Pods- can you "grow" them and what do they eat?

[nycfishy]

I was wondering how to go about getting a population of pods going in my tank (Have an RSM 130 so no fuge). Is buying those pods in the bottle the only/best way (don't they all die sitting around waiting for me to buy them and take them home)?
What do the pods eat and do they need light? ...asking as I was thinking of throwing some ruble rock in back section of my tank and then trying to seed it (once someone tells me were to buy the seeds..) with some pods.
thanks

 

[reefs4life]

To answer your question, yes you can grow them.

Ideally that is one of the reasons why people have a fuge, just a uninhabitated area where microorganisms can thrive without being preyed upon.

Your idea about the rubble rock is good, that will provide better refuge for the little guys. And in regards to "seeding it" that just means you should get some established rock rubble or live rock that will provide your unestablished rock rubble with a starter population of pods and such.

 

[evilskudd]

From my experiences, seaweed sheets will suffice as far as feeding amphipods, copepods need smaller food such as phytoplankton I've got a well established pop. And it is only increasing

 

[nycfishy]

do they need light?
does not sound like there is much love for the pods in a bottle products?

 

[Jhoehlein]

The pods themselves don't need light, but since they feed on microalgae films and macroalgae such as Chaeto they usually go hand-in-hand with a light source. In my experience the Tigger Pods in a bottle are great for a week or so, but don't expect them to jump start a sustainable population for you. The RSM 130 is moddable though: you can scrape off the black paint on the back so you can see into the sump, and then replace one of your media baskets with another basket chock full of Chaeto. Strap a cheap LED shining into the window you just made and you've got yourself a fuge. The pods living in your live rock and sand will find their way back there and start reproducing.

 

[nycfishy]

great idea on fuge for RSM, anyone have a nice cheap LED they can recommend for this?

do I need to go look for a bottle of fresh pods? assume they start to die in the bottle?