Copepods in new DT?

[Skep18]

I have a pretty new DT setup. Its been up for maybe a month now. I've got some fish in it (transferred from a full QT) but no coral. Today I received some copepods. I am getting some phytoplankton and chaeto in next week. I am going to QT my chaeto.

I was considering adding most of the pods to the DT and adding some to the chaeto QT tank. It would be empty except for the water and the pods for a week. I can feed hikari algae pellets. My thought process is I'd like the refugium to be populated with pods when I transfer the chaeto to the DT sump.

1. Is this a dumb idea?
2. Will the pods eat the dissolved hikari algae pellets?
3. Will pods eat dead bottled phyto from the local Petco (assuming they have some)?
4. I don't have a habitat really in my sump at the moment for pods. Am I correct in thinking it doesn't seem like many pods of the three species (AlgaeBarn 5280 pods, TIGRIOPUS CALIFORNICUS, TISBE BIMINIENSIS, APOCYCLOPS PANAMENSIS) would naturally make it through the overflow to sufficiently populate the chaeto?

Right about now I am wishing I added phyto to my order but with chaeto out of stock, I waited on the phyto to make sure I got free shipping at Algae Barn.

 

[pdisner]

I have a pretty new DT setup. Its been up for maybe a month now. I've got some fish in it (transferred from a full QT) but no coral. Today I received some copepods. I am getting some phytoplankton and chaeto in next week. I am going to QT my chaeto.

I was considering adding most of the pods to the DT and adding some to the chaeto QT tank. It would be empty except for the water and the pods for a week. I can feed hikari algae pellets. My thought process is I'd like the refugium to be populated with pods when I transfer the chaeto to the DT sump.

1. Is this a dumb idea?
2. Will the pods eat the dissolved hikari algae pellets?
3. Will pods eat dead bottled phyto from the local Petco (assuming they have some)?
4. I don't have a habitat really in my sump at the moment for pods. Am I correct in thinking it doesn't seem like many pods of the three species (AlgaeBarn 5280 pods, TIGRIOPUS CALIFORNICUS, TISBE BIMINIENSIS, APOCYCLOPS PANAMENSIS) would naturally make it through the overflow to sufficiently populate the chaeto?

Right about now I am wishing I added phyto to my order but with chaeto out of stock, I waited on the phyto to make sure I got free shipping at Algae Barn.

Yes they may eat that, I don’t know for sure what is in them. Your best best is to pay a visit to Reed Mariculture’s site. There hey have product descriptions of their pods and detailed PDFs on how to Culture your own. The best thing to do is have a separate culture and add to your display. Each species of copepod is different, with different diets and needs. You’ll learn all that by visiting their site. They also sell a few species of copepods. One of them is the Apex pod, which will be your best bet if you just want to throw them in your aquarium and not have a seperate culture, which would give you a constant supply. I breed fish so I Culture the Apex pod currently. Faster Breeder. Tigger pods are a lot bigger and my favorite, but not suitable for breeding. They grow a little slower and they’re bigger which is a plus when you’re feeding adult fish like mandarins. Phytofeast or RG Complete will work with Apex pods. But others have eat only live species of phyto. I gave pics of Apex pods and other cool stuff with breeding fish in my Facebook page, @PaulsPodsAZ. I’m not a business, though someday hope to be. Just working on breeding several species of fish blennies, gobies, clowns, shrimp etc. It’s a BLAST. You can message me there too if you need any questions or advice, I love helping people be successful with pods. But I do know that if you want food and if you need pods and some really good info on Pods, how to Culture them, feed them etc go visit Reed Mariculture’s site. And they don’t eat Chaeto macroalgae. Only microalgae.

 

[James M]

I would most of the copepods to the fuge rather than dt

 

[pdisner]

Sorry man, most of the time they will last just for a bit, then get eaten. If you want to use that method the Apocylcopse Panamensis (Apex) copepods will be the best way to go. You’ll want to add some phyto (dead or alive). Reed makes a concentrate made of several species of algae.
You know a Copepod culture is very simple and not time consuming to keep. You just need to feed them once a day and top of water/exchange water.