When to add pods?

[Notsolostfish]

When should i add pods for my tanks anc cheatos? My tank finished cycling after 3 weeks with fritz. And i added 2 clowns today, and 4-5 hermit crabs didnt count haha. But anyway when i can run my refugim and add all this stuff?

 

[Jedi1199]

Day 1. Pods are an essential biopic to a healthy reef system. The sooner you add them the better. Check out Dinkins Aquatic Gardens. They are a new sponsor to the forum, but I have found them to be a very good resource for both pods and phyto.

 

[Cali Reef Life]

If your ammonia is 0 you can add pods whenever you want. Refuge maybe in a month or so I would monitor your levels and see if you need to add chaeto. I don't know the size of your tank so I don't know if two clowns is a lot of bio load or very little.

 

[Jedi1199]

When to add chaeto to your refugium is basically up to you. It really depends on how much nutrient uptake you need.

When I upgraded my own system from 55g to 135, I added chaeto on day 3. As soon as the refugium was running. My nutrient levels are nearly bottomed out as of last testing cycle on 9-7.

 

[Jekyl]

If you've added chaeto to your system it's basically impossible that pods aren't already in your system. IMO buying pods are for people with mandarins in too small of a tank.

 

[Notsolostfish]

If your ammonia is 0 you can add pods whenever you want. Refuge maybe in a month or so I would monitor your levels and see if you need to add chaeto. I don't know the size of your tank so I don't know if two clowns is a lot of bio load or very little.

36 gallons display 18 sump. Water volume aroud 40-44 maybe less with rocks and sand

 

[Cali Reef Life]

Add the pods if you want they eat some bad types algae and can help keep the ugly stage at bay. Get some CUC a small amount and add cheato after you get some more fish in a month or so. Its all personal preference on how you want to enjoy your tank.

 

[Notsolostfish]

When to add chaeto to your refugium is basically up to you. It really depends on how much nutrient uptake you need.

When I upgraded my own system from 55g to 135, I added chaeto on day 3. As soon as the refugium was running. My nutrient levels are nearly bottomed out as of last testing cycle on 9-7.

Which pods is right for me they have so many!

 

[Cali Reef Life]

Which pods is right for me they have so many!

I would recommend getting a giant isopod.
Bathynomus giganteus





















Jk just get a Varity pack of copepods

 

[Lavey29]

I tried to add pods early but they were short lived. Like everything in this hobby a stable environment with appropriate food source is required. Your new tank will not have a stable environment for quite a few months. You would save your wallet some grief to wait a few months and add pods first. Then around 4 to 6 months add chaeto. Keep in mind you need to dose phytoplankton to sustain your pods.

 

[Notsolostfish]

I tried to add pods early but they were short lived. Like everything in this hobby a stable environment with appropriate food source is required. Your new tank will not have a stable environment for quite a few months. You would save your wallet some grief to wait a few months and add pods first. Then around 4 to 6 months add chaeto. Keep in mind you need to dose phytoplankton to sustain your pods.

Im confused so you shouldnt add them as soon as your cycle ends

 

[Lavey29]

Im confused so you shouldnt add them as soon as your cycle ends

Sure you can try but will they survive? In my experience, no. However, when I tried months later, they really seemed to populate the rocks and sand and were quite noticeable at night.

 

[Jedi1199]

Check out Dinkins Aquatic Gardens.

They have many varieties of pods as well as live phytoplankton to feed them.

The benefit of pods, especially early on, is that they will feed off of nuisance algae at a microscopic level. With the result being, you may never see the "ugly phase". This is not concrete, nor proven, but testing as relayed from BRS in the RAP NY video does lend credit to this theory.


Check out this video of Ryan's presentation from RAPNY. Makes you step back and rethink what we have all thought we knew for the last 40+ years.

 

[Notsolostfish]

Check out Dinkins Aquatic Gardens.

They have many varieties of pods as well as live phytoplankton to feed them.

The benefit of pods, especially early on, is that they will feed off of nuisance algae at a microscopic level. With the result being, you may never see the "ugly phase". This is not concrete, nor proven, but testing as relayed from BRS in the RAP NY video does lend credit to this theory.


Check out this video of Ryan's presentation from RAPNY. Makes you step back and rethink what we have all thought we knew for the last 40+ years.

Iv seen those videos. But what im worried about is overwhelimg my cycle. As my tank is able to process ammonia nitrite to nitrate in 48 hours instead of 24 hours. If i add pods and feed them? Wouldnt that like add more bacteria and overwhelm it and spike it

 

[PeterEde]

I wish I added pods as soon as it was safe.

 

[Jedi1199]

Sure you can try but will they survive? In my experience, no. However, when I tried months later, they really seemed to populate the rocks and sand and were quite noticeable at night.

Lavey, perhaps the issue was the pods were not fed, or not fed enough. If a system is completely lacking in algae, such as would be expected in a new setup, you would need to feed the pods in order to maintain a stable population.

 

[PeterEde]

My QT or other fishless tank has an abundance of pods which I am feeding phyto.

 

[Lavey29]

Lavey, perhaps the issue was the pods were not fed, or not fed enough. If a system is completely lacking in algae, such as would be expected in a new setup, you would need to feed the pods in order to maintain a stable population.

Totally agree and I've always dosed phytoplankton. I just think like fish and corals, your tank environment needs to be ready to receive new inhabitants and its difficult with new unstable tanks. Now OP like others said even if you never seeded a single pod they will end up in your system eventually and naturally.

 

[Jedi1199]

Iv seen those videos. But what im worried about is overwhelimg my cycle. As my tank is able to process ammonia nitrite to nitrate in 48 hours instead of 24 hours. If i add pods and feed them? Wouldnt that like add more bacteria and overwhelm it and spike it

Doubtful.

Ive been doing this aquarium thing for a while now... I have never once lost a fish to ammonia stress, even when this was the accepted way of cycling a tank. Pods, and phyto are such a small addition to the system that not only will you be hard pressed to even see them in the tank, but will be absolutely negligible to the bioload of the system overall.

 

[Notsolostfish]

Doubtful.

Ive been doing this aquarium thing for a while now... I have never once lost a fish to ammonia stress, even when this was the accepted way of cycling a tank. Pods, and phyto are such a small addition to the system that not only will you be hard pressed to even see them in the tank, but will be absolutely negligible to the bioload of the system overall.

Alright man thanks is that good to start https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/live-foods/combo-packs/galaxy-pods-phyto-combo/