Copepod question

hex · 11/21/2006, 11:40 AM

Dozens of copepod's appeared suddenly on three sides of my aquarium glass yesterday. They seem to be grazing on spots of brown algae. Should I clean the glass as normal with the magnet scraper or should I let them feed and reproduce for a few days on the glass?

Thanks!

papagimp · 11/21/2006, 11:53 AM

Keeping the glass clean will only deter themfrom the glass and get them going to the rocks and sand for their food. If you have food for em growing on the glass you'll find em there. Honestly, I'd leave em be unless they get too unsightly for ya. The more pods the merrier! (what you see on the glass is only a smidge of the pod population so killing a few with a mag scraper isn't going to be rid of them all, no worries there). If you have a fuge going, possible some cheato or other macro, I'd keep the display glass clean of them and algae, they'll be all over the fuge and let em do their thing in there. If ya want em to start populating more, reproduce like mad, start dosing with phytoplankton. There are many types of pods and the ones crawling on the glass are only one type, some live inthe water column itself, free swimming, as do the coepod nauplii. The kind crawling on the glass most likely breed in that area where the rocks and sand meet (pod breeding grounds) and they don't need alot of room for that since there so tiny. (my fuge only has a smidge of sand, less than 2mm, and a bunch of reefdisks and cheatomorphia, and I've got more pods than my fish can eat)

blackheart · 11/21/2006, 12:21 PM

what he said

papagimp · 11/21/2006, 12:22 PM

LOL!

hex · 11/21/2006, 01:03 PM

Great - thanks for the detailed reply.

BCreefmaker · 11/21/2006, 02:17 PM

does that little bit of sand in the bottom of the fuge really help out for pod populations? im going bare right now with a pound of rubble in a little pile in one corner.... but my tank is only 1 and 1/2 weeks old, and iv only ever seen one pod, and he looked prety dead. and i doubt my damsel fish is helping out much either

but the more pods the better.

blackheart · 11/21/2006, 02:18 PM

just give it time they will grow in the rocks

11/21/2006, 11:40 AM	#1
hex Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Bay, CA Posts: 104	Copepod question Dozens of copepod's appeared suddenly on three sides of my aquarium glass yesterday. They seem to be grazing on spots of brown algae. Should I clean the glass as normal with the magnet scraper or should I let them feed and reproduce for a few days on the glass? Thanks!

11/21/2006, 11:53 AM	#2
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	Keeping the glass clean will only deter themfrom the glass and get them going to the rocks and sand for their food. If you have food for em growing on the glass you'll find em there. Honestly, I'd leave em be unless they get too unsightly for ya. The more pods the merrier! (what you see on the glass is only a smidge of the pod population so killing a few with a mag scraper isn't going to be rid of them all, no worries there). If you have a fuge going, possible some cheato or other macro, I'd keep the display glass clean of them and algae, they'll be all over the fuge and let em do their thing in there. If ya want em to start populating more, reproduce like mad, start dosing with phytoplankton. There are many types of pods and the ones crawling on the glass are only one type, some live inthe water column itself, free swimming, as do the coepod nauplii. The kind crawling on the glass most likely breed in that area where the rocks and sand meet (pod breeding grounds) and they don't need alot of room for that since there so tiny. (my fuge only has a smidge of sand, less than 2mm, and a bunch of reefdisks and cheatomorphia, and I've got more pods than my fish can eat) __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

11/21/2006, 12:21 PM	#3
blackheart Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Daytona Beach Posts: 892	what he said __________________ I have been cycling my tank for a month now with 75lbs of live rock when do I add the salt???? click the red house to see pics of my old tank....the better pics are at the bottom :D Current Tank Info: Back to the drawing board!!

11/21/2006, 12:22 PM	#4
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	LOL! __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

11/21/2006, 02:17 PM	#6
BCreefmaker Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 1,129	does that little bit of sand in the bottom of the fuge really help out for pod populations? im going bare right now with a pound of rubble in a little pile in one corner.... but my tank is only 1 and 1/2 weeks old, and iv only ever seen one pod, and he looked prety dead. and i doubt my damsel fish is helping out much either but the more pods the better. __________________ To make apple pie from scratch, You must first create the universe.

11/21/2006, 01:03 PM	#5
hex Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Bay, CA Posts: 104	Great - thanks for the detailed reply.

11/21/2006, 02:18 PM	#7
blackheart Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Daytona Beach Posts: 892	just give it time they will grow in the rocks __________________ I have been cycling my tank for a month now with 75lbs of live rock when do I add the salt???? click the red house to see pics of my old tank....the better pics are at the bottom :D Current Tank Info: Back to the drawing board!!