Increasing copepod and amphipods population

[Jhead85]

Looking for ways to increase pod population..use to notice tons but see one here and there now any suggestions..fyi I have a biocube 29

[khh27]

Getyourpods.com they run bogo on 1200 pods regularly. Set a fug with chaeto. And you will create a sustainable population.

[Jhead85]

Yea I made a fuge about a month ago so will see what happens

[khh27]

Order some of those pods there great. Best pods you could buy IMO. Expecially when BOGO

[khh27]

I dumped one bag of 1200 in about a month ago into some chaeto and they exploded. When lights out in display they come out the wood works(or rock in this case:) )

[Squishie89]

Getyourpods.com they run bogo on 1200 pods regularly. Set a fug with chaeto. And you will create a sustainable population.

Are their pods copepods or amphipods or both? (Despite what they say, there is a difference and it does matter.)

Edited April 5, 2015 by Squishie89

[khh27]

Both

[khh27]

They are currently running a special on the 1200 pod order for 30.99 with a free porcelain crab and sea lettace

[smallreef]

Also, look into making some pod motels...

Basically rubble rock encased in gutter guard or plastic screen all around that will keep them safe from fish and such...

[gmerek2]

Pretty much in a 29g tank if there is a single pod eating fish it will continue to deplete the population almost completely unless there is a fishless area in th display like small reef is talking about. I'm convinced that pods don't live after getting pumped through a pump (getting sucked in sump pump and shot out in display)

[dave w]

+1 to gmerek.  In my experience copepods lose their antennae in pumps and don't survive very long.  Amphipods tend to hold onto the substrate well enough to avoid the pumps but their larvae are pelagic (free swimming) so they tend to diminish after the first generation.   If you have many planktivores in 29 gallons I would think it would be hard to keep them fed without supplements.  You might consider  the benthic (bottom dwelling) tigriopus copepods, they are fairly large for copepods and can be kept on live phyto in some 1 gallon containers.  They might be kept on inert food also.  

[Jhead85]

Any way to breed them outside the tank and if so how easy or hard

[wangspeed]

I've ordered from both getyourpods and reefs2go and they are pretty much all amphipods. Nothing wrong with that, but set your expectations.

 

I'm terrible at culturing copepods. I tried since I no longer have a fuge. I see life in the 2 liter bottle I used, not not swarming.

 

Algaebarn is great for dedicated copepods.

 

 

--

Warren

[gmerek2]

Any way to breed them outside the tank and if so how easy or hard

They reproduced very fast in my fishless frag tank but collecting them was difficult and impractical. the best way is to grow chaeto in sump/fuge and every few days take chaeto out and shake it in display water. A couple pods will abandon ship! Only problems with this is the chaeto shaking in water can release some stuff, dirt, or pooh that got stuck in it. I usually just pick up some live brine or black worms at LFS so the fish can get a nice live treat

[dave w]

If you put your fuge above your tank and let the live animals overflow with the water into your tank, the amphipods and copepods will help feed your tank.