Copepod dwellings

[Bevobud@hotmail.com]

I have a 28 gallon aquapod, planning to get a mandarin and populate the tank with copepods. I have live rick but it is all Tonga and doesn't provide many crevices for the copepods to take refuge. I wanted to ask what would be the best way to provide cover for the copepods to hide and hopefully procreate to provide a good source of food for the mandarins.

[jtrux]

I have a 28 gallon aquapod, planning to get a mandarin and populate the tank with copepods. I have live rick but it is all Tonga and doesn't provide many crevices for the copepods to take refuge. I wanted to ask what would be the best way to provide cover for the copepods to hide and hopefully procreate to provide a good source of food for the mandarins.

I have this green grass stuff in my sump that they love to hang out in, don't know how you feel about it in your display though.

[Bevobud@hotmail.com]

yeah macro algae was one of my first ideas i was thinkin i would put it in the back put that stuff spreads like wildfire

[zcatzmeow]

Hey! Welcome fellow Mandarin adventurer!

I have a 28g and have had a Mandarin for several months now. I culture my own pods and try to keep the tank stocked.

My humble two cents I've learned along the way.:

- First, make sure the Mandarin you buy is eating either live shrimps or frozen foods. They do exist, I bought one! He eats everything.

- Prior to Mandarin saturate tank with a couple order of mixed pods.

- My rock is really holey and I will admit it seems to make a big difference. I can see swarms of copepods in all the little holes.

- If you can't put in a piece or two of cave-y type rock, then make a Pod Pile....a small stack of rubble near the back of the tank. Some people use sponge material, but I find it gets too dirty. IMHO, I've found the best rubble to be those old fungia skeletons. There are TONS of grooves and pods love them. Some times I have to move the rubble and I squeal when picking up the fungia rubble because pods run out all over my hand

- Culture your own pods to replenish the main tank. I've got two things running for that:

- HOB refuge with macro algae pod heaven

- Tiny separate culture tank...bought at Walmart for like $10 bucks. It has all you need, a light and a miniature air stone and pump.

- When you are stocking your pods in your display, fuge, or culture tank, buy from several different sources and of course buy a bottle of Tiggerpods.
- If in a fuge or separate tank, the best macro I've found is chaeto and sea lettuce. They love both types.

It is a bit embarrassing how long I could ramble on about pods, culturing and resources so rather than give you too much info I'll stop here. If you want more details just holler

Here's a pick of Beemer, King of the Nano

[Rychek]

Wow! Beemer looks great! Not to hijack the thread, but where are good places to get live copepods other than Tiggerpods (I know where I can get those)?

Another option for copepod dwellings is to take some eggcrate (or something similar) and build a box/tube, stuff some cheato in it and place it in an out of the way part of your tank. Basically it works like a pod pile, but with cheato. If you need to get the pods out, just give is a few shakes. Admittedly this method works best if you put it in a fuge/culture tank.

[zcatzmeow]

Thank you for the Beemer compliments He is quite the stud, heehee.

Okay, here are pics from my pod culture set-up:








Greenish, cloudy water is good!




Image of large pod...amphipod, I believe.



Babies! Lots of amphipods, but note other pod types too. I actually get out magnifying glass and observe them

[zcatzmeow]

Wow! Beemer looks great! Not to hijack the thread, but where are good places to get live copepods other than Tiggerpods (I know where I can get those)?

Another option for copepod dwellings is to take some eggcrate (or something similar) and build a box/tube, stuff some cheato in it and place it in an out of the way part of your tank. Basically it works like a pod pile, but with cheato. If you need to get the pods out, just give is a few shakes. Admittedly this method works best if you put it in a fuge/culture tank.

Whee! This topic is entirely too fun for me

I have several sources that are awesome and I'd order again from them in a heartbeat. (in fact I have ordered on multiple occasions) I'm a huge believer in diversity and each supplier has had different pods in their mix.

http://www.oceanpods.com/ - primo pods, supplier is a scientist in the field and very friendly to e-mail if you have questions

http://www.ipsf.com/podbreedingkit.html - awesome kit, I used it to start off with, comes with big mat of sea lettuce, flake food, and tons of large pods which breed like crazy

Piece of the Reef
One of my favorites and have ordered on several occasions. You get all sorts of groovy stuff with their packages. It's like a great big scoop of the ocean floor. Comes with tons of nerite snails, lots of different pods, and there was even an emerald crab hitchhiker one time. She packs her stuff using a lot of filter floss which is convenient. You can swish the pads out in the tank water, or tuck them in the tank for a day or two and let the pods crawl out on their own

[crabman]

I have several sources that are awesome and I'd order again from them in a heartbeat. (in fact I have ordered on multiple occasions)

maybe a group order on pods wouldn't be a bad idea? there seem to be many interested, and i know i am!

[zcatzmeow]

maybe a group order on pods wouldn't be a bad idea? there seem to be many interested, and i know i am!

I will always buy more pods. I'm addicted and there is no way to overstock a mandarin tank with pods


~ Z 's Pods ~

[crabman]

i'm up for that, do you know of any places that might give a group discount? maybe others will want in.