Tigger Pod acclimation?

[Zabbie]

I currently have a planted half-gallon tank with pet brine shrimp. I've tried adding tigger pods before, but they perished very quickly.

When I added them to the tank they all floated to the top initially, which I think was due to the water they came in actually being lower saline than the water in the tank (the opposite of what I anticipated).

I've been told that they often will initially die out from shock, but that their eggs will quickly replace them. This hasn't been the case so far in my tank, and its been over 4 months.

I'd like to try adding them again, how would I go about acclimating them?

 

[Reef Nutrition]

I currently have a planted half-gallon tank with pet brine shrimp. I've tried adding tigger pods before, but they perished very quickly.

When I added them to the tank they all floated to the top initially, which I think was due to the water they came in actually being lower saline than the water in the tank (the opposite of what I anticipated).

I've been told that they often will initially die out from shock, but that their eggs will quickly replace them. This hasn't been the case so far in my tank, and its been over 4 months.

I'd like to try adding them again, how would I go about acclimating them?

I have to leave for the day, but I am going to take this question on tomorrow. Many of the things you are experiencing are not common. These animals are very hardy, so I will need to dive deeper into what you are experiencing.

Chad

 

[Reef Nutrition]

I currently have a planted half-gallon tank with pet brine shrimp. I've tried adding tigger pods before, but they perished very quickly.

When I added them to the tank they all floated to the top initially, which I think was due to the water they came in actually being lower saline than the water in the tank (the opposite of what I anticipated).

I've been told that they often will initially die out from shock, but that their eggs will quickly replace them. This hasn't been the case so far in my tank, and its been over 4 months.

I'd like to try adding them again, how would I go about acclimating them?

Hey there,

When you put the Tigger-Pods in the tank, were they alive and active? What salinity is your system? This animal has a very high tolerance for different salinities, which is why we work with them. They can be put in freshwater for 30 minutes without dying!

This copepod doesn't die from shock when added to a tank. Not sure who is saying that, but it is unfounded. Plus, the eggs need to be attached to the female for the embryo to survive to hatch. The embryos hatch off the female, they aren't laid or broadcasted. So if the female was dead, the eggs would perish.

Next time you buy a bottle, acclimate them to room temperature and simply pour them in after you turn off all the pumps after lights out. Leave the pumps off for 30 minutes.

We also have another species that you could combine with the Tigger-Pods. Our Apocyclops panamensis are another great copepod that we added to our product offerings earlier this year. We call them Apex-Pods: https://reefnutrition.com/product_apex_pods.php.

If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Best,
Chad

 

[Zabbie]

Hey there,

When you put the Tigger-Pods in the tank, were they alive and active? What salinity is your system? This animal has a very high tolerance for different salinities, which is why we work with them. They can be put in freshwater for 30 minutes without dying!

This copepod doesn't die from shock when added to a tank. Not sure who is saying that, but it is unfounded. Plus, the eggs need to be attached to the female for the embryo to survive to hatch. The embryos hatch off the female, they aren't laid or broadcasted. So if the female was dead, the eggs would perish.

Next time you buy a bottle, acclimate them to room temperature and simply pour them in after you turn off all the pumps after lights out. Leave the pumps off for 30 minutes.

We also have another species that you could combine with the Tigger-Pods. Our Apocyclops panamensis are another great copepod that we added to our product offerings earlier this year. We call them Apex-Pods: https://reefnutrition.com/product_apex_pods.php.

If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Best,
Chad

Thanks so much for the response! Yes the tigger pods were very active in the bottle they came in, and for most of the first day. I did temperature acclimate them for a few hours, maybe not long enough?
I'm not exactly sure what the salinity is in my tank, I've been meaning to test that for a while. Following the directions my brine shrimp came with, my half-gallon has 1 level tablespoon of salt to every cup of water.

 

[JoshH]

Thanks so much for the response! Yes the tigger pods were very active in the bottle they came in, and for most of the first day. I did temperature acclimate them for a few hours, maybe not long enough?
I'm not exactly sure what the salinity is in my tank, I've been meaning to test that for a while. Following the directions my brine shrimp came with, my half-gallon has 1 level tablespoon of salt to every cup of water.

What type of salt are you using?

 

[Reef Nutrition]

What type of salt are you using?

Good question! You beat me to it. LOL

Chad

 

[Zabbie]

It was a mixture of Celtic salt, epsom salt and pH buffer.

 

[JoshH]

It was a mixture of Celtic salt, epsom salt and pH buffer.

This I feel is your issue, (I'll wait for Chad @Reef Nutrition to confirm it though as I might be off) But I would think picking up a good refractometer and some cheap aquarium salt (Instant Ocean) will be much better for pods and your shrimp...

Do you have any test kits or any thing? Do you do water changes?

 

[Reef Nutrition]

I agree. Aquarium salt would be much more ideal. I have no experience with them in the salts you mentioned. I'd be very curious to know what your salinity is.

Chad

 

[Zabbie]

Hey all, I'm back with salinity results: 1.030 specific gravity. Also I recently added some red macroalgae which seems to be adjusting nicely, even began to pearl the other day (is that normal for macroalgae?)
I tried adding in copepods again and the same thing happened, brine shrimp are still going strong though.

 

[Clownfish2]

I would recommend the following:
1. Use saltwater aquarium salt such as instant ocean salt
2. Feed brown phytoplankton, spirulina powder, or micronized coral food. It’s best to keep the water tinted with “phytoplankton”
3. Culture the copepods by themselves. The cultures will crash with other zooplankton in the same container.

Here are my cultures:

 

[Zabbie]

Update! I slowly brought the salinity down to 1.023 specific gravity, and attempted adding tigger pods again. So far so good!