Which pods to seed???

[b4tn]

This is my first go at starting a reef with 100% dead rock. I am at the point where I want to seed some pods but there are so many options at my local fish store. I am not sure which to get. they have the reef nutrion Tigger, Arcti, and Apex pods as well as AlgaGen Tisbe and some others I forget the name. I was going to get two bags/bottle to seed but I am not sure which ones to get.

 

[Miami Reef]

Tisbe is the best.

Tiger pods are cold water, meaning they like temperatures below 74 degrees -much lower than we keep our reef tanks at. They don’t produce well and die afterwards. They are much better used as “feeding pods”. Also, Tiger pods don’t have the instinct to hide. They just swim in the open which leads to predators to wipe out their colony.

Tisbe are warmer water and produce fairly quickly in our systems. They do hide in rocks/sand and only come out at night when most fish are asleep.

Here is a great article for you to read: https://www.coralreefing.com/tisbe-pods-vs-tiger-pods-which-is-better/

 

[phatduckk]

I’m in the same boat; tanks almost done cycling so I’m not quite ready but doing the same research.

For what it’s worth Algae Barn seems to be rather popular & they have a special pod mix called 5280. I’ve read a lot of good things about their products and their customer support. I’m leaning towards going with them for my algae, pod (5280 “blend”) & invert needs based on everything I’ve heard so far.

 

[b4tn]

Tisbe is the best.

Tiger pods are cold water, meaning they like temperatures below 74 degrees -much lower than we keep our reef tanks at. They don’t produce well and die afterwards. They are much better used as “feeding pods”. Also, Tiger pods don’t have the instinct to hide. They just swim in the open which leads to predators to wipe out their colony.

Tisbe are warmer water and produce fairly quickly in our systems. They do hide in rocks/sand and only come out at night when most fish are asleep.

Here is a great article for you to read: https://www.coralreefing.com/tisbe-pods-vs-tiger-pods-which-is-better/

This makes sense, all the pods at the LFS are in the refrigerator except the tisbe pods. I was going to wait till night and put a bag in my display and a bag in the sump. Sounds like I will be going tisbe.

 

[Miami Reef]

I went to 2 LFS in my area and none had Tisbe. The main reason is because tiger pods store for longer. They can put them in the fridge and they’ll last for months. Tisbe much less, if your LFS carries them that’s great. I had to order mine online. I recommend feeding phytoplankton to get their colony growing fast. If you don’t have a refugium it’s ok, but they’ll take off even more with a place away from predictors. I’m not sure if you have any fish in your tank right now, but if you don’t, they’ll make a good home in your rock work.

 

[Reef Nutrition]

I have to jump in here real quick and address the misconception that Tigriopus californicus are a "cold water" copepod. Cold temperature has nothing to do with the success or failure of our Tigger-Pods (Tigriopus californicus) in a reef tank. This species is eurythermic, meaning it can tolerate a wide range of temperatures while maintaining reproduction. I grow these animals year round in a greenhouse with temperatures that exceed 80F in the summer months here in the Silicon Valley area of California: we have no climate control. Since they have been in culture for nearly 13 years at our facility, they are fully domesticated to our growing systems and climate changes. Since we have no seasonality issues, we can offer them year-round. They still reproduce just fine and the nauplii (larvae) grow at a normal rate.

The reason they are in the fridge in a store is because they have a high tolerance for cold temperatures. This is something we use to our advantage. We ask that stores keep them refrigerated so that they don't consume all the oxygen in the bottle. The cold slows them down metabolically. They can survive below 40F for weeks, which gives a store time to sell them before the next order.

One of the main reasons they don't persist in marine aquariums with zooplankton predators is that they are very conspicuous (big and red). They get picked off faster than they can reproduce. Hobbyists tend to have more success with this species in a refugium or separate culture. They are very hardy and even beginners can culture them.

The Apex-Pods (Apocyclops panamensis), on the other hand, are much smaller and don't exhibit the bright red coloration. They are a very good option and have a great chance at populating a reef tank, especially one with a lot of rock and porous substrate. We put roughly 2,000 of these animals in a 6oz. bottle. We also add only individuals above 100 microns so that you get juvenile and newly matured copepods, which means they have their entire reproductive life ahead of them. This species does not tolerate cold temperatures, so we keep it at room temperature and add a little live phytoplankton to each bottle. They are a great copepod that is being used in aquaculture since they don't require live phytoplankton, are very hardy and have a very small newly hatched larvae (nauplius).

If you have any more questions, @b4tn, don't hesitate to reach out.

Best,
Chad

 

[Oshengems]

I have to jump in here real quick and address the misconception that Tigriopus californicus are a "cold water" copepod. Cold temperature has nothing to do with the success or failure of our Tigger-Pods (Tigriopus californicus) in a reef tank. This species is eurythermic, meaning it can tolerate a wide range of temperatures while maintaining reproduction. I grow these animals year round in a greenhouse with temperatures that exceed 80F in the summer months here in the Silicon Valley area of California: we have no climate control. Since they have been in culture for nearly 13 years at our facility, they are fully domesticated to our growing systems and climate changes. Since we have no seasonality issues, we can offer them year-round. They still reproduce just fine and the nauplii (larvae) grow at a normal rate.

The reason they are in the fridge in a store is because they have a high tolerance for cold temperatures. This is something we use to our advantage. We ask that stores keep them refrigerated so that they don't consume all the oxygen in the bottle. The cold slows them down metabolically. They can survive below 40F for weeks, which gives a store time to sell them before the next order.

One of the main reasons they don't persist in marine aquariums with zooplankton predators is that they are very conspicuous (big and red). They get picked off faster than they can reproduce. Hobbyists tend to have more success with this species in a refugium or separate culture. They are very hardy and even beginners can culture them.

The Apex-Pods (Apocyclops panamensis), on the other hand, are much smaller and don't exhibit the bright red coloration. They are a very good option and have a great chance at populating a reef tank, especially one with a lot of rock and porous substrate. We put roughly 2,000 of these animals in a 6oz. bottle. We also add only individuals above 100 microns so that you get juvenile and newly matured copepods, which means they have their entire reproductive life ahead of them. This species does not tolerate cold temperatures, so we keep it at room temperature and add a little live phytoplankton to each bottle. They are a great copepod that is being used in aquaculture since they don't require live phytoplankton, are very hardy and have a very small newly hatched larvae (nauplius).

If you have any more questions, @b4tn, don't hesitate to reach out.

Best,
Chad

You forgot to drop that mic!!!
Thank you for saving me a good 2-4 hour research this is the first thread I come into looking for which to seed with.

 

[Reef Nutrition]

You forgot to drop that mic!!!
Thank you for saving me a good 2-4 hour research this is the first thread I come into looking for which to seed with.

Happy to help! If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

Best,
Chad

 

[burgundy]

Happy to help! If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

Best,
Chad

Would you know which pod you offer is the best as a detrivore?

 

[Reef Nutrition]

Would you know which pod you offer is the best as a detrivore?

Both copepods that we sell into the hobby are detritivores. We are running a free shipping promo on our live copepods and phytoplankton right now. If you don't have a store near you that carries us, you can take advantage of this promo. Here is the link: https://reefnutrition.com/promo/open-with-care I suggest the Grateful Live Kit. You can add more products and still get free shipping. This offer runs until the end of the month.

Best,
Chad