Amphipods & Copepods

Jimbojames · 07/27/2013, 11:40 AM

Hey i have a 65 gallon i was looking to add 250 Amphipods & Copepods to my DT, to start building for a Dragonet down the line. What are the benefits of Amphipods & Copepods? Will my midas blenny, yellow tang or clownfish eat them? Is 250 a good starting point i have 70 pounds rock and 80 pounds fine sand?

Zero Nitrates · 07/27/2013, 11:47 AM

They will help you have a more diverse tank. They will provide a new food source. They will scavenge leftover fish food, fish poop, and bacteria in the tank.

crsswift70 · 07/27/2013, 11:54 AM

They are very good scavengers and great to have in the tank. The blenny might eat a few, but my tang and clowns only fool with them if there is one suspended in the water column. In that size tank, i don't think you'll have an issue with them being eaten enough to matter. I'm not sure you really need to supplement however. The population will grow pretty quickly on its own if there is already a small population present.

GrizFyrFyter · 07/27/2013, 11:58 AM

I have about 90gal total volume. I put a 8oz bag in my fuge a few weeks ago. I now have hundreds of thousands of amphipods. My diatom algae is gone. My clowns, chromis and yellow tang pic them off the glass once in a while.

MadScientistWRX · 07/27/2013, 12:01 PM

Once should state how old the tank currently is?

In my experience's, adding a ball of Chaetomorpha to your sump will greatly increase your bug population over time. Yes, you can add the pods to your tank. My experience's with a Mandarin is having mature tank of at least 9 months. Once you see bugs crawling around, you are good to go with a small size Mandarin. A large Mandarin can easily eat the population rather quickly.

GrizFyrFyter · 07/27/2013, 12:03 PM

My tank is less than 2 months old. This is a corner of my tank. There are so many in the water it makes my water look cloudy.

nlgill13 · 07/27/2013, 12:06 PM

^^^^ wow that's a lot of bugs

+1 get some chaeto if you have a refugium.

GrizFyrFyter · 07/27/2013, 12:08 PM

I have a bunch in the fuge. Also, I didn't add any to my DT, just to the fuge so they survived the trip through a mag 7 pump.

MadScientistWRX · 07/27/2013, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrizFyrFyter

I have a bunch in the fuge. Also, I didn't add any to my DT, just to the fuge so they survived the trip through a mag 7 pump.

Exactly what I did with the Chaeto. Pods are quite resilient and smart compared to what the masses think. My bugs also safely completed the journey through my return pump and are populating my live rock.

You have a good start on your population. Its exciting once they get bigger though

They look like little shrimp crawling around when they mature.

GrizFyrFyter · 07/27/2013, 12:30 PM

I seeded with amphipods. From what I understand, they won't get much bigger, I need to seed copepods for some bigger critters.

Palting · 07/27/2013, 12:43 PM

A 65 gallon with a sump/refugium should support a dragonet easily. The pods will grow in the refugium, a place of "refuge" where they can multiply without getting eaten. Whether you need to seed the system with copepods or whether the hitchikers in live rock will be good enough is controversial. Since you seeded the system anyway, you should be good to go.

I seeded my 200 gallon system with live phyto and live pods early on in the life of the tank like you did. I have two mandarins and a six line, two species that are definite pod eaters, as well as a dotty back and a variety of fish (see sig). They are all fat and happy.

Almondsaz · 07/27/2013, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrizFyrFyter

I seeded with amphipods. From what I understand, they won't get much bigger, I need to seed copepods for some bigger critters.

Actually the amphipods are larger than the copepods. The baby amphipods are as small as copepods, but the adults are much larger. Typically they are in the shape of a "C" and the will find a home in the smallest of places. If you use any additional filtration (GFO or filter pads or bags) in your system they love to adhere to those as well - GFO I usually find them on the sponge pad.

Jimbojames · 07/27/2013, 04:15 PM

Thanks guys just bought 250 from reefs2go, my tank is about 2 months old.

MadScientistWRX · 07/28/2013, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Almondsaz

Actually the amphipods are larger than the copepods. The baby amphipods are as small as copepods, but the adults are much larger. Typically they are in the shape of a "C" and the will find a home in the smallest of places. If you use any additional filtration (GFO or filter pads or bags) in your system they love to adhere to those as well - GFO I usually find them on the sponge pad.

