Do you need phytoplankton to grow pods

[rich nyc]

I finally have a descent size chaeto growing in my sump. I bought the algae barn pod and phyo combo. Is phyto something I need to keep buying monthly to try to keep a descent population of copepods? Thanks, Rich

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I finally have a descent size chaeto growing in my sump. I bought the algae barn pod and phyo combo. Is phyto something I need to keep buying monthly to try to keep a descent population of copepods? Thanks, Rich

If on a budget, if me then buy on Internet chlorella cracked cell wall powder 1 lb(less is fine), boil it, let cool add 1/4 amount of raw egg, blend/mix raw egg first, add to algae . Add a little to pods, need to go on net and find out how to feed pods, if you need to. And watch them breed like rabits.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I finally have a descent size chaeto growing in my sump. I bought the algae barn pod and phyo combo. Is phyto something I need to keep buying monthly to try to keep a descent population of copepods? Thanks, Rich

Chaetomorpha should be enough, but some people dose phyto, I dont, but I have quite a bit of rock and large chaetomorpha ball around 5 gallons worth. Plenty of pods.

 

[rich nyc]

So they will not be able to live on chaeto when I run out of phyto? nvm just read above post

 

[AlgaeBarn]

So they will not be able to live on chaeto when I run out of phyto? nvm just read above post

They will live ontop of the chaeto, but they will not be able to eat the chaeto for food. They will eat the biofilm that grows on sea lettuce, but I wouldn't consider it a well rounded diet. Overall, live phytoplankton is the safest bet when adding to your tank to help increase the copepod population.

 

[ReefSlice]

I've never used phyto or added pods and all my tanks have been loaded with them. They will survive and thrive on detritus and left over food, microalgae. If you're worried about it, add some reef roids or similar powder coral food, my pods go nuts after feeding that stuff.

 

[OCReeferr]

I've never used phyto or added pods and all my tanks have been loaded with them. They will survive and thrive on detritus and left over food, microalgae. If you're worried about it, add some reef roids or similar powder coral food, my pods go nuts after feeding that stuff.

I’ll have to try that reef roids tip. I’ve never heard that before. [emoji851] thanks.

 

[ReefSlice]

I have a tank with 20 lbs of TBS rock and nothing else, waiting to go in my new tank. To keep everything on the rock alive I feed roids once or twice a week. When you turn the lights on in this tank, you can hardly see into the tank there's so many pods on the glass. 5/6 varieties and lots of other life. Works well for me.

I’ll have to try that reef roids tip. I’ve never heard that before. [emoji851] thanks.

 

[Hermie]

it's probably most important to use the same "food" type used by the source of your copepods at least in the beginning so that the copepods don't have trouble "finding" their food in the new environment that is your tank. After the first few lifecycles (months or less), the newly born copepods are probably more adapted to your tanks environment and can "survive" without the same foods their parents were raised on.

This is just my assumption...

 

[AlgaeBarn]

it's probably most important to use the same "food" type used by the source of your copepods at least in the beginning so that the copepods don't have trouble "finding" their food in the new environment that is your tank. After the first few lifecycles (months or less), the newly born copepods are probably more adapted to your tanks environment and can "survive" without the same foods their parents were raised on.

This is just my assumption...

Depends on the quality of nutrition in your tank. A lot of copepods require certain nutrients to allow them to successfully have "good yields" but these nutrients can be passed down from mother to nauplii. A lot of copepods will have a limited number of reproduction cycles before they can no longer produce strong nauplii and will only produce dud eggs if they do not get the proper nutrition (like those found in our live OceanMagik Phytoplankton)

 

[edwing206]

Depends on the quality of nutrition in your tank. A lot of copepods require certain nutrients to allow them to successfully have "good yields" but these nutrients can be passed down from mother to nauplii. A lot of copepods will have a limited number of reproduction cycles before they can no longer produce strong nauplii and will only produce dud eggs if they do not get the proper nutrition (like those found in our live OceanMagik Phytoplankton)

Is there an advantage to using live phyto versus non-live phyto?