Best way to grow copepods without refugium?

[razzpatazzz]

Essentially, my sump is too small for a refugium so I was hoping to find alternate ways to grow pods. So far people have recommended separate culture tank or rock rubble/marine pure in the sump. What does everyone recommend for pods?

[Mattb1612]

Santa Monica drop algae scrubber

 

 

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[AlanM]

grow lots of algae in your display or somewhere else.  They seem to like things to grab on to.  If I let the algae grow on the glass I can see it full of them when I scrape it.

[zygote2k]

Put a small rubble pile in one corner of the tank. They will be found there soon after....

[Origami]

Put a small rubble pile in one corner of the tank. They will be found there soon after....

+1. The rubble offers protection from larger predators.

 

Some people have even used hidden shower poufs for the same purpose. Stuff grows on the surface, offering food and protection for the pods.

 

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[razzpatazzz]

Santa Monica drop algae scrubber

 

 

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Interesting, its a fully submersible algae scrubber? I'll have to look it up a bit.

 

 

grow lots of algae in your display or somewhere else.  They seem to like things to grab on to.  If I let the algae grow on the glass I can see it full of them when I scrape it.

Yeah so far hasn't worked out for me. I didn't scrub the side and back for a week and still didn't see much. I've tried seeding tigger pods a bunch but no luck so far.

 

 

+1. The rubble offers protection from larger predators.

 

Some people have even used hidden shower poufs for the same purpose. Stuff grows on the surface, offering food and protection for the pods.

 

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So just a big mound of rubble in the corner of my tank will do? maybe surrounding a shower poufs like you mentioned?

[WheresTheReef]

How old is your tank? As it matures the pods will multiply. Are you trying to grow them faster for food?

[razzpatazzz]

How old is your tank? As it matures the pods will multiply. Are you trying to grow them faster for food?

Yup, trying to anyhow. It is about 10 months old at this point I think? I believe I set it up mid January.

[Origami]

The biggest issue that most of us have with keeping a vibrant pod population is that they're decimated by predators or starved in ultra low nutrient tanks. However, predation probably is the biggest issue, I suspect. A healthy population never really develops at the outset and very little cover is given to them for protection and breeding. That's why the rubble pile works and why a shower pouf works. They mostly provide a safe zone shielding them from predators. 

[razzpatazzz]

The biggest issue that most of us have with keeping a vibrant pod population is that they're decimated by predators or starved in ultra low nutrient tanks. However, predation probably is the biggest issue, I suspect. A healthy population never really develops at the outset and very little cover is given to them for protection and breeding. That's why the rubble pile works and why a shower pouf works. They mostly provide a safe zone shielding them from predators. 

I've been dosing live phyto from reef nutrition at 1/4 dose for a few days now, got many suggestions saying that it would help with pod population. I'll grab a pile of rubble from a store tomorrow and see if I can setup a pod haven. Anything specific I should keep in mind? Thank you for the suggestion

[Origami]

I've been dosing live phyto from reef nutrition at 1/4 dose for a few days now, got many suggestions saying that it would help with pod population. I'll grab a pile of rubble from a store tomorrow and see if I can setup a pod haven. Anything specific I should keep in mind? Thank you for the suggestion

I think that'll be good.

[zygote2k]

getting good, fresh live rock goes a long way to establishing the micro-life like pods and other small critters.

The majority of the rock available today just doesn't have the diversity that's really required to have an amazing tank.

 

Try to find some Pacific Live Rock that is shipped in water or get some aquacultured rock from TBA.

[razzpatazzz]

I think that'll be good.

On another note, what do you think about using chaeto reactors in place of a refugium for pods? Getting a lot of mixed feedback on it.

[Origami]

Never used one so don't know.

 

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[YHSublime]

On another note, what do you think about using chaeto reactors in place of a refugium for pods? Getting a lot of mixed feedback on it.

 

That sounds like an oddly complicated solution to a relatively easy problem. 

 

Go to Michaels and get you some plastic stitching canvas. I used those to make these pod condos in my old 150. Used to take them and rotate them back and forth from the sump to the DT. 

[razzpatazzz]

That sounds like an oddly complicated solution to a relatively easy problem.

 

Go to Michaels and get you some plastic stitching canvas. I used those to make these pod condos in my old 150. Used to take them and rotate them back and forth from the sump to the DT.

Oh that's a great idea, thanks for the tip. Did you have a refugium or dose phyto to help them grow? Or just let them do their own thing

[YHSublime]

Oh that's a great idea, thanks for the tip. Did you have a refugium or dose phyto to help them grow? Or just let them do their own thing

Nothing special. I've never had a fuge.

 

 

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