Trying to create a breeding ground for pods, Will it work?

jfingers8 · 08/14/2007, 05:26 PM

Im trying to get a population of copepods going for my mandarin that i plan on getting a couple of months from now. I put about 5 lbs. of rubble rock in my sump to basically try to start a breeding ground for pods. Will that work? I don't have any macro plants or sand in the sump just rubble rock and bare bottom.

Aqua_expert19 · 08/14/2007, 05:45 PM

i would put some live sand and macro algae in it. and some low flow. thats what worked for me.

jfingers8 · 08/14/2007, 05:58 PM

I've tried twice to grow cheato and i can't for some reason it just doesn't grow. Some people tell me low flow some people tell me high.

slevesque · 08/14/2007, 08:17 PM

Do you have enough lite for the cheato to grow?

Nano Chris · 08/14/2007, 08:35 PM

Also some lr rubble would help in the fuge too.

ACBlinky · 08/14/2007, 10:37 PM

I keep a 'pod pile' (basically a pile of LR rubble, pieces about 1" - 3" across) in my sump, in addition to a basketball sized area stuffed with chaeto. Amphipods seem to like the chaeto best, whereas bristleworms are populating the rubble and sand, though neither area is exclusive. I've also got some sand in a low-flow area, and there's another type of pod that favours that area.

In short, rubble is a great thing for cultivating worms and pods, though chaeto would help a lot too. IME all chaeto needs is some NO3 and PO4, flow (mine doesn't seem to care if it's high or low) and a moderate amount of light. I'm using 2x40W PC (1 6500K and 1 10K bulb), but I've grown it under much less, all the way down to a 13W PC bulb (when I had a teeny HOB fuge I used a desk lamp).

SALT WATER CRAZ · 08/15/2007, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jfingers8
I've tried twice to grow cheato and i can't for some reason it just doesn't grow. Some people tell me low flow some people tell me high.

If you do have a nuff light to grow cheato And it still is not growing it could be thay you dont have a nuf iron in the water. this happens to me a couple times a year with my cheato from using ro/di water.. So I dose a cap full of Flourish in the tank and it gets dark again and grows like weed..

victor_c3 · 08/15/2007, 04:59 AM

I've thought a lot about cultivating pods and my own planktons, but the biggest concern I had is how they will survive a trip through a pump or a protein skimmer. Doe anyone have any ideas on this or idea on how to mitigate your pod/plankton losses to this?

Also, how big of a fuge would you need to have to be able to produce enough pods to be able to feed a mandarin?

What do pods feed off of? Do they just munch off of the macro algae, or do they eat left over food and fish poo?

reefer1024 · 08/15/2007, 03:06 PM

Look into getting a CPR hang on tank refugium. Get the biggest 1 you can fit on your tank and fill it with rubble and macro algae(cheato is the best in my opinion. These are nice because they are gravity fed so the pods dont go through the pump. They are also a great way to remove exes nutrients. Piles of rubble and shells work good too.

RichConley · 08/15/2007, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by victor_c3
I've thought a lot about cultivating pods and my own planktons, but the biggest concern I had is how they will survive a trip through a pump or a protein skimmer. Doe anyone have any ideas on this or idea on how to mitigate your pod/plankton losses to this?

I've seen clown gobies go through a mag12.

Dont worry about the pods.

kingfisher62 · 08/15/2007, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RichConley
I've seen clown gobies go through a mag12.

Sure they go thru , but in how many pieces?

RichConley · 08/15/2007, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kingfisher62
Sure they go thru , but in how many pieces?

They come out just fine.

Pumps aren't nearly as bad as people think. Theres extremely high pressure areas surrounding the front side of the impellar blade, so they get whisked through without even touching the impellar.

one of the guys in my club had a bunch of anthias go through a sequence dart without a problem.

The idea that a powerhead will chop up pods is silly.

kingfisher62 · 08/15/2007, 04:06 PM

I am sure you are right but even if they did get chopped up I am sure they would be eaten before they settle on the bottom!

08/14/2007, 05:26 PM	#1
jfingers8 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: MA Posts: 562	Trying to create a breeding ground for pods, Will it work? Im trying to get a population of copepods going for my mandarin that i plan on getting a couple of months from now. I put about 5 lbs. of rubble rock in my sump to basically try to start a breeding ground for pods. Will that work? I don't have any macro plants or sand in the sump just rubble rock and bare bottom.

08/14/2007, 08:17 PM	#4
slevesque Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montreal Posts: 377	Do you have enough lite for the cheato to grow? __________________ Stephane Levesque The Shrimp Guy! Current Tank Info: 55 + 20L

08/14/2007, 08:35 PM	#5
Nano Chris Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,758	Also some lr rubble would help in the fuge too. __________________ Chris ------- 34 Gallon Red Sea Max 130! Setup (Just got back into the hobby) Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon RedSeaMax!

08/14/2007, 10:37 PM	#6
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	I keep a 'pod pile' (basically a pile of LR rubble, pieces about 1" - 3" across) in my sump, in addition to a basketball sized area stuffed with chaeto. Amphipods seem to like the chaeto best, whereas bristleworms are populating the rubble and sand, though neither area is exclusive. I've also got some sand in a low-flow area, and there's another type of pod that favours that area. In short, rubble is a great thing for cultivating worms and pods, though chaeto would help a lot too. IME all chaeto needs is some NO3 and PO4, flow (mine doesn't seem to care if it's high or low) and a moderate amount of light. I'm using 2x40W PC (1 6500K and 1 10K bulb), but I've grown it under much less, all the way down to a 13W PC bulb (when I had a teeny HOB fuge I used a desk lamp). __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

08/15/2007, 04:06 PM	#13
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	I am sure you are right but even if they did get chopped up I am sure they would be eaten before they settle on the bottom! __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

08/14/2007, 05:45 PM	#2
Aqua_expert19 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 713	i would put some live sand and macro algae in it. and some low flow. thats what worked for me.

08/14/2007, 05:58 PM	#3
jfingers8 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: MA Posts: 562	I've tried twice to grow cheato and i can't for some reason it just doesn't grow. Some people tell me low flow some people tell me high.

08/15/2007, 04:59 AM	#8
victor_c3 Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New York Posts: 513	I've thought a lot about cultivating pods and my own planktons, but the biggest concern I had is how they will survive a trip through a pump or a protein skimmer. Doe anyone have any ideas on this or idea on how to mitigate your pod/plankton losses to this? Also, how big of a fuge would you need to have to be able to produce enough pods to be able to feed a mandarin? What do pods feed off of? Do they just munch off of the macro algae, or do they eat left over food and fish poo?

08/15/2007, 03:06 PM	#9
reefer1024 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lake Elsinore Posts: 940	Look into getting a CPR hang on tank refugium. Get the biggest 1 you can fit on your tank and fill it with rubble and macro algae(cheato is the best in my opinion. These are nice because they are gravity fed so the pods dont go through the pump. They are also a great way to remove exes nutrients. Piles of rubble and shells work good too.