Copepods

[thirty5]

I have read around and I have seen diffrent opinions.

I have a 180 gal reef (starting to be come reef at least). I love mandarins and i want to get a couple for my tank. I am building a fuge (90 gals) and i will eventually grow pods in there. I was also told that if I introduce enough pods into the DT that they will just live in the LR and they will reproduce. But i have also been told that they will get eaten up before they can reproduce. Until i get my fuge built what is your opinion on teh pods in teh DT.

Thanks

 

[scumonkey]

In a 180 it depends on what type and how many fish your going to keep.
I have a 112 and my pods reproduce like wildfire -in my DISPLAY!
I only have a few pod eating wrasses (that WILL do a number on the pods),
but the tank is big enough that I don't seem to have to worry about them running out.
At night with the light it looks like a snowstorm!

 

[o0jmadr0x0o]

knowing how old your tank is wo8ld help, i have read that when a tank starts up their is an explosion of pods, but that population will dwindle and eventually stabilize and start back up. i would wait until you get a fuge, pods probably need to be left alone when reproducing. i noticed a huge jump in my pods after only 1 month with a small fuge with chatoe. also feeding DT's phytoplankton helps allot.

 

[thirty5]

Tank is fairly new. Only a few months. I have been adding LR to get it full. I still need prob like another 75-100 lbs. And then that will be it. I only have a few fish at this time.

Hippo Tang
Tomato Clown
Royal Garamma
3 Domino Damsels (will be the first to go)
Goby
Peppermint Shrimp
And a decent cleanup crew.

I would like to add some other fish. A Blonde Naso with streamers will be my main fish in my tank. But i do need more!

SO the Mandarins would be something that i want to add. And hence the need for copepods.

 

[scumonkey]

o0jmadr0x0o gave good advice....Feed Phyto (i do)- pods love it,
and they will increase in numbers much faster with it!