Amphipods & Copepods

[casey]

How do you increase the number of copepods and amphipods in a reef tank? Do you have to have a separate tank to raise them in?
Any suggestion would be welcome.
Thanks,
Casey

 

[eng50]

You can do either of these two things:
Add a refugium, which creates a safe place for them to grow and increase in#s or you can make small piles of rocks in corners and low flow areas of the display tank that also create a safe enviroment for them. The refuge idea is best IMO, I have a tank full of them doing that!
HTH
Bill

 

[casey]

If I wanted to start breeding them in a separate tank, how do I get started. Can I buy them from a LFS to get the tank going? I've got the perfect tank already set up that would work great.

 

[eng50]

Best bet, and cheapest, would be to get some live sand from someones well established tank and start with that, should have some in there and they wil multiply rapidly if not preyed upon by fish etc...get the sand at night with lights off, better chance of better pod population!!
Bill

 

[flydan]

Hey,
I agree with the refugium idea. You will have to watch your design on the plumbing though. There has to be a safe way for the pods to get to your main tank without going through an impeller motor and getting pureed. Also, do you have fish in your tank that munch on pods? (I've got a 6-line Wrasse that goes after them big time.)
HTH,
Dan'l

 

[eng50]

The pump impeller will not take out as many as you think, that is a common misconception, short of the refuge gravity feeding back to the tank, it can't really be avoided. The ones that do get killed, still provide food for your fish and corals too!!
Another way to get them in and out is on rocks, put small rocks 4-6 inches in the refuge or breeder tank with the pods then just rotate them back and forth to the display, they will get a free ride to the display that way!
Bill