Ghost feeding and copepods

[Krad]

Hey R2R,

I am currently cycling about 75lb of rocks in a brute can, these are my parameters after 3 weeks:

It is OK to add copepods at this stage to begin seeding the rocks and ghost feed instead of dosing ammonia? The rocks clear 2ppm of ammonia in less the 24 hours.
How many pellets should I add and at what frequency? Should I supplement something else to feed the copepods as well?
At what nitrate reading should I perform a water change? These rocks are probably going to be in the brute for months and I plan on adding more.

Thank you!!!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

no need to dose any more ammonia or ghost feed, the tank is cycled. Do a large water change to bring the nitrates down and safe to add your first fish.

You can add copepods if you want, sure, they will need to be fed phyto or else they will starve out.

 

[Krad]

no need to dose any more ammonia or ghost feed, the tank is cycled. Do a large water change to bring the nitrates down and safe to add your first fish.

You can add copepods if you want, sure, they will need to be fed phyto or else they will starve out.

wont be in a tank until late july unfortunately, waiting to move but started cycling early to get some mature rocks. I don't think fish would appreciate the blacked out brute LOL:

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

oh in that case, go buy a small damsel, that damsel will bring the rocks to life for you.

I have 40 lbs in my 20 gallon damsel tank for that purpose exactly. It works amazing too, no algae will grow on those mature rocks when you turn the lights on.

We don't have access to real ocean live rock in Canada, so this is the next best option.

 

[Krad]

will a damsel care if its blacked out? I have one in my current tank I can move but wasn't sure how no lights would affect fish. I have a lid on to prevent light leaking in and growing algae.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I don't know, probably if you leave the lid off, I don't know if it would live in complete blackness lol
Ambient light should be ok and wouldn't grow algae

 

[pepper89]

will a damsel care if its blacked out? I have one in my current tank I can move but wasn't sure how no lights would affect fish. I have a lid on to prevent light leaking in and growing algae.

I think it wouldn't like complete blackness too much. I know they don't need much light, which is why they tell you to keep the tank lights off with only fish, cause it would get the little they need from the bit of sunlight that would come in a window even if not direct. Just for their sleep cycle mostly I think. (I could be wrong though, and maybe they don't need light).

I also know copepods don't directly need light, but the phytoplankton they eat do. You could add dead phytoplankton (they will eat this just fine) which will help add to the ammonia cycle in the tank as they do seem to spike ammonia in my culture more than live ones. Though, if you want to add live phytoplankton and try to seed that part of the bio-cycle where the phyto actually reproduces you will have to have some light.

What you could do though is get one of those refugium lights that is submersible in the water, and secure it to the inside of your lid. None of these things 100% need very much light at all, and as long as you are keeping the water conditions stable (pH, salinity, temp, ammonia, etc), then it would all probably work pretty well. Though, you might need to add an airstone and a few gas exchange holes into the lid to prevent CO2 from building up.

 

[Krad]

thanks for the responses so far guys, is there a con for dosing ammonia for a longer period of time? I assume just keep testing and do a WC to control nitrates

 

[Krad]

For anyone curious I reached out to algae barn and they stated the phytoplankton does not need light to survive BUT it won’t reproduce. Recommended 5ml daily or every other day per 25 gallons of water

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

I would wait until your tank is completely set up and do a seeding so they can enter your substrate and various other parts of your tank . Also copepods benefit from a lighting schedule as well even if its ambient

 

[Krad]

I would wait until your tank is completely set up and do a seeding so they can enter your substrate and various other parts of your tank . Also copepods benefit from a lighting schedule as well even if its ambient

Thanks for the reply. I’m going to hold off lol getting stir crazy at home just making projects for myself. Not cold enough for ice fishing, too cold for the boat!