cultivate copepods

[WannaBeReefer]

I setup my fuge the other day and would like to cultivate pods. I have read the below article and was wondering what everyone does to cultivate pods with a fuge that is tied into the system and not a seperate tank like the article goes over.

Do I need a sandbed for them, its only a 6 gallon eclipse. I have a few peices of rock rubble in there and will add some foam block tomorrow if no sand is needed.

Also how do you feed the tank properly without polluting the main tank? I have a simple setup, I pump water from sump into fuge and gravity drip the fuge back into the sump. When I use phyto it doesn't last very long in the fuge because of the drip.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... eeder2.htm

 

[Bobzarry]

Over the years I have found the best way for me to keep a large population of pods is to feed "flake". I keep a dragonette and a red scooter in my 55 and a friend keeps 2 manderins in a 30. Flake is fed twice a day and in both tanks the pod population is quite large and has been for years. The animals remain fat, healthy and happy.

Even during the daylight hours you can see pods, mysis, and amphipods scurry about. Of course I recommend that if you will go this route, to have a good working protein skimmer. But don't be afraid to feed...remember that pods do need to eat, in order to be happy little reproducing critters.


Bob

 

[PRC]

It's purely observation on my part, but my pod population seems to increase when I feed more phyto. The little guys definitely eat meaty foods too, though. It's pretty comical watching one try to hoard a formula 1 pellet that's bigger than itself. Maybe you could put your fuge pump on a timer and only exchange water with the main tank for several hours a day. I'm planning on doing an upstream fuge/surge tank that way.

 

[WannaBeReefer]

Thanks for the ideas.