Copepods

[dustyeisner]

If I had a system that was cycled with live rock only and even after the cycle I allowed it to mature without adding any fish or corals for say 4 months. Maybe I could seed it with amphipods, copepods and live sand with lots of beneficial worms and just let it sit. Also I would have a refugium where these critters could reproduce.

Now I add a bunch of corals and a few fish. emphasis on corals. Would I need to feed the tank or would these creatures be able to support the system? Does anyone have a tank that works this way?

[Ziggy953]

You are going to have to feed the tank if you have fish in there. There just isn't going to be enough life in the tank to support the fish. Even if you seed the tank with pods they aren't going to be able to reporduce qucikly enough to keep up with the demand. Some fish will eat and eat and eat as long as food is available.

How big is this tank?

[dustyeisner]

Thanks for the reply.

The tank is in the process of being planned. I have two freshwater tanks and am now stepping up to the real deal but I want to make sure I do it right the first time so I'm taking my time. My plan is to go with a 100g to 165g depending on space. I also want a larger refugium

So the corals would be fine? Someone told me that they have a system that functions like this but it is a 30 g with all corals and one fish.

[cmor1701d]

Every cycle tank needs to be fed. The bacteria that grew to cycle the tank still need something to eat. After the cycle that is normally fish waste and uneaten food.

If you enough variety of copepods and amphipods and you only have a mandarin dragonette or pod eating goby you might be able to get away with little feeding of the tank. The pods are still going to need a source of food (phytoplankton) as are most corals.

[Ziggy953]

Cmor1701d is right about needing a food source in the tank while it is cycling. With a tank that size you are going to want some fish it it. I stopped using phyto in my tanks. It caused more problems then I saw benefits. The coral (SPS and LPS) are going to get what they need from light and the elements in the water. That is why frequent PWCs are a must with a large coral load. Eventually you will need to supplement with Magnesium Calcium and a few other things. Those things come later in the life of your tank.

I would be interested in reading about or talking to the person that has a 30g tank set up the way you described.

And BTW the larger your fuge happier you and your tank will be! I have a 20g fuge on my 72g and it is only that size because I couldn't fit a larger one in the space I have available. If I could have I would have used my other 55g tank as my fuge.