Don't see pods anymore

[colejr]

I have a Biocube32 LED that is a little over 2 years old. It is stocked with several softies, LPS, 2 Clowns and a file fish. Cleanup crew consists of multiple types of snails, a few hermits and a peppermint shrimp.
I used to regularly see pods in my tank, but I don't anymore. I'm about 4 months over eradicating a small aiptasia population and I still look with great detail for them due to paranoya.
In doing this, it has dawned on me that I never see any pods anymore, including looking for them at night. Is it possible that they all died off or are they still there?
I am considering buying a Mandarin in the near future and obviously don't want to if there isn't a pod population. And yes, I can buy pods, just curious as to why I don't see any in my tank currently. Thanks

 

[Reefer911]

I was in a similar situation as you. I had been wondering if there were any pods left as i had quit dosing phyto a while back. After I recently moved all my fish to a new tank, and left the old tank fallow, I see pods everywhere. So maybe you still have them

 

[Aquaplumb]

Check ur weir, i find when I cant see any there are a healthy amount hiding in there ready for another swing in nutrients

 

[Koh23]

But, they can see you, dont worry

Numbers increase/decrease periodicaly, available food, predators, etc.....

I dont see mine either, but fat and happy mandarin claims that they are in tank.

 

[PotatoPig]

I culture ‘em and dump a decent number in the tank every day, sometimes direct to the DT, sometimes to the sump. It’s inconceivable the tank is devoid of them, but like you I never see any of them after about an hour of adding them.

They seem to be hide and seek experts.

 

[mixedreefer90ga]

I was in a similar situation then one night I seen thousands suspended in the water column I’ve been dosing photo tho

 

[SanFernandoValleyAIOReef]

But, they can see you, dont worry

Numbers increase/decrease periodicaly, available food, predators, etc.....

I dont see mine either, but fat and happy mandarin claims that they are in tank.

If my dragonet is pecking at the sand and rocks Does that mean he is seeing and eating pods? Or just pecking ? Lol been wondering all week

 

[Koh23]

Really not sure, maybe he see something, only time can tell if thats eating or something else.

But if he is alive, then yes, its eating

 

[Reef.]

If my dragonet is pecking at the sand and rocks Does that mean he is seeing and eating pods? Or just pecking ? Lol been wondering all week

I think they can still peck even if not eating, they eat thousands a day so I guess the pecking becomes habit.

 

[homer1475]

You do realize, 99% of the pods in your tank you can't see with the naked eye?

The ones you are seeing are more then likely the larger amphipods, which a fish like a mandarin will pick off first.

 

[SanFernandoValleyAIOReef]

You do realize, 99% of the pods in your tank you can't see with the naked eye?

The ones you are seeing are more then likely the larger amphipods, which a fish like a mandarin will pick off first.

Oh that’s crazy, I guess they can’t sell those kind of pods lol

 

[SanFernandoValleyAIOReef]

I culture ‘em and dump a decent number in the tank every day, sometimes direct to the DT, sometimes to the sump. It’s inconceivable the tank is devoid of them, but like you I never see any of them after about an hour of adding them.

They seem to be hide and seek experts.

Is it hard culturing pods? YouTube makes it look easy but then people on forums say their cultures always crash

 

[killer2001]

Let some film algae grow on your glass. They should appear on the glass in vast numbers if your population is healthy. I dose phyto every day and silica at night to promote diatoms to continue to grow on any available surface for the pods to eat.

 

[PotatoPig]

Is it hard culturing pods? YouTube makes it look easy but then people on forums say their cultures always crash

It’s not hard, but there’s a learning curve in not over feeding them. It’s virtually impossible to kill them by underfeeding them, I’ve had 8oz “backup” jars to restart in case of a crash with no aeration and no feeding and pods have happily scooted around in them for over a month with no issues, even somehow growing in population a good extent before stabilizing.

IME crashes, or impending-crashes, happen due to over feeding, and the feed goes bad, turns to ammonia and makes the water unsuitable for the babies. Before a crash you’ll notice the population decline and there’s no little ones (I mostly culture tigger pods, so it’s easy to see the difference between the babies and mature ones). The times this has happened I batch a fresh salt water mix, strain the remaining culture through a nylon strainer and restart.

Main way to avoid crashes is to make sure to not overfeed. Go slow until there’s loads of pods. And keep a backup.

For feeding I suggest spirulina powder instead of phyto. It’s a freshwater algae but pods eat it. It’s cheap, easy to get (Amazon , Whole Foods, health food stores, BRS) and is one less thing to preserve or culture as it’s a shelf stable powder - mix a half teaspoon in 4oz of water and shake up, then add around a tablespoon to a culture once a week until the population kicks off (~3 weeks ish) and then up to twice a week. Don’t try turn the water green with this or you’ll overfeed and start to see a crash coming in. Store the mixed spirulina in the fridge.

If you have a refugium then I’m not sure there’s a need to culture things like Tisbe pods, they do really well in tropical marine tanks, just might take a while to be noticeable on glass and you’ll never see them on the rocks.

 

[Dinkins Aquatic Gardens Verified Sponsor]

It’s not hard, but there’s a learning curve in not over feeding them. It’s virtually impossible to kill them by underfeeding them, I’ve had 8oz “backup” jars to restart in case of a crash with no aeration and no feeding and pods have happily scooted around in them for over a month with no issues, even somehow growing in population a good extent before stabilizing.

IME crashes, or impending-crashes, happen due to over feeding, and the feed goes bad, turns to ammonia and makes the water unsuitable for the babies. Before a crash you’ll notice the population decline and there’s no little ones (I mostly culture tigger pods, so it’s easy to see the difference between the babies and mature ones). The times this has happened I batch a fresh salt water mix, strain the remaining culture through a nylon strainer and restart.

Main way to avoid crashes is to make sure to not overfeed. Go slow until there’s loads of pods. And keep a backup.

For feeding I suggest spirulina powder instead of phyto. It’s a freshwater algae but pods eat it. It’s cheap, easy to get (Amazon , Whole Foods, health food stores, BRS) and is one less thing to preserve or culture as it’s a shelf stable powder - mix a half teaspoon in 4oz of water and shake up, then add around a tablespoon to a culture once a week until the population kicks off (~3 weeks ish) and then up to twice a week. Don’t try turn the water green with this or you’ll overfeed and start to see a crash coming in. Store the mixed spirulina in the fridge.

If you have a refugium then I’m not sure there’s a need to culture things like Tisbe pods, they do really well in tropical marine tanks, just might take a while to be noticeable on glass and you’ll never see them on the rocks.

I second this…overfeeding and the resultant ammonia spike is a big problem. Otherwise they’re quite hardy and fairly easy to culture.