An interesting POD story....

[Brad]

...well only interesting to a certain type of person...

I recently added a sump to my system. I put a bed of new sand into the sump, transferred a scoop or two of aquarium sand into the sump and moved 1/2 of my LR from the tank into the sump.

Now, I've developed two distinctly different pod populations. In the sump, the pods are noticeably larger and faster than those in the aquarium. I mean triple the size and they run around like mad in the sump. Both have healthy populations.

I believe that both populations came from a common source.

Differences:
No light in the sump..therefore no vegetation either.
No fish predation in the sump. (but I have only 1 damsel in the tank and he isn't very active at hunting pods)
The pods in the sump really don't like light. Shine a flashlight on them and they take off!
Elapsed time: 2 months

Weird, eh?

 

[Biggen]

Actually its not too weird considering there is no light down there. They are very nocturnal and are only active above the sand at night. I would imagine with all the free time down there from no light and no predation, they are reproducing like crazy.

Glad to see you have a healthy LS population.

 

[Brad]

Same species

...You think that they are the same species...just bigger? They look similar, but they are so much larger that it is hard to believe that they are the same species.

If that is true there is a lesson in this on what kind of conditions pods thrive in. I wonder...if I pulled the filter off the sump pump, would these pods get pulled into the tank to supply regular food source for someone like a mandarin fish..

 

[BBReef]

they sure would this is what a lot of people use fuges for, a constant supply of food for their main tank

 

[kidkameleon3]

ya thats what I am thinking of doing. What do you feed theM?

 

[Biggen]

You think that they are the same species...just bigger? They look similar, but they are so much larger that it is hard to believe that they are the same species.

I would imagine they are the same species since you used the same sand in your tank to seed your sump with. They may simply get more to eat in the sump since they are always active, thus the larger size.

I wonder...if I pulled the filter off the sump pump, would these pods get pulled into the tank to supply regular food source for someone like a mandarin fish..

I would think they wouldn't get past the sump pump's impeller alive. But I could be wrong.

 

[cmor1701d]

I would think they wouldn't get past the sump pump's impeller alive. But I could be wrong.

Probably true if a PH is used for the return but I've read that they pass right through a water pump.

 

[GrndHog]

How do you know all of the pods you have are good pods?

 

[steve-s]

The main ones you will encounter are >>amphipods<< and >>copepods<<. There are many others but the likelyhood of getting them and their survival is quit slim. The predatory >>isopod<< is the one to look out for. They are rather large bodied, ovate with large eye's and some tend to attach to fish and feed. Not all are fish parasites but if found I would not take the chance.

Cheers
Steve

 

[SquishyFish]

The main ones you will encounter are >>amphipods<< and >>copepods<<. There are many others but the likelyhood of getting them and their survival is quit slim. The predatory >>isopod<< is the one to look out for. They are rather large bodied, ovate with large eye's and some tend to attach to fish and feed. Not all are fish parasites but if found I would not take the chance.

Cheers
Steve

Cirolanid Isopod is the one that I believe your referring too!

 

[steve-s]

Actually if you refer to the link I provided you will see there are many types of pill bugs and isopds that have a similar body shape and larger than would be expected eyes. The cirolanid is definately one of the more memorable though

Cheers
Steve

 

[SquishyFish]

If your talking about the common parasitic one...thats it.

 

[SquishyFish]

I checked out the links. Good info! I emailed it to my wife and she is going to add it them to our web site. We already had a few of them, but not THAT many! Thanks.

 

[Brad]

Feeding pods...

The pods living in the sump sure seem healthier than the one's living in the tank. I don't feed them anything. I put food into the aquarium for the fish. Some of the aquarium food would flow out into the sump, but the water goes through 2 foam filters on the way.

I think they are eating each other. That's why their getting bigger. Survival of the biggest!

 

[kidkameleon3]

lol, Ok.I was just thinking of getting a mandarin later on and seems like that is the stuff they eat. pods that is