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How best to grow 'pods?

Coral reefer

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So what is the best way to grow amphipods etc... as a food source for the display within a refugium? Is it best to have live rock rubble, I've seen them in my chaeto. Any ideas?
 
Food supply is the greatest limiting factor.

Amphipods and mysids prey upon copedods so keeping them fed will help increase copepods.

Copepods are typically limited by a phytoplankton source, although they can feed on other stuff. Phyto is the best for getting larger numbers though.

For Amphipods and Mysids I feed Oyster-Feast and Roti-Feast to my fuge (small amounts) and for the copepods I feed Phyto-Feast.

Some rubble or cheato is fine, as is a course sponge.
 
This product has worked for me before...
http://www.reefnutrition.com/tiggerpods.html
If you can not find it I might be able to pick some up to you and bring it to the swap.
 
I've seen that around. Thanks. Just wondering more about conditions that will favor them reproducing, having food, and places to live and hide.
 
Mr. Ugly said:
Here you go.

http://www.reefnutrition.com/tiggerpods_care.html

Or umm... you could ask ME... the Reef Nutrition representative on BAR, they guy that wrote that text and who will be updating it soon.
 
nudibranch said:
This product has worked for me before...
http://www.reefnutrition.com/tiggerpods.html
If you can not find it I might be able to pick some up to you and bring it to the swap.

3/4 of the Bay Area LFS stock and carry RN... not to mention we are a local company and routinely donate to BAR's functionsas we'll be doing for the swap.... not to mention I'll be at the swap.
 
I've used triggerpods a couple of times. For places that they can reproduce you just need somewhere of peace persay. Don't want anyone who loves to chomp down on them. So a refugium is ideal place.
 
slim_jim989 said:
I've used triggerpods a couple of times. For places that they can reproduce you just need somewhere of peace persay. Don't want anyone who loves to chomp down on them. So a refugium is ideal place.

And you'll need to do what I said above about feeding both them and their predators (mysids & amphipods). FWIW it's Tigger-Pods :D
 
GreshamH said:
Mr. Ugly said:
Here you go.

http://www.reefnutrition.com/tiggerpods_care.html

Or umm... you could ask ME... the Reef Nutrition representative on BAR, they guy that wrote that text and who will be updating it soon.
I was just going to say "Google is your friend", but decided to be nicer :D
 
Oh, and don't scrape the glass in the pod tank. You will be able to catch the pods more easily.

Hrm I just realized this is in the breeding forum and you are probably looking to grow them in a much more concentrated setting. That's what I get for posting on my phone.
 
GreshamH said:
Mr. Ugly said:
Here you go.

http://www.reefnutrition.com/tiggerpods_care.html

Or umm... you could ask ME... the Reef Nutrition representative on BAR, they guy that wrote that text and who will be updating it soon.

Don't trust what Gresham says he just reads that stuff on the internet he wrote.

To add something of value to the thread, I have found that it works very well to have one of the 12 gallon kit nano tanks set up as a quarantine tank. With just a couple rocks, some sand, a few pieces of algae and a spare corner of a room, you will have a dual purpose pod farm/running quarantine. Those that don't like the idea of sand in their quarantine can delete it, but the benefit is that stuff is easy to catch in the little tank so you can treat it easily outside the tank.

Also, the huge population of pods will benefit a newly imported fish greatly. Since I don't often buy new fish, the tank sits "empty" most of the time. Since the tank has seperate compartments in the back, quarantined fish do not usually decimate the pod population too badly, and may even benefit it overall by going after the "big ones" who are more likely to be predatory.

I frequently turkey baste critters from the small tank and blast them into the main reef, which makes the fish very happy.
 
Do you mean observation tank not quaratine tank. If it was a quaratine tank you would be doing treatments to help cure the fish which in turn would kill the pods or make them not feasible for the main tank.
 
Call it what you want. I do quarantine but I gave up treatments long ago. I did say that you would remove the fish if you wanted to dip it in one of the common euthanization solutions recommended for hobbyists.

Every fish I tried to save with treatments seemed to die faster. I try to buy healthy fish, quarantine them for 2weeks or so, if everything looks ok, in the main tank they go.

By no means am I saying anyone else should cease treating their fish, but my personal method is to provide my new fish with a ton of live food and as natural conditions as I can during quarantine. From my personal recollections I have much better luck with this than treating/dipping/etc.

You wouldn't have to use the tank as quarantine, it would still work as a stand alone. You would likely need to feed it phyto occasionally. Or feed it something anyway.

I have on my to-do list culturing tigger pods but it's somewhere below setting up my ato and putting in the dj power strip I bought months ago.
 
I you want pods : Use an Algae Turf Scrubber for a filter.
You are basically growing lots of algae on purpose, which the pods LOVE.
And since it is on a screen, independent from the tank, they are safe. (sortof)
In fact, you have to rinse the screens with fresh water weekly to deliberately kill the pods.
As a bonus, since they are on that weekly cycle, you have almost all baby pods,
which is what a lot of the marine life really like.

For those still using more normal filters:
Supposedly a piece of shrimp under a tiny pile of live rock rubble works well.
 
It would help if instead of using an all inclusive made up name of "pod" you break it down. Most copepods do not "thrive" on a piece of meat, however mysids and amphipods wouldn't mind that. IME mostly what you see on a ATS is amphipodsand some isopods and not so much copepods.
 
So I guess the best questions for OP are:

why do you want pods?
What kind of pods suit that purpose?
How do you set up a monoculture of those critters?
 
Of course, threads can take a life of their own.
So now I am really curious as well.
I may break out the microscope, and see what is growing on my ATS.

So what kinds of "pods" are useful for what?

I only know of two purposes:
1) To feed coral.
2) Munchies for small fish, particularly Mandarin.

For both, I have heard that only size matters. (Rude thought begone)
For corals, smaller is better. For Mandarins and other fish, a bit larger.
So my baby whatever-pods, should be pretty good for my coral.
Certainly the Aiptasia seem to love them.
 
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