Tigger & Tisbe Pods

[Kyl]

Hmm, that much after a day. I'll give the water a test and see, might have been too much spirulina. They are zipping all over though.

 

[Kyl]

@40B Knasty You were correct about the ammonia, it was reading and showed on the alert badge today. Hard to imagine that ~3 days incurred that much build up, but perhaps I over-fed the tank/culture initially. Still need to refine my draining method a bit, but replaced about 80% of the water with fresh salt and it's not detectable. Added some seeded matrix (AF life bio fil) and some seachem stability so hopefully it can be kept in check. They consume this spirulina rather quickly, the tank was almost clear except for some light settlement when I got home today.

 

[40B Knasty]

@40B Knasty You were correct about the ammonia, it was reading and showed on the alert badge today. Hard to imagine that ~3 days incurred that much build up, but perhaps I over-fed the tank/culture initially. Still need to refine my draining method a bit, but replaced about 80% of the water with fresh salt and it's not detectable. Added some seeded matrix (AF life bio fil) and some seachem stability so hopefully it can be kept in check. They consume this spirulina rather quickly, the tank was almost clear except for some light settlement when I got home today.

I just added another fresh full bottle that was 2 days old at the store. So pretty soon my 20g will be blowing up and I will be adding more water when it does. I also have a ball of cheato growing now in the 20g that I took from my display tank.

 

[40B Knasty]

@Kyl, your seeded matrix may seem like a good idea, but doesn't the matrix need a flow over it/on it/through it to convert NO²?

 

[Kyl]

I'd like to get to a point where I can move these to the mason jar spigot style set up I had intended to do phyto with, so I can just pour a small shot glass / feeder cup amount out and dump it into the tank. I figure whatever funk they're making in the water will be fine for the tank and won't have to worry about messing with straining them out, etc. Replacing a cup of salt water a week is no problem. Wish I had stumbled upon this sooner, going to dump them in the sump for the first few times so they can get to work on the detritus and settling into the refugium.

@Kyl, your seeded matrix may seem like a good idea, but doesn't the matrix need a flow over it/on it/through it to convert NO²?

It probably requires some segment of flow, and not anywhere as efficient as something in high flow like a reactor, but at this point it can't hurt anything.

 

[40B Knasty]

I'd like to get to a point where I can move these to the mason jar spigot style set up I had intended to do phyto with, so I can just pour a small shot glass / feeder cup amount out and dump it into the tank. I figure whatever funk they're making in the water will be fine for the tank and won't have to worry about messing with straining them out, etc. Replacing a cup of salt water a week is no problem. Wish I had stumbled upon this sooner, going to dump them in the sump for the first few times so they can get to work on the detritus and settling into the refugium.


It probably requires some segment of flow, and not anywhere as efficient as something in high flow like a reactor, but at this point it can't hurt anything.

You could always put a net/ screen over the Mason jar. Open up the tap and let them fall into the screen and dump the funky water. Then turn the net inside out over the mason jar. Take some of your DT water and put it in a cup. Use a turkey baster and suck up 1oz of the tank water from the cup and spray it into the net dropping the pods into the Mason jar with DT water.

 

[BigCitySmallReef]

I've had good luck so far with Tigger Pods: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/first-try-at-culturing-copepods.401401/

 

[Nart]

Thanks a lot to @40B Knasty for answering a lot of my questions.

Here’s my tigger pod setup. Have my fingers crossed!

 

[40B Knasty]

I am back folks. Going bigger and hopefully better. Painted the tank back wall and bottom for better viewing. Cleaned out all the Tisbe pods from my life. Do a 20g tank. Only 3 gallons in. It will rise up as the population does.

 

[Kyl]

Well, I have to say there are visibly a lot more, especially tiny ones. Someone's been getting busy in the tank. Going to wait another few weeks then try to start seeding my refugium in the DT. I think it will be a while before I actually add any to the main display, want these to explode population wise.
brownchickenbrowncow by Kyl, on Flickr

 

[40B Knasty]

Well, I have to say there are visibly a lot more, especially tiny ones. Someone's been getting busy in the tank. Going to wait another few weeks then try to start seeding my refugium in the DT. I think it will be a while before I actually add any to the main display, want these to explode population wise.
brownchickenbrowncow by Kyl, on Flickr

Looking good! A lot of little ones running around there. It doesn't take long. 2k turns into 30k in a month easy

 

[domination2580]

For some reason video is not uploading.... but holy cow have the brine shrimp taken off... multiple pairs breeding right now and man o man the babbies have taken off.... thousands...

 

[domination2580]

And copepods have taken off substantially too.... thousands

 

[40B Knasty]

For some reason video is not uploading.... but holy cow have the brine shrimp taken off... multiple pairs breeding right now and man o man the babbies have taken off.... thousands...

I am having the same problem. I can't watch videos on here anymore. Even the last one I posted.
Glad to hear about you pods. The brine I haven't tried to get them into adult stage. Maybe once but it took to long for the efforts.

 

[domination2580]

U can see the egg sacs on the big ones, the last pic is of the babies and smaller generation

 

[domination2580]

Mine have a lot of air going to them....

 

[Kyl]

So I added the pods on June 1st, today the tank is teeming with them. Most of the adults seem to be hanging around near the top of the tank, this is at the bottom where the youngsters seem to be mostly. I have increased the water volume about 40% since my last post/picture, the tank is getting packed with these guys.



Thanks again @40B Knasty for this thread!

 

[40B Knasty]

So I added the pods on June 1st, today the tank is teeming with them. Most of the adults seem to be hanging around near the top of the tank, this is at the bottom where the youngsters seem to be mostly. I have increased the water volume about 40% since my last post/picture, the tank is getting packed with these guys.



Thanks again @40B Knasty for this thread!

Your pod colony is definitely on the right track and how easy is this! Nice post. Keep them coming.

 

[40B Knasty]

Things are looking great right now. Pods are blowing up. I am going to need more water volume if this keeps up. At about 6g from 3-4 gallons. Just spent a second to check on them and there has to be at least 40k in there. Here are pictures from right now and they have blown up another 1/4 since the video 3 days ago.

 

[Kyl]

I'm at about 26 days now, and the difference is quite striking. I do think there has been a bit of die-off as it seems there was a bit of an ammonia spike this past weekend, but they're still thicker than when I posted last week. That's basically the only trouble I'm having right now, ammonia. I'm hesitant to put tank media in there as I don't want to contaminate the culture, so for now water changes about every four days is what I'm doing.

What I do need to do is get a sieve so I can just scoop the adults out for now, but next week I intend to start putting these guys in the DT sump. There is a bunch of detritus there for them to feast on, so hopefully they can continue taking off there. Trying to use one of those mason jar dispensers as a second culture with a few scoops from the first, but I think just getting another 2.5 gallon tank will be an easier, more practical way to do this.

Have to say it again, thanks so much for this thread.