Should I add pods before fish on dry rock build?

Forshurley · Mar 22, 2020

Tank just cycled and was wondering if I should add pods before fish?

I was thinking pods might starve in a new build and might need more algae to feed and reproduce.

Please advise!

Thanks for any input and your time!

divewsharks · Mar 23, 2020

In general I would add pods before fish. But depends on what fish, not all fish actively hunt them.
If you wanted to cultivate the pod population, you dose the pods and feed them.

Crustaceon · Mar 23, 2020

I would add pods a week after adding fish. And don’t add a dragonet yet if you’re considering it. Give it a few months for the pod population to establish. Also, wrasses will massacre a pod population unless you have a large refugium full of macro algae to compensate.

Forshurley · Mar 23, 2020

Crustaceon said:
I would add pods a week after adding fish. And don’t add a dragonet yet if you’re considering it. Give it a few months for the pod population to establish. Also, wrasses will massacre a pod population unless you have a large refugium full of macro algae to compensate.

Was thinking of adding some clowns and waiting time to add some tangs. Just want pods to be established before adding a wrasse or dragonet.

Crustaceon · Mar 23, 2020

A simple guide to progression:

Bacteria (add) > Fish (add) > Algae (you’ll get) > CC including pods (add)

You’ll notice your pod population won’t flourish or will drop if your tank is/gets too clean. They need some detritus and algae to munch on.

WvAquatics · Mar 23, 2020

Crustaceon said:
A simple guide to progression:

Bacteria (add) > Fish (add) > Algae (you’ll get) > CC including pods (add)

You’ll notice your pod population won’t flourish or will drop if your tank is/gets too clean. They need some detritus and algae to munch on.

Now will adding fish be the only way to get algea and detritus? Or could you add small amounts of ammonia through outt the day to act as fish and turn lights on to build algea and detritus? This is something I have thought about which comes first cuc or fish. Now I know but thought maybe hold cycle with ammonia and build algea and detritus add pods and clean up crew then fish. Probably more work than needed. Just a thought reading the post

divewsharks · Mar 23, 2020

You can dose phyto, or give them actual food.
All you have to do is look up pod cultivation. Most don't do it in the DT; it is done on the side/purpose built.

Forshurley · Mar 23, 2020

divewsharks said:
You can dose phyto, or give them actual food.
All you have to do is look up pod cultivation. Most don't do it in the DT; it is done on the side/purpose built.

I did add some tiger pods from reef nutrition and been dosing pyhto but just think tank is to clean for them to take off. Plus feel that bottle might have been a waste if they all die.

divewsharks · Mar 23, 2020

Have you gone through diatoms stage yet? Have you even turned your lights on yet?

divewsharks · Mar 23, 2020

If clowns, or other non-pod eating fish will go in first, you have plenty of time to grow the population.

Forshurley · Mar 23, 2020

divewsharks said:
Have you gone through diatoms stage yet? Have you even turned your lights on yet?

No Diatoms yet, just did 30 day black out and just turned on T5s for 4 hours a day. No fish yet but tank is ready for first batch of fish.

divewsharks · Mar 23, 2020

When the diatoms come, you may see pods out munching on them.

Crustaceon · Mar 23, 2020

You can do a lot of things. I think the key for pods is to have at least a section of tank “dirty” enough for them to thrive. I’ve even seen old bath loofah’s used as a pod habitat seeing how the little strands would get gross really fast. You can dose phyto or put a bit of nori in there, but fish are far nicer to look at and pods eat the poo, lol.

deron_d · May 12, 2022

I added tiger pods in my nano tank, hoping to seed it. I spent $30 on the bottle. At the time, I already had fish in the tank. This was before the diatoms came along. The copepods were non-existent in 3 days, all eaten by the fish and/or dead somewhere in the substrate. I guess I'll try again sometime, maybe put some chaeto in my InTank and dose phyto.

Jay'sReefBugs · May 13, 2022

deron_d said:
I added tiger pods in my nano tank, hoping to seed it. I spent $30 on the bottle. At the time, I already had fish in the tank. This was before the diatoms came along. The copepods were non-existent in 3 days, all eaten by the fish and/or dead somewhere in the substrate. I guess I'll try again sometime, maybe put some chaeto in my InTank and dose phyto.

Wrong Copepods for the job bud