Feeding Copepods

[Wilhelm]

I want to start breeding copepods in a 10 gallon tank to be able to have them as a food source for my 120 gallon reef tank. What do I feed these things once I stock the tank with them? I am hoping to not have to repeatedly buy $25 bottles of copepods.

Thanks.

 

[ZANYMASTER]

Phytoplex is one thing.

 

[Wilhelm]

Thanks. I use that for some of my corals and featherdusters. I will add it to my ten for the copepods.

 

[18oreefer]

you can even drop a small pice of mysis or brine in the tank and they will feed on that.

 

[ellebelle]

you can even drop a small pice of mysis or brine in the tank and they will feed on that.

What is your source for this statement?

 

[18oreefer]

I know i have a source, but i read it so long ago that i can not remember where i read it. I have whitnessed them feeding on it first hand in the small nursrey corner of my tank. Copepods scuds and baby scarlet cleaners make short work of the occasional pice of food i drop in the corner.

 

[Domboski]

They can feed on detritus so a small piece of mysis could work but I think live phytoplankton like nanochloropsus would be much more appropriate for copepods. Small mysis would be good eating for larger amphipods.

Phytofeast and other live phyto foods work best. Frankly, it is real easy to culture your own live phyto so that is the route I went. I have nanochloropsus and tetraselmis.

 

[JHOV2324]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/breeder2.htm

this is where i got some info on set up

 

[AlexWasserman]

Setting up a seahorse tank I put some live-sand, rock, and chaeto in a 24 gallon nano-cube, and left it to settle for several months.

With no feeding at all I have tons of worms in the rock, sand, and chaeto, crawling all over it. I have a wall coated in 'pods. I have sand with quite a few spagetti worms in it.

Also, assorted small other creatures.

The single seahorse doesn't actually need feeding. The tank feeds him.

 

[DrCooper]

Good luck, i tried with no success! let me know how you do it and how it goes!

 

[SevTT]

I want to start breeding copepods in a 10 gallon tank to be able to have them as a food source for my 120 gallon reef tank. What do I feed these things once I stock the tank with them? I am hoping to not have to repeatedly buy $25 bottles of copepods.

Thanks.

Well, if you want something that you'll be able to maintain yourself, you need to start two cultures -- one of phytoplankton and one of copepods. The algal culture needs to be lit, but can probably be smaller than the copepod bucket. The cope bucket should have some light aeration, but doesn't need light.

The algal culture -- you basically want to get that as green as you can, so it needs light, a stable temperature, and some light aeration. You could purchase a culture starter from a store, or just harvest some yourself from a particularly green tank. The main thing is that you don't want any 'pods in it, or they'll breed and eat all the algae. Probably the easiest thing to use as containers are 2L soda bottles.

You'll want to keep adding algae to the copes -- enough so that the water is still at least a light green when you go to feed 'em again. From what I've heard, at least 2x daily is best.

You just skim out copes with a fine net and plop 'em in the main tank. Refresh the algal water with water from your main tank, filtered to remove any 'pods.

I haven't cultured 'pods before, but I have cultured Daphnia, and from what I've read it's essentially the same process.

 

[Wilhelm]

Many thanks. I have an algal 10 gallon tank and will feed the copepods from it. I will follow your suggestions and see what happens. Again, thanks.

 

[fish keeper 7]

bump, does anyone know if kent phytoplex works for culturing pods? is that "live" phytoplankton or is that just phytoplankton. i want to start a culture, i had success once before but i left my tank to my mother to do for a few days while i went on a trip w. my gf and it crashed, so i gave up lol.