Copepods

[Jmifland]

Can copepods be added to a tank that has just started the cycle process? I want to start the seeding of copepods to my nano reef as soon as possible and I read that they would be able to survive but I wanted to get some other opinions.

 

[Crabs]

I don't know how the copepods would live in a tank that hasn't completely cycled. There has to b phytoplankton for them to feed on. I think ur pushing things a little too fast. Good LR will help cycle the tank while at the same time introducing copepods into ur tank. Give it a little time and you'll begin seeing those little boogers all over the place.

 

[AquaRick]

Yup, best to just wait for the cycle to complete.

 

[Jmifland]

I didn't know too much about them but they seemed to be somewhat of a prehistoric looking organism which can usually live in extreme environments so I figured I would ask before doing anything. The intention was to wait but I didn't know If I could add during the cycle process to see if they would colonize the live rock in the tank. I plan on keeping a mandarin so I will let it seed as long as it needs to to make sure that he eats. I will also be feeding him live brine shrimp and doing what I can to ween him onto dried or frozen by mixing it in. He will be the only fish aside from some soft corals.

Does anyone have experience with torch corals? My LFS has a ton of those and they look really pretty but from what I have read that are semi-aggresive and I don't want them to attack any of the other corals I have already planned on purchasing in time.

Florida Ricordea
Sunburst Polyp