When should I add copepods?

[huckjai]

Hey Reefers. I have a 96 gallon tank, with currently 2 clowns in it. I have a purple and red firefish and diamond goby that will be added in about 2 weeks. Then 2 weeks after that I will be adding a tailspot blenny and a royal gramma.

I'm worried about the tsb having enough food when it's in the display tank as it is very timid and slow. I'm also looking to add a red scooter blenny later on.

Should I start cultivating pods for in my tank now? Throw a ball of chaeto and bottle of pods in the refugium? Any recommendation of which pods to use? Thanks!

 

[Gareth elliott]

I would use algae barns 5280 pods. Will give you a good mix of all 3. That said I would wait on both the tail spot blenny and red scooter.

A twin spot goby and a red scooter require a mature sand bed. unlike a mandarin they will not be endless hunting the water column for pods.

at night take a flashlight and watch your sand bed for movement not caused by flow or cuc. This is what both of them eat.

 

[Sashaka]

Get a bottle of tisbee and add them now. They will populate the rocks and continue to breed in the tank. The population usually has an explosion within the first month or so, but then it dies back to a sustainable level based on the amount of food and predators in the tank. Some people like to buy a variety of pods (and that's okay) but IME they will predate each other and you'll end up with mostly/all one type anyway, so why not buy a pod that will repopulate itself. I do try to add a new bottle or supply every 6 months or so to prevent too much interbreeding and add more if I have fish that actively seeks them out as their main dish. The tisbees are hardy too. That's always a plus.

 

[Jeeperz]

Am I missing something? The tailspot blenny is an algae eater, pods are not necessary. Although mine eats pellets and frozen also. He eats the cyano on my power heads when they turn off and is always eating off the glass and wherever algae grows. Loves nori too.

 

[Terri Caton]

Am I missing something? The tailspot blenny is an algae eater, pods are not necessary. Although mine eats pellets and frozen also. He eats the cyano on my power heads when they turn off and is always eating off the glass and wherever algae grows. Loves nori too.

My tail spot blenny eats any type of food. And he was in a new tank. Feisty and healthy.

 

[Gareth elliott]

When op mentioned pods and worried not enough food my brain read Signigobius biocellatus.

If its Ecsenius stigmatura, yes no special feeding requirements for this species.

 

[Jeeperz]

Uhh. Tailspot blenny is only one species, I think? If I'm wrong please inform, I'm here to learn and in no way know. Mine is an a#$. About to give him away. He beats on my watchman goby which is peaceful. They are the same size.

 

[Sashaka]

Am I missing something? The tailspot blenny is an algae eater, pods are not necessary. Although mine eats pellets and frozen also. He eats the cyano on my power heads when they turn off and is always eating off the glass and wherever algae grows. Loves nori too.

I could be mistaken, but I think the OP wanted to cultivate pods now to get ready for the red scooter blenny he plans to get soon. The TSB might be an opportunist and eat a pod or two, but it is an algae eater and needs sufficient algae in its diet to remain healthy.

 

[Jeeperz]

That makes sense. I've seen those eat cyclops or cyclopeeze or whatever it's called, the super tiny Frozen stuff. I almost bought one awhile back. I love how they glide around and add style to the tank.

 

[Silent]

Do you need to feed phyto to the tank or will pods multiply on their own?

 

[Jeeperz]

Everywhere I read says you have to add phyto. I don't know though. I used to have pods all over my glass, even with fish that are them. I never added phyto. Now I don't see any and I do add phyto and have no fish that eat them. It might be certain stages of pods life that needs phyto but most pod vendors state that they eat micro/macro algae and detritus so not sure why phyto is needed

 

[Osidedude]

Look at Reef Nutrition's web site...will give you lots of info. That being said besides the bottle of pods and chaeto get a bottle of phyto feast as the pods will need food to get a good start. I would go with Rotifers as they will definitely populate quickly and by feeding a little phyto feast will not only feed your picky eating fish but also any corals you may have in the tank.

 

[Sashaka]

Do you need to feed phyto to the tank or will pods multiply on their own?

If you get Tisbees, they will multiply on their own if your tank parameters are good. It can't hurt to feed phyto, especially in a newly set up tank. In truth, I don't feed phyto. My tanks have been established for years, so there is enough natural food sources for them to feed. Just be sure to have some rubble rock piles or lots of porous rock in the tank to provide breeding/hiding places for the pods so they're not consumed before they can start breeding in the tank. Usually, I see a major pod bloom when I first restock the tanks with pods, but then the numbers of pods will adjust to the amount you feed the tank and the amount of predators in the tank.

 

[ReefBarbie]

Get a bottle of tisbee and add them now. They will populate the rocks and continue to breed in the tank. The population usually has an explosion within the first month or so, but then it dies back to a sustainable level based on the amount of food and predators in the tank. Some people like to buy a variety of pods (and that's okay) but IME they will predate each other and you'll end up with mostly/all one type anyway, so why not buy a pod that will repopulate itself. I do try to add a new bottle or supply every 6 months or so to prevent too much interbreeding and add more if I have fish that actively seeks them out as their main dish. The tisbees are hardy too. That's always a plus.

as far as inbreeding, do you think it'd be okay if I just added a jar of my 5280 to my 16 gallon as a once and done deal? my tank is roughly 7 months old and done cycling and I seeded it today for cuc

 

[AlgaeBarn]

as far as inbreeding, do you think it'd be okay if I just added a jar of my 5280 to my 16 gallon as a once and done deal? my tank is roughly 7 months old and done cycling and I seeded it today for cuc

Hi there! the 3 species of pods in our 5280 pods (tig, tisbe, apocyclops) all of these pods are 100% viable to reproduce in marine aquaria. I would recommend to also feed them phytoplankton to establish and maintain your copepod populations

 

[damsels are not mean]

You don't need phyto to grow pods, but it is a good way to boos them especially in a newer tank with less organic nutrients to be recycled into them.