Copepod refugium help

[yanni]

Hey all,

I’ve recently bought a Scooter Blenny for my Waterbox 20. He readily takes frozen food, been feeding him frozen copepods which he readily eats, and he picks at what live copepods he can find in my tank.

Id like to construct a refugium for breeding pods, but just a rubble refugium. I have no issues with nutrients, and don’t want to starve my tank if I add chaeto. I’m thinking either a rubble pile in tank, seeding with pods and feeding the tank phyto to feed the pods.

My second option is a HOB filter into my display, that has copepods seeded into it and rubble, allowing them to breed and then drift into the tank. Can then direct feed phyto to them.

I’m not sure which is more feasible, does anybody have any ideas that could work better, or any suggestions?

Pic of the cute lil guy

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Don’t underestimate the 1000s of homes your pods will find in your rock work. They often outbreed your fishes appetite.

 

[yanni]

Don’t underestimate the 1000s of homes your pods will find in your rock work. They often outbreed your fishes appetite.

I’ve just heard dragonets such a scooters or mandarins can eat 1000s in a day, so I’m trying to be over prepared

 

[Glenner’sreef]

So I have had a pair of spawning Mandarins for going on 3 years now. Also a Copperband Butterfly fish. All 3 fish are constantly looking and finding pods. So that’s why I’ll stick with my original thought, they (pods) will outbreed your fish’s appetites. I also haven’t seeded my tank in years. Not that you couldn’t? $50 once a year, cheaper than dog food!!! Good luck.

 

[yanni]

So I have had a pair of spawning Mandarins for going on 3 years now. Also a Copperband Butterfly fish. All 3 fish are constantly looking and finding pods. So that’s why I’ll stick with my original thought, they (pods) will outbreed your fish’s appetites. I also haven’t seeded my tank in years. Not that you couldn’t? $50 once a year, cheaper than dog food!!! Good luck.

Will have to give it a try! I only have a 20g, so will monitor closely. Do you feed phyto to the tank for the pods?

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Will have to give it a try! I only have a 20g, so will monitor closely. Do you feed phyto to the tank for the pods?

No phyto. I have a 180g 12 fish, mixed corals, clam, Gorgonians, snails/crabs. I feed frozen foods and dry seaweed and reef roids for corals.

 

[yanni]

No phyto. I have a 180g 12 fish, mixed corals, clam, Gorgonians, snails/crabs. I feed frozen foods and dry seaweed and reef roids for corals.

Oo lovely. Hopefully the much smaller 20g size will keep it maintained. I think I’ll just keep an eye on the dragonet, if he starts looking skinny then I know the pods aren’t reproducing quickly enough

 

[AlgaeBarn]

@yanni Have you looked into hang on refugiums instead of HOB filters? You could put biofilter media in there like marine pure blocks and seed your copepods in there as well as the tank I would also many consider hatching baby brine for it since it isn't picky and diversifying his food can give the pods a break here and there from being constantly eaten

 

[SlugSnorter]

Don’t underestimate the 1000s of homes your pods will find in your rock work. They often outbreed your fishes appetite.

not in a 20G with a mandarin IMO

 

[SlugSnorter]

Oo lovely. Hopefully the much smaller 20g size will keep it maintained. I think I’ll just keep an eye on the dragonet, if he starts looking skinny then I know the pods aren’t reproducing quickly enough

a 20 gal will NOT have enough pods to feed a mandarin alone. IDK what that guy was talking about. A fuge could help, a pod culture would be better

 

[desertrat505]

Look into in tank refugiums

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Okay so here’s where I’m trying to come from. We’ve all heard of the idea of compounding interest yes? And we also know that if you simply “double” a $1 (dollar) like 30 times? Example: 1-2-4-8-16-32-64-128 etc etc. you arrive at over a billion and a half dollars when you double your one dollar bill 29 times!!! Multiplication in math is crazy! So here is a single copepod female ready to produce 40! Not like the $1 example but 40 eggs. And begin the multiplication process. And that’s just one mature female copepod. Maybe you have 10 female pods or 50? I personally think the numbers are staggering. Copepods, not Amphipods. Copepods are tiny little animals that can easily find a million places to hide and multiply in your 20 or my 180. Fuges and raising pods externally are great. Or just buy a bottle every couple of months. Either way we’ve got to take care of our fish. And my 3 fat fish are saying. “It’s all in the math”. Lol
In all fairness to Slugsnorter, I have a very protected 40 gallon sump, no fuge, but they’re down there too!

 

[afrokobe]

@yanni Have you looked into hang on refugiums instead of HOB filters? You could put biofilter media in there like marine pure blocks and seed your copepods in there as well as the tank I would also many consider hatching baby brine for it since it isn't picky and diversifying his food can give the pods a break here and there from being constantly eaten

seconding this. I run a cpr aquatics aquafuge small with a bunch of marine pure blocks in the back for copepods. No complaints and it grows hair algae for nutrient export.

 

[yanni]

@yanni Have you looked into hang on refugiums instead of HOB filters? You could put biofilter media in there like marine pure blocks and seed your copepods in there as well as the tank I would also many consider hatching baby brine for it since it isn't picky and diversifying his food can give the pods a break here and there from being constantly eaten

That's a really good idea!! Admittedly, I didn't look into that, but I think that'll be my next approach. I'll probably look at a brine shrimp hatchery soon, may be a good lil project and food source! Appreciate the help

 

[yanni]

a 20 gal will NOT have enough pods to feed a mandarin alone. IDK what that guy was talking about. A fuge could help, a pod culture would be better

Sadly don't really have the room for a pod culture, but he readily takes frozen food which is good. I think I'll go with the refugium, always better to have more than needed

 

[yanni]

seconding this. I run a cpr aquatics aquafuge small with a bunch of marine pure blocks in the back for copepods. No complaints and it grows hair algae for nutrient export.

That's an awesome point, never considered it growing pest algae even as a form of nutrient export

 

[minus9]

You can also choose a macro algae that’s slow growing, thus not soaking up too many nutrients. Plus, macros need trace elements just as much as they need nutrients. Plastic mesh media is great for keeping pods secure.

 

[yanni]

You can also choose a macro algae that’s slow growing, thus not soaking up too many nutrients. Plus, macros need trace elements just as much as they need nutrients. Plastic mesh media is great for keeping pods secure.

I didn’t consider that. Do you know of any slow growing macros algae, I know next to nothing about macro algae haha

 

[SlugSnorter]

I didn’t consider that. Do you know of any slow growing macros algae, I know next to nothing about macro algae haha

Blue hypnea

 

[minus9]

I think most Gracilaria are slower growers compared to others, halipton (red palm) is another.