Pods variety question

[yougo]

In my freshwater systeme , i like to have a huge variety of pods and small insect and microscopic worm. I have been cultivating some from a cup of lakewater and sand by adding yeast weekly to their tank. i think they are a lot behind the water quality and a great help for the ecosystem balance. I also know for fact that livefood stimulate the breeding and i have about 7 different species breeding in that single tank.
being new to the saltwater world ive seen only about 5 variety on the market so here my few questions:
Do you want to have one particular species of pod or you are trying to have them all in a system ?
Is there is any pods familly that dont do well together ?
Is it possible or too risky to culture wild pods you found in the sea sand and water and add them to your reef ?

Some may sound like noob question but i do assume i am ...

Thanks reefers !

Here my planted, aquascaped, maintenance free freshwater tank 3 yrs old, 140 gal

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

@Dinkins Aquatic Gardens might be able to answer your questions

 

[LordofCinder]

we normally culture one type of copepod, so that we can control it. If you mix then you don't know what you're getting, they can also be cannabalistic, further skewing the populations. Thats the issue with culturing pods from the sea, you don't know what you have, you might accidentally cultivate something bad without knowing.

The normal types that we culture are tigger, apocyclops, and tisbe. I've seen other types, but very briefly, these 3 are the main one's that are always available.

Tigger pods are bigger than tisbe and apocyclops, and don't seem to do well in reef tanks, so I only bother culturing tisbe and apocyclops.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

we normally culture one type of copepod, so that we can control it. If you mix then you don't know what you're getting, they can also be cannabalistic, further skewing the populations. Thats the issue with culturing pods from the sea, you don't know what you have, you might accidentally cultivate something bad without knowing.

The normal types that we culture are tigger, apocyclops, and tisbe. I've seen other types, but very briefly, these 3 are the main one's that are always available.

Tigger pods are bigger than tisbe and apocyclops, and don't seem to do well in reef tanks, so I only bother culturing tisbe and apocyclops.

Tiggers are fish snacks since they typically remain in the water column. Nothing wrong with adding them to the tank but they likely won't survive to colonize in the system. The other 2 types have significant benthic stages.

 

[yougo]

Would it be worth to grow apo and tisbe if they do reproduce in the system ? And what about this mix

does anybody tried to cultivate em "all at once" in the same culture ? I bet they all go togheter

 

[Propane]

nice freshwater tank

 

[LordofCinder]

Sure it will work.

Once they are in the tank, the will multiply on their own, the population will depend on the food source. If you feed phytoplankton to the tank, then you should have a healthy population.

No real need to culture them on your own. I think most people do it either for fun or learning experience (like me), or for fish food because they have a mandarin.

 

[Boehmtown]

I cultured tisbe because of their ease and size. But honestly, if you're into that stuff. Check out Indo Pacific sea farms. They are based in Hawaii and sell all kinds of pods, cleanup crew, little worms, algaes etc. I start every tank with a package or two from them

 

[Boehmtown]

Also check out Paul b he has a thread on here 47 year old reef tank or something. A lot of his rock, pods , sand etc etc he gets from the sea. Incredible wealth of knowledge, amazing old school diy'r.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

Would it be worth to grow apo and tisbe if they do reproduce in the system ? And what about this mix View attachment 3171206 does anybody tried to cultivate em "all at once" in the same culture ? I bet they all go togheter

You will want to culture the sub species separately. They all have slightly different egg drop rates and over time the culture will become mono to one species .