copepods how & why?

[arcanehacker]

I realized that there is an increasing number of small (really small) white insects in my tank. I searched here and found quite a number of threads on these 'copepods'. May I know how they start to evolve in my tank recently? How are they useful in a marine tank setup? Will they start to take over the tank since I find that they seem to grow in numbers quite fast & I do not have fishes that eat them.

[Tanzy]

Doesn't matter to have or not have them around. They eat algae and detritus.

[arcanehacker]

Doesn't matter to have or not have them around. They eat algae and detritus.

the thing is they swim around the tank which makes it look like really little bubbles in the tank.

water doesn't seem as 'crystal' clear with them around..

[Achilles Tang]

Add in small fishes and they will make short work of this natural zooplankton.

[JuzzMarine]

Hi, do you have any fish in the tank? usually when fish is presence, the number of pods will decrease drastically. In order to have that supply(free food) a refugium is added

[arcanehacker]

the problem is I do not want so many fishes in my tank.. My main purporse for a marine tank setup is because I want a lionfish.

Well, I guess I have to live with it. As long as they dun give me any trouble..

[blacknails]

When I had pods in my lion tank, I got a small mandarin fish to comtrol their populaiton.. then after awhile I trained my mandarin fish to accept frozen food and both my lion and mandarin have been thriving in my tank ever since...

Thing is that a lion will not eat a mandarin due to the poison secretions in the mandarin's skin (I think).. So you could solve your pod problem like this since there won't be other fishes to snatch the pods away while you get you mandarin to feed on forzen food slowly..

[SeaAngel]

Just out of curiosity, I'll be without a refugium and without a sump. I've been reading up on algae (not really looking forward to them).

If I set up another smaller tank, and provide the same conditions to cultivate pods, could I then introduce it into the main tank to control the inevitable algae. Of course, the fish would have a feast but, is it workable. And what kind of quantity should I be even be considering of producing.

A couple of other things.

How often do they produce?

Are they good food for the fish or are they just snacks for them?

My questions may be silly (it's okay to laugh) but, I'm new. If I don't ask.. I won't learn.

Thanks in advance.

[KingFish]

An intank pod refugium isn't an impossibility.

I have a corner which the rocks are packed so tightly even my Fridmani could not get in. I see many pods congregating in that enclave in the day, they then swim out when the lights are off when the fishes are asleep to feed.

SeaAngel, pods are as nautral a food your system can produce. Some of them are known to be benthic, I notice a population bloom if I keep up my Phytoplankton dosing.

Run a search on the Internet on Copepod, or Amphipod and you'll get a wealth if information and pictures.

[SeaAngel]

An intank pod refugium isn't an impossibility.

I have a corner which the rocks are packed so tightly even my Fridmani could not get in. I see many pods congregating in that enclave in the day, they then swim out when the lights are off when the fishes are asleep to feed.

SeaAngel, pods are as nautral a food your system can produce. Some of them are known to be benthic, I notice a population bloom if I keep up my Phytoplankton dosing.

Run a search on the Internet on Copepod, or Amphipod and you'll get a wealth if information and pictures.

Thanks.

Appreciate the direction.

[Wei]

Hi,

I need some copepods & amipods. Anyone can spare me some?

Want to culture them.

Thanks & happy new year!

Wei