Zooplankton Question

kissman · 03/09/2015, 08:58 PM

Not even sure this is the right place for this or not. If not sorry. I am trying to find out if Zooplankton is something that just grows in a tank or if a culture needs to be added in order to grow. I have tons of Microstars and some Bristke worms but other than that i dont really see anything crawling around. Don't see any pods at all! Been shining a light into my tank at night and nothing. Tank was redone over a year ago. Thanks for any info

ichthyogeek · 03/09/2015, 09:15 PM

This seems like the right place to ask such a question. Zooplankton can grow in the tank. Usually, however, it needs a few things that our reefs sometimes don't supply, such as phytoplankton, and lots of it. Also, it seems like you're looking for benthic copepods and amphipods, which are not plankton. Zooplankton lives in the water column, like calanoid and cyclopoid copepods. Amphipods and harpacticoid copepods (what you seem to be looking for) tend to come in with live rock, and are the tiny "bugs" crawling around. If you want, you can add a culture, but there are no guarantees the organism(s) will thrive in the tank and not be predated on. Many things eat plankton and benthic pods, from corals at night, to zooplanktivores by day. These can very well decimate large amounts of plankton and pods very, very quickly.

Reef Frog · 03/09/2015, 10:34 PM

^ agree. I've never been convinced that free swimming plankton really exists in the average home reef tank in quantities or varieties that really do anything useful. Sure, you might have an occasional spawning event in a coral, snail or the like. But it's a tiny amount with limited variety when compared to a natural habitat.

If my guess on this is correct, there are probably several factors at work and lack of phytoplankton is probably a leading reason. Also you would have much if it scooped up in no times by skimmers, filter socks, bags of carbon, GFO reactors and all that.

Tanks regularly water changed with natural seawater might be a notable exception, but again that's only speculation. If anyone has confirmed the existence of any significant oceanic plankton that reproduces and is self sustaining in a home reef, that would be an interesting topic of discussion.

kissman · 03/10/2015, 04:17 AM

Thanks for the reply's! I know i need Amphipods and Copapods. I started my tank rebuild with all dead rock so i am pretty sure i got nothing. I am starting to dive into LPS & SPS corals now that my system is maturing and i want the best environment i can supply. Is live Zooplankton and /or Phytoplankton something i should be adding? Thanks again for any answers

ca1ore · 03/10/2015, 06:41 AM

I would think about the only way to have any chance at a sustainable free swimming plankton population would be to have a huge refuguum attached tithe display in such a way that the animals were not subsequently removed by the filter. I have a relatively small RDSB/cryptic zone tank on my system and it does appear to sustainably support populations of both benthic and free swimming pods; but the tank has no predators, and I suspectvif it did the population would be eliminated quickly.

kissman · 03/10/2015, 06:57 AM

so just add pods and not worry about zoo and phyto

Mythicalelf · 03/10/2015, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kissman

so just add pods and not worry about zoo and phyto

Yes

03/09/2015, 08:58 PM	#1
kissman Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Lynchburg, Va Posts: 2,963	Zooplankton Question Not even sure this is the right place for this or not. If not sorry. I am trying to find out if Zooplankton is something that just grows in a tank or if a culture needs to be added in order to grow. I have tons of Microstars and some Bristke worms but other than that i dont really see anything crawling around. Don't see any pods at all! Been shining a light into my tank at night and nothing. Tank was redone over a year ago. Thanks for any info

03/10/2015, 06:41 AM	#5
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	I would think about the only way to have any chance at a sustainable free swimming plankton population would be to have a huge refuguum attached tithe display in such a way that the animals were not subsequently removed by the filter. I have a relatively small RDSB/cryptic zone tank on my system and it does appear to sustainably support populations of both benthic and free swimming pods; but the tank has no predators, and I suspectvif it did the population would be eliminated quickly. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

03/09/2015, 09:15 PM	#2
ichthyogeek Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Arkansas Posts: 742	This seems like the right place to ask such a question. Zooplankton can grow in the tank. Usually, however, it needs a few things that our reefs sometimes don't supply, such as phytoplankton, and lots of it. Also, it seems like you're looking for benthic copepods and amphipods, which are not plankton. Zooplankton lives in the water column, like calanoid and cyclopoid copepods. Amphipods and harpacticoid copepods (what you seem to be looking for) tend to come in with live rock, and are the tiny "bugs" crawling around. If you want, you can add a culture, but there are no guarantees the organism(s) will thrive in the tank and not be predated on. Many things eat plankton and benthic pods, from corals at night, to zooplanktivores by day. These can very well decimate large amounts of plankton and pods very, very quickly.

03/09/2015, 10:34 PM	#3
Reef Frog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,121	^ agree. I've never been convinced that free swimming plankton really exists in the average home reef tank in quantities or varieties that really do anything useful. Sure, you might have an occasional spawning event in a coral, snail or the like. But it's a tiny amount with limited variety when compared to a natural habitat. If my guess on this is correct, there are probably several factors at work and lack of phytoplankton is probably a leading reason. Also you would have much if it scooped up in no times by skimmers, filter socks, bags of carbon, GFO reactors and all that. Tanks regularly water changed with natural seawater might be a notable exception, but again that's only speculation. If anyone has confirmed the existence of any significant oceanic plankton that reproduces and is self sustaining in a home reef, that would be an interesting topic of discussion.

03/10/2015, 04:17 AM	#4
kissman Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Lynchburg, Va Posts: 2,963	Thanks for the reply's! I know i need Amphipods and Copapods. I started my tank rebuild with all dead rock so i am pretty sure i got nothing. I am starting to dive into LPS & SPS corals now that my system is maturing and i want the best environment i can supply. Is live Zooplankton and /or Phytoplankton something i should be adding? Thanks again for any answers

03/10/2015, 06:57 AM	#6
kissman Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Lynchburg, Va Posts: 2,963	so just add pods and not worry about zoo and phyto