Copepods in main tank.

[TitoBoyz2491]

I have a 20 gallon long reef tank. A buddy of mine gave me a piece of live rock from his fuge that has pods in it. I made a little "cage" for the rock to help keep the fish from picking away. I plan on adding a bottle of reef copepods from my lfs. I currently have tons of lr in there along with a yellow watchman, royal gramma, and a leopard wrasse. Do you think I can establish a pod population long term with this plan?

 

[joy13]

If this is the type of wrasse you have Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Leopard Wrasse then I would guess your pod population will pretty much be gone in a matter of weeks.

 

[TitoBoyz2491]

So the population wouldnt replenish within the rocks and the rock protected by egg crate? Im going to buy a bottle of pods at my lfs. Im thinking of getting some chaeto to go in with the liverock cage.

 

[TitoBoyz2491]

A major reason for this is because the leopard wrasse wont take to flakes or frozen brine shrimp. I see him picking at te lr and want to have a good pod population and try other foods such as live brine, mysis, blood worms, etc.

 

[boardsurfer]

What about a cage that has two, smaller pieces of LR in it. Keep switching out the LR pieces, one at a time between the DT and your cage. It'll always keep a good population of pods on the LR in your cage. I would change them out every month or so? Not sure if this would be ideal...

 

[TitoBoyz2491]

The thing is its a 20 gallon long w tons of rock and not any space to put another cage in there. How about adding bottles every few months to replenish the population?

 

[Gregcoyote]

You are basically describing a refugarium. Normally designed into sumps, there is no reason a small caged area for pods to breed wouldn't work in the main tank.