactor won't be optimal.

Unless its run on its side......horizontally versus vertically....

 

[EnterName]

It might work, but I have read that yield improves drastically (at least for certain copepods) when there is a lot of horizontal surface area (so a large bottom surface). Yield is also "more dependent on surface area than volume of a culture.", so the reactor won't be optimal.

Unless its run on its side......horizontally versus vertically....

Still a cylinder so only the center will be level the rest will be at an angle. Filling it half way with sand would give the most horizontal surface but OP has a better idea of filling the whole thing with porous rocks. That probably works best.