Trouble Keeping Copepods

[ptrick21186]

Having some trouble keeping copepods in my tank. Tank is a little over 5 months old 48gal. Parameters are pretty stable where I want them to be. Fighting off a bit of a cryophytes bloom. Nitrates were low for a bit but since started dosing Neonitro. Have seeded with 4 jars of Ecopods on three different occasions. All times at night. Some in the sump. Some in the tank. Tried using a turkey baster to seed them directly into the rocks and sand. Have only ever seen pods in the sump for about maybe 2 weeks after seeding. Nothing ever in the display. Now I can't see any. Spent over $300 on pods. Anyone have any ideas on how to keep these guys alive? Or possibly a species that's a bit more hardy?

 

[Reefing.with.Rich]

Having some trouble keeping copepods in my tank. Tank is a little over 5 months old 48gal. Parameters are pretty stable where I want them to be. Fighting off a bit of a cryophytes bloom. Nitrates were low for a bit but since started dosing Neonitro. Have seeded with 4 jars of Ecopods on three different occasions. All times at night. Some in the sump. Some in the tank. Tried using a turkey baster to seed them directly into the rocks and sand. Have only ever seen pods in the sump for about maybe 2 weeks after seeding. Nothing ever in the display. Now I can't see any. Spent over $300 on pods. Anyone have any ideas on how to keep these guys alive? Or possibly a species that's a bit more hardy?

Did you seed your tank with all flow off for a good while?
Do you run filter socks?
Did you feed them daily?

 

[LordofCinder]

What makes you say you have none? They are the size of a pinpoint. Not sure what you expect, but no doubt they are in your tank.

feed phyto to the tank to help them multiply.

 

[ptrick21186]

Did you seed your tank with all flow off for a good while?
Do you run filter socks?
Did you feed them daily?

3hrs. No filter socks, powerheads, or skimmer. Was dosing live phyto up until about 3 weeks ago after I'd given up on them being alive

 

[ptrick21186]

What makes you say you have none? They are the size of a pinpoint. Not sure what you expect, but no doubt they are in your tank.

feed phyto to the tank to help them multiply.

I should be seeing SOMETHING. Ya they're small but not completely undetectable. For what I've put in there I should be seeing at least a few on the glass.

 

[Reefing.with.Rich]

3hrs. No filter socks, powerheads, or skimmer. Was dosing live phyto up until about 3 weeks ago after I'd given up on them being alive

If you did all that I can assure there are pods in your tank
What fish do you have?

 

[ptrick21186]

If you did all that I can assure there are pods in your tank
What fish do you have?

2 clowns. 3 chromis. 1 Firefish. 1 Banggai Cardinal. And a partridge in a pear tree

 

[Reefing.with.Rich]

2 clowns. 3 chromis. 1 Firefish. 1 Banggai Cardinal. And a partridge in a pear tree

Just curious but are you trying to see pods for a certain reason? Mandarin? Clean up crew?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I should be seeing SOMETHING. Ya they're small but not completely undetectable. For what I've put in there I should be seeing at least a few on the glass.

Not necessarily...

 

[CoralB]

Use a blue flashlight to look at the substrate at night about a hour after the lights go off .

 

[ptrick21186]

Just curious but are you trying to see pods for a certain reason? Mandarin? Clean up crew?

Clean up crew/bio diversity

 

[ptrick21186]

Use a blue flashlight to look at the substrate at night about a hour after the lights go off .

Ya? So you guys are pretty certain they're in there?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Ya? So you guys are pretty certain they're in there?

Yes.

 

[Eienna]

Having some trouble keeping copepods in my tank. Tank is a little over 5 months old 48gal. Parameters are pretty stable where I want them to be. Fighting off a bit of a cryophytes bloom. Nitrates were low for a bit but since started dosing Neonitro. Have seeded with 4 jars of Ecopods on three different occasions. All times at night. Some in the sump. Some in the tank. Tried using a turkey baster to seed them directly into the rocks and sand. Have only ever seen pods in the sump for about maybe 2 weeks after seeding. Nothing ever in the display. Now I can't see any. Spent over $300 on pods. Anyone have any ideas on how to keep these guys alive? Or possibly a species that's a bit more hardy?

I believe Tisbe biminiensis is the one widely sold that's tropical. Pod cultures will occasionally crash, especially if they're not finding enough food. Are you dosing phytoplankton for them?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I believe Tisbe biminiensis is the one widely sold that's tropical. Pod cultures will occasionally crash, especially if they're not finding enough food. Are you dosing phytoplankton for them? What fish do you have?

All that info is posted already

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

.

 

[Eienna]

Yeah, sorry - for some reason the thread didn't completely load for me until I posted. n_n;;

 

[Reefing.with.Rich]

Clean up crew/bio diversity

If you don’t have anything in there to eat them I can guarantee there are pods in there. Seeing them in the bottle when you buy them isn’t quite the same as trying to see them in your tank. Especially if you have a good hunk of rock in there

 

[wculver]

Ya? So you guys are pretty certain they're in there?

For certain you have them in the tank.

 

[Hungrypede]

When the lights are off on the tank use your phone’s flashlight to light up the side of the tank while looking at the front glass up close.

You’ll see thousands of tiny spots. Keep staring long enough and you’ll see a couple of them move. Takes a bit to train the eye to see pods.

I rarely look/see pods, but I can see my mandarin, leopards and pipefish picking at the rock and substrate all day long.