Strange issue... Can't seem to keep a pod colony...

[Rob Minion]

When I set up this 125G over a year ago, I started sterile. Dry rock, dry sand, no possibility of unwanted pests or hitchhikers. I went through a good long cycle and let everything begin to mature.

After a few months, I decided to add a refugium and added some ORA cultured chaeto and some Alga-Gen tisbe. I did have some hitchhikers in the chaeto. Nothing bad from what I could see. Mostly larger amphipods and tiny tube worms.

Initially, I had a tisbe blow up and had thousands on the glass and everywhere else. Upon adding a few pod eating fish, my numbers dropped drastically, as expected. What I didn't expect, was for all the pods in my refugium to disappear.

Fortunately, my Mandarin and Rainford eat frozen just fine. Anyway, I added 60 Oz. Of tisbe pods from an online vendor.

The quantity in the bags was not crazy, but acceptable. However, within 24 hours, there was little sign that I ever added anything. They seemingly instantly disappeared. I chocked it up to the unproven vendor or just a freak situation.

Now Just 2 days ago, I added 40 Oz. Of tigger and 40 Oz. Of tisbe from a pretty trusted vendor... Same result. Very few pods can be seen in the refugium and almost nothing has trickled into the main tank. What could be going on here?

My parameters are good. I have healthy coral, nems, shrimp, crabs and other inverts. I always thought pods were very hardy. How could everything else thrive and the pods crash so hard?

Any ideas here? Why would my pods thrive initially, yet seemingly disappear overnight every other time I add them?

 

[dbl]

This is a great question that I'm sorry I don't have an answer for, but share the issue. I've never been able to keep pods "alive". I'm signing up to see what others have to say. Thanks for asking the question. :)

 

[125gSW]

Same, bumping this too. I always have to restock/refuel the tanke and even then it feels like most just die/get eaten.

 

[theMeat]

Would suspect salt level but , hmm

Many pods are too small too see. Pregnant females are easier to see.

If you don’t replenish every year or so then no new dna and they start to lose reproductive abilities

Let lights go out. Half hour later put food in and wait a few minutes then put lights back on. Whatcha got?

Did you split amount of new pods between fuge and tank?

Did you acclimate?

Check your salinity against water pods arrive in

 

[dbl]

...Did you acclimate? Check your salinity against water pods arrive in

Don't want to hijack the OP's thread, but duh...I never even thought to do this. I've tried just fuge, split between fuge and display, and just display. But NEVER thought about checking salinity.

 

[falc]

I started my refugium with some Ulva lactuca and marine pure spheres so the pods have lots of hiding places. I also use some plastic knitting back to keep the adult pods "corralled" and to keep the macralgae from getting into other areas of the sump. It took a few weeks to get the colony to start multiplying enough to start supplying the DT. I started with a pod kit from Indo-Pacific Sea Farms and these guys have been breeding great for a few months now. I have also had very good luck with Algae barn copepods and macroalgae.

 

[Rob Minion]

Would suspect salt level but , hmm

Many pods are too small too see. Pregnant females are easier to see.

If you don’t replenish every year or so then no new dna and they start to lose reproductive abilities

Let lights go out. Half hour later put food in and wait a few minutes then put lights back on. Whatcha got?

Did you split amount of new pods between fuge and tank?

Did you acclimate?

Check your salinity against water pods arrive in

My salinity is always at 1. 026. I temperature acclimate by floating the bags, but have always heard acclimating for salinity is unnecessary... But perhaps that is bad information.

As for the visibility of the pods, I can always see the movement in the bag, but once it hits the refugium, no signs of life. Also, tigger pods are usually pretty visible and even those seem to have vanished.

Also, I don't add pods to the tank, only refugium. I want them to propagate as much as possible in safety before they become dinner.

 

[theMeat]

My salinity is always at 1. 026. I temperature acclimate by floating the bags, but have always heard acclimating for salinity is unnecessary... But perhaps that is bad information.

As for the visibility of the pods, I can always see the movement in the bag, but once it hits the refugium, no signs of life. Also, tigger pods are usually pretty visible and even those seem to have vanished.

Also, I don't add pods to the tank, only refugium. I want them to propagate as much as possible in safety before they become dinner.

Sounds like you did it right as can be
Yeah, easier to see in bag.
Probably not it, but maybe worth double checking your salinity readings against another means.
Pods can deal with a drop in salinity pretty well, but a sudden rise more than 2 points not.
Maybe fuge too clean? Meaning no food? Maybe fuge light creates too much temp swing locally?

 

[Rob Minion]

Sounds like you did it right as can be
Yeah, easier to see in bag.
Probably not it, but maybe worth double checking your salinity readings against another means.
If salinity that comes with pods is 2 points higher, not good. 2points lower not an issue.
Maybe fuge too clean? Meaning no food? Maybe fuge light creates too much temp swing locally?

At one point, I did consider my light could be heating them up. It may be the case, but my amphipods are thriving. Very strange...

 

[ca1ore]

I have generally found adding pods to be singularly useless ..... so I don’t bother anymore. I have also grown weary of the heroic efforts required to keep obligate pod eaters alive .... so I don’t bother anymore. I suppose some are fortunate to get a mandarin to take frozen, but even this is unlikely to succeed long-term. I have also noticed that, absent purchased additions, my tank goes through occasional periods of pod blooms (micro stars too) which seem uncorrelated to anything particular.

 

[Rob Minion]

So today, I just noticed something that adds to the weirdness...

I have a 10G that I use for QT of small fish and coral and I never broke it down from the last time I used it... Which was a few months ago.

I figured I might as well clean it out and put it up. About 20% of the water had evaporated... But I noticed some movement on the glass. I have pods in the QT.

Not sure how they got in there, but they are there. Not a lot, but a noticeable amount. This QT has seen total neglect and darkness. No temperature or salinity control... Yet I have pods.

This means there MUST be some issue in my refugium. Something is either killing them or choking them out almost instantly. What animal or organism could be doing this?

Are certain things toxic to tisbe? Is it even possible that the amphipods could devour THOUSANDS of pods in 2 days, before they ever even get to the DT?

I just can't see the variable. But I do know they are sustainable... Just not where I want them...

 

[Hermie]

This means there MUST be some issue in my refugium. Something is either killing them or choking them out almost instantly. What animal or organism could be doing this?

Are certain things toxic to tisbe? Is it even possible that the amphipods could devour THOUSANDS of pods in 2 days, before they ever even get to the DT?

I just can't see the variable. But I do know they are sustainable... Just not where I want them...

Well we are talking about micro organisms here... they have prey and predator just like larger animals. It's very possible you have some species of copepod or other animal that eats the tisbes. Salinity really shouldn't be affecting them if its within normal reef tank levels.

 

[Hermie]

I know this thread is old but it popped up in a search for "tigger pods"

I just want to add that if the OP has any mechanical filtration it could definitely be limiting the pods' ability to start a large population