Copepod culture

[nordkapp]

Hi have a 1.5 gal hexagonal tank and I was thinking about using it to culture pods.
I understand they need a little bit of sand, some rocks, an air pump (with no stone) just to move the water, a handful of chaeto, a light and food.
I read somewhere that the easiest way to "harvest" them is to leave a sponge in the bottom and squeezing it in the dt every week or two.
Questions:
Am I missing something?
What do I feed the pods?
Does this tank need to be cycled before introducing the pods?
How many hours should the light remain on? Just to sustain the chaeto?
I assume the salinity will have to be kept like for fish/corals

 

[novahobbies]

Don't even need that much, really. That sounds more like a fuge setup. To culture pods, all you really need is the tank, an air pump, an elcheapo light source, and phytoplankton for food.
Oh, and a starter batch of pods.

People harvest them in different ways. I've heard of the sponge technique (seinfeld flashback!!) but I never used it -- I siphoned pods off the glass walls and introduced them to the DT that way. It also facilitates a water change for the culture tank. Top off with fresh seawater and add phyto weekly and you're golden. Don't really need the macroalgae, rocks, or sand.
I used an airstone with my setup, but I think that would be an individual's choice. Should work either way -- it just facilitates water movement.

 

[ibanez]

Originally Posted by novahobbies
http:///forum/post/3239540
I've heard of the sponge technique (seinfeld flashback!!)
Classic,

buy a whole closet full of them.

 

[hunt]

great show

 

[contraband629]

Just out of curiosity sake. It seems like culturing pods is really easy. Why then is it like 20 dollars for a bottle of pods?

 

[hunt]

idk, im going to try to start a culture by putting a sponge in a 75g DT full of them, the after they hopefully move into the sponge, ill simply transfer them to a 1g tank, hope it works