I too have noticed this but on my bubble mesh after my refugium. I now deemed this mesh as a bug nest as I have noticed this is where they LOVE to breed and make the journey through my return pump.

Almondsaz · 07/28/2013, 12:19 PM

When I bought my sump (Eshopps) it came with a firm black pad - similar to the kind of pad you use for the skimmer upgrades. I cut a piece about 5x5 inches and left that in my sump and the pods love it - mounted it on the side of the tank up the wall, for some reason in my sump they don't like it on the sand bed. Could be a combination of lighting, flow, etc. This is what works for me.

07/27/2013, 11:40 AM	#1
Jimbojames Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 77	Amphipods & Copepods Hey i have a 65 gallon i was looking to add 250 Amphipods & Copepods to my DT, to start building for a Dragonet down the line. What are the benefits of Amphipods & Copepods? Will my midas blenny, yellow tang or clownfish eat them? Is 250 a good starting point i have 70 pounds rock and 80 pounds fine sand?

07/27/2013, 12:43 PM	#11
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	A 65 gallon with a sump/refugium should support a dragonet easily. The pods will grow in the refugium, a place of "refuge" where they can multiply without getting eaten. Whether you need to seed the system with copepods or whether the hitchikers in live rock will be good enough is controversial. Since you seeded the system anyway, you should be good to go. I seeded my 200 gallon system with live phyto and live pods early on in the life of the tank like you did. I have two mandarins and a six line, two species that are definite pod eaters, as well as a dotty back and a variety of fish (see sig). They are all fat and happy. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

07/27/2013, 04:15 PM	#13
Jimbojames Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 77	Thanks guys just bought 250 from reefs2go, my tank is about 2 months old. __________________ [URL="http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2316217"]http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2316217[/URL]

07/27/2013, 11:47 AM	#2
Zero Nitrates Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Asheville, NC Posts: 32	They will help you have a more diverse tank. They will provide a new food source. They will scavenge leftover fish food, fish poop, and bacteria in the tank.

07/27/2013, 11:54 AM	#3
crsswift70 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Spanish Fort, AL Posts: 1,032	They are very good scavengers and great to have in the tank. The blenny might eat a few, but my tang and clowns only fool with them if there is one suspended in the water column. In that size tank, i don't think you'll have an issue with them being eaten enough to matter. I'm not sure you really need to supplement however. The population will grow pretty quickly on its own if there is already a small population present.

07/27/2013, 11:58 AM	#4
GrizFyrFyter Moved On Join Date: May 2013 Location: Sacramento / Arden Posts: 1,154	I have about 90gal total volume. I put a 8oz bag in my fuge a few weeks ago. I now have hundreds of thousands of amphipods. My diatom algae is gone. My clowns, chromis and yellow tang pic them off the glass once in a while.

07/27/2013, 12:01 PM	#5
MadScientistWRX Moved On Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 67	Once should state how old the tank currently is? In my experience's, adding a ball of Chaetomorpha to your sump will greatly increase your bug population over time. Yes, you can add the pods to your tank. My experience's with a Mandarin is having mature tank of at least 9 months. Once you see bugs crawling around, you are good to go with a small size Mandarin. A large Mandarin can easily eat the population rather quickly.

07/27/2013, 12:06 PM	#7
nlgill13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Boulder,CO Posts: 1,291	^^^^ wow that's a lot of bugs +1 get some chaeto if you have a refugium.

07/27/2013, 12:08 PM	#8
GrizFyrFyter Moved On Join Date: May 2013 Location: Sacramento / Arden Posts: 1,154	I have a bunch in the fuge. Also, I didn't add any to my DT, just to the fuge so they survived the trip through a mag 7 pump.

07/27/2013, 12:30 PM	#10
GrizFyrFyter Moved On Join Date: May 2013 Location: Sacramento / Arden Posts: 1,154	I seeded with amphipods. From what I understand, they won't get much bigger, I need to seed copepods for some bigger critters.

07/28/2013, 12:19 PM	#15
Almondsaz Premium Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: OP, Ks Posts: 617	When I bought my sump (Eshopps) it came with a firm black pad - similar to the kind of pad you use for the skimmer upgrades. I cut a piece about 5x5 inches and left that in my sump and the pods love it - mounted it on the side of the tank up the wall, for some reason in my sump they don't like it on the sand bed. Could be a combination of lighting, flow, etc. This is what works for me.