ideas on increasing my pod population?

[Neptune 555]

I have a 75 gallon reef / 20 gallon sump w skimmer / 75 pounds live rock / live sand / 2 power heads / Metal Halide lighting w/ T5 on the tank / FISH: Yellow Tang / Blue tang / coral beauty pygmy angel / Green Spotted Mandarin / CUC / Shrimps. All fish are 2+ years old.

My problem is that my pod population has diminished in this tank? I used to see tons of pods crawling around when I looked at night w/ a flashlight. Now hard to find a single pod with a flashlight? I introduced a sand sifting starfish 2 months ago and think he is the culprit? I have been looking for him at night to remove and return to a LFS but have not located him?? How do I introduce and RE-populate my pod population again?

My sump is tight with a SKimmer / filter bag / heater already? I don't have separate compartments for a refugium? Do pods need light to live? I am trying to think how I introduce them back into my sump so my mandarin gets a steady flow? Photos please?

Thanks!
Neptune...

 

[FLAdaboy]

Make a pod hotel and put it in the sump. For example, take ceramic media (the ones with holes) and stack them together and glue in place. The pods will colonize the entire thing. Shake it off in the tank every week and you're good. Or, you can buy a ball of chaeto and when you trim it, shake it off in the tank. You just need a safe, predator free area for them to populate.

 

[sa6hir]

When u say ceramic rings do you mean like siporax?

 

[jerseypete]

Biological Ceramic Rings - 500 gram in Nylon Media Bag by Cz Garden Supply (1bag - 500g) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014JD27AY/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_7hyVxb7Z8ACGP something as simple as this will help. It's in a bag already

 

[FLAdaboy]

Yes, the ceramic that looks like that. Glue them together like a little hotel and you will have pods all over it.

 

[Neptune 555]

Can I use live rock? I have some rubble live rock in my sump now but I don't see pods? Do I need light? I can seed from my other reef tank that is overflowing with pods? I just cant figure out why they disappeared in my 75 gallon reef tank? Would a sea star be able to destroy the pop population? they live in the rocks also?

neptune

 

[AdamNC]

Also feed your tank and sump nightly with live phytoplankton. I keep a Blue/Green Mandrin in a 29 gallon. Constantly see him happily swimming and picking and I still see tons of pods. About once a month I'll throw in about a thousand just to keep it well stocked.

 

[ReeferReefer]

Sounds like yiu need to add pods. I add a few bottles from my local breeder ever 4 months or so.

 

[FLAdaboy]

Can I use live rock? I have some rubble live rock in my sump now but I don't see pods? Do I need light? I can seed from my other reef tank that is overflowing with pods? I just cant figure out why they disappeared in my 75 gallon reef tank? Would a sea star be able to destroy the pop population? they live in the rocks also?

neptune

You don't need light, you can use LR, definitely seed from the other tank. Pods really don't disappear unless other lovestock is disappearing. If you want to see them, just shine a light in the sump. If you have the space, build a bigger sump with refugium. That would really help.

 

[Salty1962]

In a previous tank I have a pair of Dragon Face Pipefish and I piled a small amount of rubble together and put a strawberry basket of it. It gave the pods a place to grow and be safe from other fish. The holes in the basket were large enough for the pipefish to get through but not other fish. Just an idea.

 

[Neptune 555]

Oh sounds interesting Salty... can I see a photo?

thank you!
Neptune

 

[Salty1962]

Oh sounds interesting Salty... can I see a photo?

thank you!
Neptune

Sorry, I don't have any, it was a previous tank. Just put together an area of lr rubble and buy some strawberries and use the basket over rubble. You'll need to put something on top so it won't float off.

 

[Gazog2]

You can give them all the places in the world to live, Ceramic Rings, Sponges, Rock Rubble what ever... But if you don't feed them they will not proliferate!

Best Advice here is from AdamNC, FEED THEM! your pods population will explode if you feed them with Live Phyto, no sure I would feed them every day but every other day would be enough. Either DT's or Phyto 2 is what I used to use. and to keep costs down you can grow your own Phytoplankton, its really easy and cheap.

 

[Pola0502ds]

Can anyone answer this question, does keeping the filter sock off help? Im having the same problem so to populate my fug that has a ton of cheato in it, i figured i would experiment with it and take the socks off. Its only been a week but my thinking was that if i took the socks off more food would get to the pods. Phyto is just too expensive to buy and i dont have the time to make it.

 

[702]

Google toddspods

 

[FLAdaboy]

Can anyone answer this question, does keeping the filter sock off help? Im having the same problem so to populate my fug that has a ton of cheato in it, i figured i would experiment with it and take the socks off. Its only been a week but my thinking was that if i took the socks off more food would get to the pods. Phyto is just too expensive to buy and i dont have the time to make it.

I don't use filter socks on my display. Seems to do a lot better. My return pump is in the middle so I have a T to the skimmer area and the fuge. When I do water changes I vacuum the detritus and no issues.