Keeping Pods Alive

[Dragon52]

How does everyone keep pods living & breeding? I have gotten them from multiple locations & have had Ulva/sea lettuce, cheato, ogo, Caulerpa, Gracilaria & phyto plankton in the refugium with a grow light that keeps it alive but I can't seem to get pods to stay alive or breed. Light bought per info I found here on the forums.
Thanks

Parameters I Do Not Dose
KH usually runs at 10+not dose for anything.
Calc usually at 4-500
MAg usually at 1400+
PH usually 7.9-8
Salinity try to keep @125.
Temp stays 73-75

 

[Jason Smothers]

I just started culturing pods and have found it pretty simple.

I purchased a bottle of:

Glycerin-free Nannochloropsis phytopaste from brine shrimp direct .com

I purchased a bottle of pods from algae barn.

I followed the directions on brine shrimp direct. I mixed a gallon of sea water to 1.023 sg. Added drops of paste to turn the water green where I couldn't see the bottom of the bucket. I put a airline tube with air pump in the water making 1-2 bubbles per second. I drilled holes in a lid and covered it. Put the bucket near a natural source of light at room temperature.

Watch the bucket for evaporation. Shouldn't be much with a lid on it. Add drops of paste and stir gently as needed to maintain the water color. In 7-10 days you should start to see more pods around the perimeter.

I am 2 weeks in and I just split my population between 2 buckets in case one crashed. It's amazing how quick they reproduce.

Let me know if you need any more info.

 

[Dragon52]

I may have to give that a try, would have to buy a few things first.
Thanks

 

[Jason Smothers]

I'll be happy to text you a pic of my set up if you like. I purchased a couple of strainers. Every 4-5 days I scoop a few out and add them to my DT. I also feed my DT phytoplankton.

 

[lapin]

Do you have some rock rubble in there for them to hide and breed in?
I dont know if Alk being that high will effect the culture. Maybe someone else knows.

 

[SDK]

I'll be happy to text you a pic of my set up if you like. I purchased a couple of strainers. Every 4-5 days I scoop a few out and add them to my DT. I also feed my DT phytoplankton.

Text and post here as well please. I’m always interested in looking at food culture setups...

 

[Dragon52]

Do you have some rock rubble in there for them to hide and breed in?
I dont know if Alk being that high will effect the culture. Maybe someone else knows.

Yes
I have sand & rubble

 

[Dragon52]

I'll be happy to text you a pic of my set up if you like. I purchased a couple of strainers. Every 4-5 days I scoop a few out and add them to my DT. I also feed my DT phytoplankton.

Can you post a pic here so others can see it as well? I dumped 1/2 the pods in the refugium & the others in the DT . Added phyto every few days.

 

[Burrito]

Interested in the setup too but OP your temp seems very low

 

[Dragon52]

Interested in the setup too but OP your temp seems very low

Are you thinking I should raise it & that would Help. I do see that quite a few have temp in the 78-80 range.

 

[Jason Smothers]

Here are some pics. This is a super easy process. Just make sure to acclimate your pods and to top the water off every couple of days. If you go to brineshrimpdirect.com you can read the entire process. I started this to keep up with the appetite of a mandarin I purchased. Let me know if you have any other questions. Always happy to help.

 

[Jason Smothers]

BTW I culture the pods at 65deg room temp. No heater. Just acclimate them before adding them to your tank.

 

[Dragon52]

Here are some pics. This is a super easy process. Just make sure to acclimate your pods and to top the water off every couple of days. If you go to brineshrimpdirect.com you can read the entire process. I started this to keep up with the appetite of a mandarin I purchased. Let me know if you have any other questions. Always happy to help.

Thanks for posting & I will get back to you if I have any questions

 

[lapin]

TW I culture the pods at 65deg room temp. No heater. Just acclimate them before adding them to your tank.

Agreed between 72 to 78 is ideal but as as long as its stable thats the key

 

[Clownfish2]

How does everyone keep pods living & breeding? I have gotten them from multiple locations & have had Ulva/sea lettuce, cheato, ogo, Caulerpa, Gracilaria & phyto plankton in the refugium with a grow light that keeps it alive but I can't seem to get pods to stay alive or breed. Light bought per info I found here on the forums.
Thanks

Parameters I Do Not Dose
KH usually runs at 10+not dose for anything.
Calc usually at 4-500
MAg usually at 1400+
PH usually 7.9-8
Salinity try to keep @125.
Temp stays 73-75

I have been culturing tigriopus Californicus copepods for 8 months now. I raise them in 1 gallon containers. Feed them brown phytoplankton such as isochrysis galbana as well as spirulina powder. I also add nannochloropsis green phytoplankton. I bought the phytoplankton culture disks from Florida Aqua Farms.

No heater is necessary. Temperature range 68-74 depending on my house temperature. I have grown them with and without an air pump. Keep the water tinted always with phytoplankton. I do not recommend adding live rock, chaetomoprha, etc to the cultures because other microfauna such as nematodes and rotifers will crash your culture.

 

[Dragon52]

I have been culturing tigriopus Californicus copepods for 8 months now. I raise them in 1 gallon containers. Feed them brown phytoplankton such as isochrysis galbana as well as spirulina powder. I also add nannochloropsis green phytoplankton. I bought the phytoplankton culture disks from Florida Aqua Farms.

No heater is necessary. Temperature range 68-74 depending on my house temperature. I have grown them with and without an air pump. Keep the water tinted always with phytoplankton. I do not recommend adding live rock, chaetomoprha, etc to the cultures because other microfauna such as nematodes and rotifers will crash your culture.

Thanks for the Info.

 

[Dragon52]

These are some good ideas & info. Please keep it going, the more info I/we have very helpful.
thank you

 

[ectoaesthetics]

Tigger pods here as well. I keep them in a large bucket in my yard. I use a heater set to the lowest setting (they are not typically in super warm water but will live in it just fine)... but they do not seem to thrive in water that hits 40 F or below at night without a heater.

I add BRS reef chili every once in a while... I gave them live phyto every week or so, but haven’t done that in months... that’s it. I think I’ve fed them maybe 2-3 times in the last month. They are super easy to cultivate in the yard. They seem to stall out in my house -no idea why.

For other pods I’ve done chaeto, airstone, heater, light, and phyto. Worked well. Tigger pods are just SOOO low maintainance. And fish go nuts over them.

 

[Dragon52]

Tigger pods here as well. I keep them in a large bucket in my yard. I use a heater set to the lowest setting (they are not typically in super warm water but will live in it just fine)... but they do not seem to thrive in water that hits 40 F or below at night without a heater.

I add BRS reef chili every once in a while... I gave them live phyto every week or so, but haven’t done that in months... that’s it. I think I’ve fed them maybe 2-3 times in the last month. They are super easy to cultivate in the yard. They seem to stall out in my house -no idea why.

For other pods I’ve done chaeto, airstone, heater, light, and phyto. Worked well. Tigger pods are just SOOO low maintainance. And fish go nuts over them.

Thanks for the info

 

[mas52192]

I am interested in starting my own culture. If you have them in 5 gallon buckets how do you provide a light source? Thanks in advance?