Copepods ???

[R.Weller]

If you still have some of the live phytoplankton, consider starting your own culture. There are many great examples here on R2R, & it will provide balanced nutrition for your Pod colony.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

If you still have some of the live phytoplankton, consider starting your own culture. There are many great examples here on R2R, & it will provide balanced nutrition for your Pod colony.

I have been doing a little reading on this... I am really close to finishing up some equipment upgrades. My tank is almost 5 months old now and I have been prepping it to handle SPS While it matures. The only thing I still need to add is a refugium after I finish setting up ...lol... everything else. I have been struggling with the calibration of one of my probes still. : ( Meh....

i guess I am saying I am already feeling a bit overwhelmed just keeping up with the research on the changes I am making right now : ) I do see myself doing my own cultures for things like this in the coming months.

 

[R.Weller]

I have been doing a little reading on this... I am really close to finishing up some equipment upgrades. My tank is almost 5 months old now and I have been prepping it to handle SPS While it matures. The only thing I still need to add is a refugium after I finish setting up ...lol... everything else. I have been struggling with the calibration of one of my probes still. : ( Meh....

i guess I am saying I am already feeling a bit overwhelmed just keeping up with the research on the changes I am making right now : ) I do see myself doing my own cultures for things like this in the coming months.

By all means, take it slow. I manually dosed using Seachem's Phyto ordered from Amazon until I was in a position (only recently w/ the added time on our hands) to start my own live cultures. A 2L bottle of Seachem will run $30-$35 but does not need to be kept in the fridge & will last longer on the shelf. Phyto is the bottom of the food chain, & some will debate the necessity; however, it makes up a part of their natural diet, which, I'm inclined to believe, will provide a healthier reef.

We also tend to impulse buy things w/o knowing or researching the husbandry requirements at the time. We bought a flame scallop (amazing creature) w/o reading & learned that it only feeds on phyto. We have had healthy Pod cultures for a few years that have thrived w/o phyto. It's only recently there is the benefit of the added nutrition.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

By all means, take it slow. I manually dosed using Seachem's Phyto ordered from Amazon until I was in a position (only recently w/ the added time on our hands) to start my own live cultures. A 2L bottle of Seachem will run $30-$35 but does not need to be kept in the fridge & will last longer on the shelf. Phyto is the bottom of the food chain, & some will debate the necessity; however, it makes up a part of their natural diet, which, I'm inclined to believe, will provide a healthier reef.

We also tend to impulse buy things w/o knowing or researching the husbandry requirements at the time. We bought a flame scallop (amazing creature) w/o reading & learned that it only feeds on phyto. We have had healthy Pod cultures for a few years that have thrived w/o phyto. It's only recently there is the benefit of the added nutrition.

My tank fell in love with the phyto I bought from the Algea Barn when I got the copepods. I mean everything in my tank seemed to just perk right up. I am feeding less than their suggested amount now. I cut back after the first 10 days. I have a 200 gallon tank, their math says 50 ml... I am only feeding 25 ml per day now.