Copepods Dream House

[reefinginBD]

Hi there, I will be setting up a 150 gallon mixed reef tank and I will be putting 4 Maxspect Plates between the baffles. This will be the main biological media in my tank. In the refugium area (last chamber before the return pump) I want copepods to grow. I want it to be a semi-cryptic refugium, so I want to know what will be the best place for copepods to stay? Will they prefer to stay in rubble rock or sand? Of sand is better then I will put sand in a plastic container so that it is easier to take out and if it is rubble rock then I will just leave it there in refugium area. Please let me know, thank you!

 

[unchaotic]

Mine have never cared about substrate, they'll live in clean plastic boxes as long as it's somewhere dark near the algae. I'd just go with the rock rubble.

 

[Blue Cheese]

Hi there, I will be setting up a 150 gallon mixed reef tank and I will be putting 4 Maxspect Plates between the baffles. This will be the main biological media in my tank. In the refugium area (last chamber before the return pump) I want copepods to grow. I want it to be a semi-cryptic refugium, so I want to know what will be the best place for copepods to stay? Will they prefer to stay in rubble rock or sand? Of sand is better then I will put sand in a plastic container so that it is easier to take out and if it is rubble rock then I will just leave it there in refugium area. Please let me know, thank you!

Simply a sponge filter in your sump you’ll later use in your quarantine tank,3 pack off Amazon for like 10 bucks,when you use one shake it out and replace it with another for future,my refugium has rubble,rock,mud,sand,I see them on the sponges the most

 

[reefinginBD]

Mine have never cared about substrate, they'll live in clean plastic boxes as long as it's somewhere dark near the algae. I'd just go with the rock rubble.

I see thank you so much! I won’t be adding chaeto to the tank so do you think that will be ok? Like will they be ok without the algae?

 

[unchaotic]

I see thank you so much! I won’t be adding chaeto to the tank so do you think that will be ok? Like will they be ok without the algae?

They'll pretty much hang out anywhere there is detritus. I personally have no experience with keeping them in any kind of cryptic area but I do recall having some in my cannister filter back when I used it.

 

[reefinginBD]

Simply a sponge filter in your sump you’ll later use in your quarantine tank,3 pack off Amazon for like 10 bucks,when you use one shake it out and replace it with another for future,my refugium has rubble,rock,mud,sand,I see them on the sponges the most

Ah I see. Do you use an air pump and plug it into the sponge filter? Or did you just leave it in there without any air pump?

 

[reefinginBD]

They'll pretty much hang out anywhere there is detritus. I personally have no experience with keeping them in any kind of cryptic area but I do recall having some in my cannister filter back when I used it.

I see thank you so much!

 

[Blue Cheese]

Ah I see. Do you use an air pump and plug it into the sponge filter? Or did you just leave it in there without any air pump?

No air pump,I leave them in there to seed bacteria for when I need to quarantine something I have a bio filter ready,and it helps new fish to eat because copepods are available

 

[EricR]

Newbie question:
Does cryptic mean you're going for live sponges or just that it'll be dark?

 

[reefinginBD]

No air pump,I leave them in there to seed bacteria for when I need to quarantine something I have a bio filter ready,and it helps new fish to eat because copepods are available

Okie thank you so much!

 

[reefinginBD]

Newbie question:
Does cryptic mean you're going for live sponges or just that it'll be dark?

I am still not 100 percent clear on the cryptic zone, but as far as I know, it is a dark place with not too strong flow. Here things like sponges thrive and filter feed. This is apparently supposed to make the water clearer but I may be wrong. But I will be making a semi cryptic zone, so like there will be some lights. For me it will basically be an area where the copepods will grow and there will be some bio media that is all. I won’t be adding chaeto for a while unless I need it.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

rubble rock is ideal for copepods