Accidental population of copepods?

[Kelsey Fletcher]

Ok so my 55 is well over a year in age and about 2 months ago I was looking at my live rock and noticed that I had literally thousands of copepods on my rock. Now, the strange part is I have never put a copepod in my tank. Ever. Could I have gotten it from water from when I bought a fish and there were copepods in that water and it somehow got into the tank? it still confuses me to this day and was wondering if its ever happened to anyone else!?

 

[sfin52]

Most likely lr or coral. Most people put them in to make population bigger for fish.

 

[Alfrareef]

Most likely lr or coral. Most people put them in to make population bigger for fish.

+1
That’s great for a Mandarin provided you have a good population.

 

[Coralsea_co]

Have you recently used bacterial solutions?
My friend got this problem when using Denitrol (JBL) !

 

[Rakie]

It's not possible to keep them out unless you never add anything to your tank.

 

[Kelsey Fletcher]

Have you recently used bacterial solutions?
My friend got this problem when using Denitrol (JBL) !

Nope, never used any!

 

[Kelsey Fletcher]

+1
That’s great for a Mandarin provided you have a good population.

Oh, it's booming in there! I got one out and threw it under my microscope to see what kind it is to see if it is preferred by mandarins and it is! haha its convenient because I was planning on getting 2 mandarins anyways so that's 20$ less.

 

[jabberwock]

My population only lasted for a week, and then they died off, or got ate. I had literally thousands in a 32 gallon biocube.

 

[Kelsey Fletcher]

My population only lasted for a week, and then they died off, or got ate. I had literally thousands in a 32 gallon biocube.

I've had this population for about 2 months that I know of now and I got 2 fire shrimp about 3 weeks ago to see how the population would do with some shrimp eating a few and they've done fine so far! I do plan on grabbing a handful and starting a farm with it just so I can get a loop of them going so I never run out! Did you buy yours or find them randomly in your tank?

 

[Oshengems]

They never really completely die out, if you used old LR or added plugs and others corals to your tank you most likely got them but my previous tank I did not add but sure did populate fast, when you hear people adding pods it’s just to “speed up” the maturity balance in our tanks which pods can tell you a lot about your tanks age. Even when we “don’t” see them they still there they hide everywhere and anywhere on your rocks on the sand bed etc. def could add a mandarin or 2. I added my mandarin when
My tank was about 5-6 months old with 1k pods “to seed” (although I had a bunch already) and haven’t added more since, few people here told me he will be dead in a few months beacaue I need to constantly add pods that’s bananas, they are not as out as they were before but my mandarin still picking rocks so I know they still there, I added a six line and my Multibar angel fish has a thing for lil things that move. You should def be good and ready for a mandarin

 

[dansreef]

Have you ever put a coral frag, colony, mushroon or anything else in your tank? Also, if you had any live rock from another tank, they can come in on that too. It is a good thing to have pods.

 

[Kelsey Fletcher]

Have you ever put a coral frag, colony, mushroon or anything else in your tank? Also, if you had any live rock from another tank, they can come in on that too. It is a good thing to have pods.

I have put two frags of coral in about 4 months ago but didn't notice the population until about 2 months ago which the frags were the last thing that had gone into the tank. I know I'm super stoked that I got them for free and they're doing great!

 

[jabberwock]

I've had this population for about 2 months that I know of now and I got 2 fire shrimp about 3 weeks ago to see how the population would do with some shrimp eating a few and they've done fine so far! I do plan on grabbing a handful and starting a farm with it just so I can get a loop of them going so I never run out! Did you buy yours or find them randomly in your tank?

Random. Now I have Collinista snails instead.

 

[Kelsey Fletcher]

Random. Now I have Collinista snails instead.

huh. Thats interesting

 

[jabberwock]

huh. Thats interesting

I think I got them them from coral frags. i was not dipping or doing qt.

 

[John3]

I had a population explosion as well. The interesting thing was that it coincided with a GHA outbreak. I noticed the pods really loved to hangout inside the GHA.

When my GHA was gone, so were most of the pods.

 

[Kelsey Fletcher]

Huh that’s interesting. I haven’t had a chance outbreak yet

I had a population explosion as well. The interesting thing was that it coincided with a GHA outbreak. I noticed the pods really loved to hangout inside the GHA.

When my GHA was gone, so were most of the pods.

uh

 

[garbled]

For a good time, take a small flashlight, cover it with red clear plastic, so it shines red, and late at night shine it into the little holes and caves of the rockwork. Night is when the real pod party starts.

I often run an autofeeder set to drop a small amount of food in the tank in the dead of night, just to feed the little guys. Don't feed too much, just a tiny bit. Fun to watch the larger ones fight over a pellet.

 

[Kelsey Fletcher]

For a good time, take a small flashlight, cover it with red clear plastic, so it shines red, and late at night shine it into the little holes and caves of the rockwork. Night is when the real pod party starts.

I often run an autofeeder set to drop a small amount of food in the tank in the dead of night, just to feed the little guys. Don't feed too much, just a tiny bit. Fun to watch the larger ones fight over a pellet.

huh, that sounds fun! I might try it! I don't have an auto feeder though so I'll just throw a few pellets in there.

 

[sfin52]

I feed my tank phytoplankton right before lights out. They love that stuff. I found pods on lr and bought those pieces .