Cultivating Copepods

[Squado]

I recently just purchased a mandarin and was planning on cultivating my own copepods. I was just wondering what I needed to start the cultivation. I currently have an extra 10 gallon tank laying around and was wondering what else I would need. I am assuming the basics as in a filter and sandbed, but is there anything else I need and could someone who has done this give me some pointers. TIA.........

 

[lando]

IF you turned that 10gal into a fuge for cultivaton

 

[MT79]

Putting plenty of LR and some Macro's for filtration and habitation area, along w/ regular feedings of LIVE phytoplankton should get a good pod population going in the 10 gal. The addition of live phytoplankton will really make a difference. I would also feed the main tank live phyto to help keep the pod population as high as possible in there also.

Edit- I looked at your info and I feel I should point out Mandarins are not recommended for smaller tanks. They should be kept in large systems w/ at least 100 lbs of LR to properly fulfill their long term dietary needs.

 

[Squado]

I just got a 5 gallon fuge and am planning on adding some live pods. Shouldnt that be enough just to have a constant food source to the mandarin? I am currently feeding artic-pods and cant really tell if hes eating them sometimes (although the entire tank goes crazy for them), so thats why I switched over to the fuge. Oh by the way, is zooplankton pretty much the same as phto-plankton? The only reason why I ask is because i currently have some in the fridge.