Culturing copepods, need help

Kizzy911 · 11/16/2015, 04:07 AM

My 40 gallon breeder is fish less (due to ich) and the copepods are just everywhere. on all sides of the tank, and i want a mandarin. I can start adding fish again just before christmas dec. 23rd.

IN my sump, the Fuge comes first then onto the protein skimmer, then onto the return pump. my skimmer won't fit in the fuge section so I had to do this. I understand that pods may get sucked up by the skimmer. Is it possible that i'm still growing alot of pods in my fuge? (it has tons of live rock only)

i'm thinking of starting a 5 gallon separate tank with a light and cheato algae, and live rock from my sump (filled with pods?) and culture my own pods. Would that be ok? How would i transfer the pods onto my main tank? what do i feed them the pods?

Thanks

perkint · 11/16/2015, 06:59 AM

I wouldn't use a tank for culturing pods - no real reason not except it's a waste of a tank

I have three 2L pop bottles. Drilled a hole in the top and stuck a length of RO tubing down to the bottom. Put air line onto the RO tubing and connect them all to a small air pump - one or two bubbles a second in each bottle. Chuck a load of pods into one bottle and add a few drops of RG Complete into that bottle. Feed the RG Complete daily, just enough to keep a good green tint to the water. After a week or two, dump half that bottle into the second bottle and then feed both each day. After another week or two, half of one of the bottles goes into the third so I now have three cultures going, just in case any one crashes. Syphon half the water (syphon rather than pour so I can get the crud out of the bottom of the bottle) into a 100micron filter (a fine fish net would probably do), dump the pods into the tank and top the bottle up with new salt water.

That's it - no rock, don't bother topping up with RO, they are on a windowsill that doesn't get much light, but they do OK. Been running for over a year and gives me plenty of pods! Kept in an unheated room and the average temp over here is pretty cool at this time of year, so not that fast breeding, but still enough to feed live 'pods once or twice a week

Tim

twon8 · 11/16/2015, 07:27 PM

Anyplace in your tank where predators cannot reach will become a place for pods to grow, whether it's s fuge, overflow or just a live rock rubble pile

BlueRoofTang · 11/21/2015, 08:41 PM

Correct. If you have enough live rock, pods will have plenty of places to breed. I do prefer a sump though. That way there is an area that the fish cannot possibly get to them.

11/16/2015, 04:07 AM	#1
Kizzy911 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Seattle Posts: 202	Culturing copepods, need help My 40 gallon breeder is fish less (due to ich) and the copepods are just everywhere. on all sides of the tank, and i want a mandarin. I can start adding fish again just before christmas dec. 23rd. IN my sump, the Fuge comes first then onto the protein skimmer, then onto the return pump. my skimmer won't fit in the fuge section so I had to do this. I understand that pods may get sucked up by the skimmer. Is it possible that i'm still growing alot of pods in my fuge? (it has tons of live rock only) i'm thinking of starting a 5 gallon separate tank with a light and cheato algae, and live rock from my sump (filled with pods?) and culture my own pods. Would that be ok? How would i transfer the pods onto my main tank? what do i feed them the pods? Thanks

11/16/2015, 07:27 PM	#3
twon8 Formally registered membe Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: slightly sw of richmond, va Posts: 5,920	Anyplace in your tank where predators cannot reach will become a place for pods to grow, whether it's s fuge, overflow or just a live rock rubble pile __________________ Anthony Richmond Reef Club "and as things fell apart, nobody paid much attention." Not building a wall but making a brick Current Tank Info: 300g DD display, 60g frag tank

11/16/2015, 06:59 AM	#2
perkint Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Robin hood country, UK Posts: 817	I wouldn't use a tank for culturing pods - no real reason not except it's a waste of a tank I have three 2L pop bottles. Drilled a hole in the top and stuck a length of RO tubing down to the bottom. Put air line onto the RO tubing and connect them all to a small air pump - one or two bubbles a second in each bottle. Chuck a load of pods into one bottle and add a few drops of RG Complete into that bottle. Feed the RG Complete daily, just enough to keep a good green tint to the water. After a week or two, dump half that bottle into the second bottle and then feed both each day. After another week or two, half of one of the bottles goes into the third so I now have three cultures going, just in case any one crashes. Syphon half the water (syphon rather than pour so I can get the crud out of the bottom of the bottle) into a 100micron filter (a fine fish net would probably do), dump the pods into the tank and top the bottle up with new salt water. That's it - no rock, don't bother topping up with RO, they are on a windowsill that doesn't get much light, but they do OK. Been running for over a year and gives me plenty of pods! Kept in an unheated room and the average temp over here is pretty cool at this time of year, so not that fast breeding, but still enough to feed live 'pods once or twice a week Tim

11/21/2015, 08:41 PM	#4
BlueRoofTang Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 186	Correct. If you have enough live rock, pods will have plenty of places to breed. I do prefer a sump though. That way there is an area that the fish cannot possibly get to them.