Culturing Copepods

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http://www.reefcleaners.org/index.p...category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=34 Can I culture these as it says they aren't like the normal culture pods. Could I just use phyto feast from reef nutrition to feed them? Now hopefully my final question, will zoas, frogspawns, and torches eat all of the pods, or so many of them the dragonet can't eat well?

You couldnt really culture them in a bottle out of tank, as one or two of the assorted verieties would become dominant and wipe out the rest (and probably die off if you don't feed it the right stuff) but it wouldn't be a bad idea to add them to the tank/fuge as a "starter" for your system to hopefully introduce a population of various things (though you'd probably have to add more every so often, as some likely wouldnt make it.

If you want to culture, find a "pure" sample of one or more types, that way you can tailor the conditions/foods to that breed increasing survival/breeding rates.

your corals will eat what ever lands on them if the corals mouth is big enough to do so. BUT they wont eat all or really all that many, as they can't actively seek them out. Also i recomend adding pods at night, with the lights off, so that the fish don't have time to snap them all up (not litterally but they could get a good chunk of them) before some can hide (and hopefully start breeding).
 
So I could add the bags to the tank and culture tigger pods from my lfs? I think 3 bags should be enough and if I do it about and hour or so after lights off the puffer, dragonet and clown are sleeping. Since this does cost a lot more $ than I thought. I could maybe buy 1 bottle of pods and just use the bowl and 1 2 liter bottle? Thanks!


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You could be ok that way. Depending on the maturity of the system as generally older more stable tanks with lots if rock and looks

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Nooks* will allow for better pod population and growth.

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Ok well my tank is only one and a half months old, but my levels are stable and I have 31 or so lbs of LR.


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Well he is eating some frozen food, formula 1 and gut loaded brine. Thanks for your help, now I just have to find a sieve.


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Finally got the pods today. I ended up getting 2 bags from reefcleaners and 1 bag of chaeto. I poured 1 bag of pods in the tank then I pored almost all of the second bag when I remembered to pour the rest of it (maybe an eighth?) into the in tank refugium. Will that be enough in the refugium or should I go and but some tigger pods or another bag from reefcleaners? I have to buy phytofeast anyway for them right?


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yep you need phytofeast, and you mite be ok. at least for a wile, as some of the pods will get into the fuge anyways. only time will tell.
 
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