Keeping Pods..?

[Sqasnatch]

They require some kind of lighting to thrive. But will make do with no light.

 

[carey]

sweet. I think I'm set, i have regular incandescent lights. All I need is to get a bag of sand and some LR rubble. This could be done in a day. woot!

Just gotta wait for the 10g to open up, the female cichlid inside just had her babies today! So I gotta wait for them to get a little bigger before I can start this project.
I didnt think growing my own pods was practical. why doesnt everyone do it? there would never be any starving mandarins or blennys

 

[Dylan5359]

I have this circular light that I'm thinking of installing to the top of a bucket and putting a heater inside. Then adding some sand, an air stone, and some rock, how does this sound? Oh and do I have to like cycle it? No right? Salinity? Thanks.

 

[DA fisherman]

I wouldn't add any air stone to a saltwater aquarium ...... Not good.......bubble algae.....ect.

I would let it cycle a bit.

 

[iDream]

All tanks need to be cycled.

I've seen a guy on youtube who was keeping rotifiers and pods in a completely blacked-out tank (minus a red light). I think why everyone doesn't do it is room, waste of a tank (essentially) and it's probably harder than one thinks

 

[PrettyFishies]

I just want more in my fuge

 

[carey]

Looks like I'm getting the bio cube tomorrow so I guess i better get started on this project. LOL

Would flake food ground up be a good food for the pods? I think I have almost all the information that I need to do this.

 

[Dylan5359]

"green water" seems the best for them. That's what most people use.

 

[carey]

Lol forgive me, but, umm what do ya mean green water?

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

Lol forgive me, but, umm what do ya mean green water?

mabye water with algae? thats just a shot in the dark i dont even know wht pods are ive just been following the thread kus it intrests me

 

[carey]

LOL sweet....follow away. pods are tiny little organisms that generally live in a refugium in SW. mandarin gobies eat pods and I want a mandarin goby. hehe I don't have a large enough or established enough tank to grow them in my DT.

 

[Dylan5359]

I apologies for not explaining, green water is phytoplankton (micro algae) that you can buy in a small bottle and keep refrigerated and give your Copepods say 6 drops morning and night. It's really the easiest. I'll send you a link if yo want.

 

[Dylan5359]

Oh and how ironic is this, while contributing to this thread looked at my cycling tank and found Copepods to my delight! They've been there for like 3 weeks but I thought it was just the sand settling in!

 

[carey]

ahh ok I know what phyto is. lol Good option, my lfs sells it

 

[Dylan5359]

Yeah. That's better than ordering it.

 

[DA fisherman]

mabye water with algae? thats just a shot in the dark i dont even know wht pods are ive just been following the thread kus it intrests me

Lolz....... When they sell the copods they come in like a green looking water........

 

[DA fisherman]

Live copepods are used in the saltwater aquarium hobby as a food source and are generally considered beneficial in most reef tanks. They are scavengers and also may feed on algae, including coralline algae.

Live copepods are popular among hobbyists who are attempting to keep particularly difficult species such as the mandarin dragonet, or to breed other marine species in captivity. In a saltwater aquarium, copepods are typically stocked in the refugium.

 

[carey]

Yep. that sums it up. lol

I'm starting to get excited now, i can make this part happen and i'm working on getting the goby.

heres a good question. If i buy a mandarin that eats prepared and supplement him with pods will he start to refuse the prepared foods? I dont want that to happen. I intend on keeping a full 10g tank of pods on hand before i get him but I dont wanna run out if he reverts back.

 

[Dylan5359]

If you switch it in and off, every other day I doubt he'll refuse. But mandarins are unpredictable. And I know I'm setting up a copepod tank it's the best food you can give dwarf seahorses, so I want the best nutrition for them. I'll just cycle the bucket I'll keep them in and get everything I need and set it all up.

 

[cmor1701d]

I have not heard of any long term success with mandarins on frozen food. Ce
Heck out reeds mariculture for a pod breeding kit. They will sell all you need including the phyto you see at the lfs.