Question on copepods...

[Convict2161]

Forgive me if this is a silly question, it just came to me as I'm laying here watching my BC29.

I have just found out recently that I have copepods(I hope I'm spelling it right) anyway...

How do they live? Won't they get sucked up into the filter,pumps etc? What do they eat? I read that a 30 gallon tank should have 500 copepods?

Found it while researching. It mentioned a heathy and well established tank should have and can handle 500 copepods. I even found live copepods for sale on a few sites. I understand what they do, but how did they get in my tank? And how do they survive?

Thanks in advance.

 

[aquaponicpaw]

They mostly feed of debris micro-algae etc. within your tank. A little known secret is that they exist in almost every body of water. including that right out of your tap. I don't know much more about them. I once read somewhere that their weight combined is more than any other organism within any body of water. Sounds crazy! but makes sense... Sorta.


* 500 for even a cup of water is a rather small #.

 

[Convict2161]

Understood but how do they survive? How many is too many? Don't they all get sucked up into the filter? What do they eat?

 

[MacDracor]

They are very low on the food chain. Right above phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is just free floating microalgae. They eat this, along with fish waste, leftover food, etc.
They are introduced into the tank with live rock, live sand, corals, water from fish stores, etc. I'm sure some end up in the filter, but most of the pods we see and talk about in marine aquariums are benthic (crawling) rather than pelagic (swimming).
Hope that helps answer your questions!

 

[Bige]

They actually go through the filters and power heads. Your fish eat them all day long too. You can't have too many. Their populations fluctuate with feedings. If I feed real heavy I have more than if I feed light.

 

[Jlsardina]

http://www.carolina.com/category/teacher+resources/care-guides/marine+copepods.do



Perhaps the best site IMO for info on anything marine...

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_2/copepods.htm

Hope this helps you

 

[Convict2161]

Great help everyone! Thank you. I'll be reading those links. For some reason this interests me. I seem to have a ton of them. Tanks been running since January. I see tiny tiny things swimming around and sticking to the glass.