Do Pods need phyto dosing?

ntayler · Sep 12, 2017

Hi all,

I have zero pods in my system since starting with dry rock. System is only about 6 months old, and I want to add some pods. Is dosing phyto a necessity, or only if I want a huge number of pods. I have a fuge with some chaeto (which has not grown recently due to lack of nutrients, but that is another topic). I would prefer not to order, store, and dose phyto if I can get away with it, wondering what your experiences were with the matter. I was thinking about buying the 5280 pod pack from algae barn and would like to have a sustainable population without repurchasing.

Velcro · Sep 12, 2017

They don't need it to exists or reproduce. It's only needed if you want to really breed them quickly.

Phyto is really easy to grow as a DIY.

ntayler · Sep 12, 2017

Yeah it's just "one more thing" lol. I am trying to decide if it's worth it and the system would benefit enough for the effort

Big G · Sep 12, 2017

Velcro said:
They don't need it to exists or reproduce. It's only needed if you want to really breed them quickly.

Phyto is really easy to grow as a DIY.

Yep! Here's a kit you can buy on amazon from those folks in Montana. I've used their phyto and its works great.
https://amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZYP3PML/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1UD1XENKKG69Z

eatbreakfast · Sep 13, 2017

Just feed the tank more. Pods aren't picky and will scavenge. Feeding more will also increase your nutrients, helping your chaeto to stabilize.

CastAway · Sep 13, 2017

No phyto necessary. Several species of "pods" will flourish without your having to feed them.

I feed the amphipods in my fudge New Life Spectrum pellets. It doesn't take much.

Salty1962 · Sep 13, 2017

I feed algae pellets every so often at night. I have Mysis and it's funny to see them grab a pellet scurry off with it.;Joyful

Mdw2589 · Sep 13, 2017

I know my pods go crazy during microscrubbing.

leahfiish · Sep 13, 2017

Generally you don't need to supplement pods unless you have a pod eating fish like a mandarin.

George Lopez · Sep 13, 2017

I have a mandarin and i don't feed the pods i have some rock in my sump where i used to dump my puffs into and they grow nice and happy. When the tank was younger id buy pods maybe once a month or so but i haven't had to add any for a while and i can see them running around and my mandrin is happy but no i don't feed the pods.

ntayler · Sep 14, 2017

Thx for all the responses, just ordered the 5200 pods from algae barn. Will see how they do. I have a fair amount of rock work in the display, and rock and chaeto in the fuge.

Brian W · Sep 15, 2017

ntayler said:
Hi all,

I have zero pods in my system since starting with dry rock. System is only about 6 months old, and I want to add some pods. Is dosing phyto a necessity, or only if I want a huge number of pods. I have a fuge with some chaeto (which has not grown recently due to lack of nutrients, but that is another topic). I would prefer not to order, store, and dose phyto if I can get away with it, wondering what your experiences were with the matter. I was thinking about buying the 5280 pod pack from algae barn and would like to have a sustainable population without repurchasing.

Ive got 5-6 2 liter bottles full of phyto I cultured from Todds Pods sin city brew. PM if you are interested in 1 or 5 bottles to start a culture. Its old from April but still nice and dark green. I can get pics later today when I get home

305Reefer · Sep 27, 2017

While phyto isn't necessary for keeping a pod population up, it does help immensely in getting a massive population thriving. It can also help jump start all sorts of other micro fauna. I dose phyto on new tanks for the first 2-3 months as its breaking in, in my past observations of setting up tanks like this, ive noticed that the tanks I started with phyto dosing always contained more pods, more sponges, more tunicates, more feather dusters, etc etc etc... The first time I ordered from Algae Barn, I ordered their phyto, but the reality is there prices are too high including shipping...BUT!! Their container is amazingly convenient for dosing phyto. Now I just bring their bottle to my LFS where they fill it with phyto for about $5. In the AM when I dose my KZ products and feed the fish I grab the bottle out of the fridge and drop in 25ml. It takes seconds and isnt vital, but I do feel it helps keep some often ignored parts of my tank (such as microfauna) thriving nicely.

