Wanted to buy a copepod seeding kit --tell me about it

[brandon4291]

Hey all, one thing I would really really like to buy is a small seeding kit from someone, be it GARF or whoever, to stock the LR and sandbed with the assorted copepods you see in a well-fed, aged reef aquarium. What I do not want is large critters, the small curved shrimp and the various tiny iso/copepods are just the size for my needs. Never bought a seeding kit like this before but read about them.

1. Where can I order one online?

2. Can I choose the inhabitants or do they ship you what they can catch?

3. How big is the shipment, can I get a small one for 10-15 dollars? Don't need more than a handfull.

Brandon

 

[monkeyboy]

IPSF.com and Inland Aquatics have pod kits, but if you only need a handfull or 2, ask your LFS for a squeezing of a reef pre-filter. You could ask any fellow reefers that happens to have mechanical filtration on their tank to pick some off for ya. You should be able to get a small kit from Inland Aquatics and you'll be able to pick what you want, but the freight on a few bugs still isn't going to be any fun.

 

[brandon4291]

Thanks Kevin, Ill try IPSF on the 'net. Its okay if I have to pay a little extra, Ill give/sell the leftovers to others in this region. Ill take a bag of pods to our next reef meeting! Thanks for the referral, and Ill see if I can find an accessible pre-filter before I buy.

 

[Anonymous]

Do a search for Greg Hiller- he occasionally posts in the for sale forum and has nice detritivores including what you mention. Mine come from my live rock, mostly. If you know somebody with dense macroalgae shaking some over a container should get what you want.

 

[Anonymous]

Also, Premium Aquatics sells "crude" or maybe its crud, which is mud from the bottom of curing tanks. Kinda like Garf grunge- but just a dollar a lb or so. I put some along with their rubble in my tank when I started it. Was full of all kind of stuff. I have a tremendous variety of tiny life in my 6 month old tank- I think a lot of it may have come from this stuff.

 

[brandon4291]

Thanks Dan, I bet if we went with a little crude along with pods I could get some burrowing worms of various types---good to keep the bed moving and active.


Thanks for the replies Kevin and Dan, Ill repost with an -after- picture after they are installed and swarming my little DSB!

Brandon

 

[Brad Gardner]

Try:

http://www.instant-algae.com/

a bit pricy.

Regards,

Brad