How to remove pods and other microscopic inverts safely?

[Red_Beard]

I was thinking of one of those baby mandarins from biota.. give him a couple years to upgrade. But Idk about the clowns, don't want them killing the little guy

Clowns are pretty territorial, especially when not being hosted by a nem. If they merc’d a fish already, a mandarin is not likely to fare well with them. Also, a 10 really is pretty small and they are very specialized eaters.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Most of the comments on this post are slightly odd in my opinion...copepods, amphipods, foraminiferans...none should be causing an issue with coral unless you have some parasitic species rare in the hobby. I'm just a little surprised only 1 or 2 people have pointed that out. Also, why is the general consensus to get a fish to eat them in a nano tank? They need a food source to reproduce and maintain a large population. Simply figure out what theyre feeding on and deprive them of it. Dont temporarily add a new fish...

 

[VintageReefer]

Most of the comments on this post are slightly odd in my opinion...copepods, amphipods, foraminiferans...none should be causing an issue with coral unless you have some parasitic species rare in the hobby. I'm just a little surprised only 1 or 2 people have pointed that out. Also, why is the general consensus to get a fish to eat them in a nano tank? They need a food source to reproduce and maintain a large population. Simply figure out what theyre feeding on and deprive them of it. Dont temporarily add a new fish...

I agree. Pod and associated critters self regulate populations. If they have too much of a food source, then multiply. If there is too little, they die off.

If there is graveyards of dead ones on the substrate, suck them out. Why leave all these rotting tiny carcass’s all over. Probably contribiting to the issue as a food source

 

[Reefering1]

That's a option, starve the tank's inhabitants to regulate the pod population. Of course if nobody's eating them, they're they will overpopulate. Different angles to similar goals. but one way gets less food for his creatures, the other fills a void in the ecosystem. Doesn't sound like a crazy idea from here, just a matter of choosing the right critter...

 

[VintageReefer]

That's a option, starve the tank's inhabitants to regulate the pod population. Of course if nobody's eating them, they're they will overpopulate. Different angles to similar goals. but one way gets less food for his creatures, the other fills a void in the ecosystem. Doesn't sound like a crazy idea from here, just a matter of choosing the right critter...

Hi! I’m not sure if your sarcastic or not so I will clarify incase my original post came off wrong.

I do not mean to starve anything to reduce pods. I mean, make sure you are not overfeeding. He has one fish. Add a little food at a time and let the fish eat it, and don’t put in too much so that it lands on the ground or gets in the rock. Controlled feeding. Use a baster and put a little near the fish and make sure it gets the food and finishes swallowing, before adding more

If broadcast feeding corals, stop and switch to target feeding, so you only add what they need and none ends up on the sand or rock as pod food

Just regulation and make sure your not overfeeding / feeding wastefully.

 

[Reefering1]

I’m not sure if your sarcastic or not

Sounds like you do, trust your gut...
But seriously, sone years back I tried starving 2 damsels out of my tank. I didn't feed once in over a year. Granted, that tank is much larger than 10g. The fish looked fat and healthy as ever and there were still a "million" pods. I do believe that at a certain point the system will sustain pods without any input. But he doesn't want to look at them soo... time to upgrade!!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Personally I don't think you should add another fish to your tank, no way.

As mentioned above, we are likely talking about amphipod, copepods are so small they are almost invisible to us. And if a pod gets too close to a coral, the coral will eat it, corals eat copepods.

If you feel the amphipod population is exploding, then they are getting enough food for this to happen. Since you control the food source, you have the ability to cut the food which will cut their population. I don't know what you feed or how much you feed for one fish, but I would try feeding less, don't feed more than the fish can eat in 10 seconds. The fish can only eat 4-5 pieces of food in one sitting, so don't overfeed.

 

[VintageReefer]

Personally I don't think you should add another fish to your tank, no way.

As mentioned above, we are likely talking about amphipod, copepods are so small they are almost invisible to us. And if a pod gets too close to a coral, the coral will eat it, corals eat copepods.

If you feel the amphipod population is exploding, then they are getting enough food for this to happen. Since you control the food source, you have the ability to cut the food which will cut their population. I don't know what you feed or how much you feed for one fish, but I would try feeding less, don't feed more than the fish can eat in 10 seconds. The fish can only eat 4-5 pieces of food in one sitting, so don't overfeed.

 

[stewy14]

Prolly am over freeing, no, I AM over feeding, so imma cut the feedingm(only feed 4-5 small pieces, and also replace my filter for my ro (algae issue)

 

[stewy14]

Prolly am over freeing, no, I AM over feeding, so imma cut the feedingm(only feed 4-5 small pieces, and also replace my filter for my ro (algae issue)

ordered a new filter(it was the same price as filter replacements, and was also easier to setup than to replace everything)

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

What are you using for the filter? I was filtering a huge amount of Pods, out with Filter Socks, till I modified them, for a way to let them escape. Wanted to keep a Mandarin, which I now have.

 

[stewy14]

What are you using for the filter? I was filtering a huge amount of Pods, out with Filter Socks, till I modified them, for a way to let them escape. Wanted to keep a Mandarin, which I now have.

floss, and sponges in back wall, I should clean them though

 

[Charles Zinn]

So I have a 10 gal, having a bit of a inverts crisis, I’m having bug fat copepods or pods going around kinda annoying coral, and I want to kill off a lot of my pod pop cuz I feel like I have too much(it’s dead/decomposing pod town in my tank,there are carpets of them) and I’m seeing them left and right
Ik uv sterilizer, but on the rocks and corals tho
So is there a safe way to do it without killing all of them, keeping sps/lips/softies alive, and other cuc?

Can you add a wrasse? Skim wet, change socks more frquently. stop adding food to feed pod population. ad any other fish that will eat pods.

 

[VintageReefer]

Can you add a wrasse? Skim wet, change socks more frquently. stop adding food to feed pod population. ad any other fish that will eat pods.

Pretty sure this is a 10g tank with hob filter

 

[Charles Zinn]

Personally I don't think you should add another fish to your tank, no way.

As mentioned above, we are likely talking about amphipod, copepods are so small they are almost invisible to us. And if a pod gets too close to a coral, the coral will eat it, corals eat copepods.

If you feel the amphipod population is exploding, then they are getting enough food for this to happen. Since you control the food source, you have the ability to cut the food which will cut their population. I don't know what you feed or how much you feed for one fish, but I would try feeding less, don't feed more than the fish can eat in 10 seconds. The fish can only eat 4-5 pieces of food in one sitting, so don't overfeed.

stomach is roughly size of eyes

 

[stewy14]

Pretty sure this is a 10g tank with hob filter

Nope
It’s a aio tank

 

[VintageReefer]

Nope
It’s a aio tank

 

[Dragen Fiend]

Never seen an issue with pods annoying corals. I had a crap ton in my 15G IM before moving where even I though it was an infestation. Literally sandbed littered with them. Your Pod population will eventually balance itself out. If you try to remove them. You can upset the balance further causing another problem (potentially).

Unless you know your overfeeding. I'd let it run the course. I'd never want to take away my pods. They keep my tanks clean.