sundog101 · Sep 29, 2017

305Reefer said:
While phyto isn't necessary for keeping a pod population up, it does help immensely in getting a massive population thriving. It can also help jump start all sorts of other micro fauna. I dose phyto on new tanks for the first 2-3 months as its breaking in, in my past observations of setting up tanks like this, ive noticed that the tanks I started with phyto dosing always contained more pods, more sponges, more tunicates, more feather dusters, etc etc etc... The first time I ordered from Algae Barn, I ordered their phyto, but the reality is there prices are too high including shipping...BUT!! Their container is amazingly convenient for dosing phyto. Now I just bring their bottle to my LFS where they fill it with phyto for about $5. In the AM when I dose my KZ products and feed the fish I grab the bottle out of the fridge and drop in 25ml. It takes seconds and isnt vital, but I do feel it helps keep some often ignored parts of my tank (such as microfauna) thriving nicely.

How big is your tank? Where your feeding 25 mL

305Reefer · Sep 30, 2017

sundog101 said:
How big is your tank? Where your feeding 25 mL

90g with a 35g sump. I dose the 25ml directly into powerheads in the display.

CindyKz · Sep 30, 2017

I add a little phyto to my sump now and then to support my pod population...75 gal with 20 gal sump. I have a mandarin and a melanarus wrasse, so I'm really just trying to ensure a healthy population. The phyto seems to help.

keithdoc · Feb 27, 2018

Anyone still here????

I'm on week 2 of a rebuild with Triton and Fuge. I can see tiny little pods all over the glass of refugium (and display at night).
I'm slowly overfeeding feeding to increase ability to handle increased bio load and hopefully macroagae in the refugium.

Wondering if dosing phyto would help in any way? I'd like to have more pods to handle what's winding up in the refugium (and maybe make my SPS even happier).

I've got the "easy booster" phyto gel - looks pretty awesome from a MACNA review I read (same folks who make Maastick food), but I can't see where anyone here has commented on it. Anyone tried it?

reeferfoxx · Feb 27, 2018

keithdoc said:
Anyone still here????

I'm on week 2 of a rebuild with Triton and Fuge. I can see tiny little pods all over the glass of refugium (and display at night).
I'm slowly overfeeding feeding to increase ability to handle increased bio load and hopefully macroagae in the refugium.

Wondering if dosing phyto would help in any way? I'd like to have more pods to handle what's winding up in the refugium (and maybe make my SPS even happier).

I've got the "easy booster" phyto gel - looks pretty awesome from a MACNA review I read (same folks who make Maastick food), but I can't see where anyone here has commented on it. Anyone tried it?

I think once pods have established it isn't necessary to keep dosing phyto. Phyto does aid in reproduction of pods but phosphate increase might outweigh the benefits. Pods are resourceful and find food in green filementous algae and detritus. Many people keep pods in refugiums this way without phyto dosing. If you get phyto with your pods, it wouldnt hurt to feed them in this time. Long term, I don't think its necessary.

DBryan · Feb 28, 2018

reeferfoxx said:
I think once pods have established it isn't necessary to keep dosing phyto. Phyto does aid in reproduction of pods but phosphate increase might outweigh the benefits. Pods are resourceful and find food in green filementous algae and detritus. Many people keep pods in refugiums this way without phyto dosing. If you get phyto with your pods, it wouldnt hurt to feed them in this time. Long term, I don't think its necessary.

Ferrell · Mar 4, 2018

305Reefer said:
While phyto isn't necessary for keeping a pod population up, it does help immensely in getting a massive population thriving. It can also help jump start all sorts of other micro fauna. I dose phyto on new tanks for the first 2-3 months as its breaking in, in my past observations of setting up tanks like this, ive noticed that the tanks I started with phyto dosing always contained more pods, more sponges, more tunicates, more feather dusters, etc etc etc... The first time I ordered from Algae Barn, I ordered their phyto, but the reality is there prices are too high including shipping...BUT!! Their container is amazingly convenient for dosing phyto. Now I just bring their bottle to my LFS where they fill it with phyto for about $5. In the AM when I dose my KZ products and feed the fish I grab the bottle out of the fridge and drop in 25ml. It takes seconds and isnt vital, but I do feel it helps keep some often ignored parts of my tank (such as microfauna) thriving nicely.

Doing exactly the same. Got the algae barn two for one on their pod phyto package .Just finishing g it up this month. Very healthy population so far .