How can I promote copapods?

[Damsel13]

My tank used to have tons of them and amphopods and little tiny white brittle stars and those snails that look like fingernails stomatella snails. now all I have are shells.

Sorry about the spelling! What about Cyclop-eeze (whole freeze dried)?
Thanks in advance

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I would be more concerned about what killed them off

 

[Damsel13]

a little mantis

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Not so sure the mantis is eating everything. Perhaps some water event? PH, salinity, alk etc. crash or spike?

 

[Damsel13]

Hummmmmmmmmmm.....I have this outbreak of pink pom pom xenia and my zoa's and hairy mushrooms aren't doing so well. Probably I need to do a water change but I am trying to have my system support itself for the most part. I do have some mechanical (water polishing pads) filtration that help/harm but major filtration is live rock. I do have a yellow tang....even my husband said "that thing is getting big" and he hates the tank.
The mantis has lots of holes in one rock..the yellow watchman goby and the mantis have made peace but I need more food for the little mantis or else it will descrate all my stuff in the display.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

If it is simply keeping him fed, try target feeding it those little cocktail shrimp. You can buy a quarter pound at the grocery store for a buck and keep it in the freezer.

With fish in the tank, you will either need more water changes or get more rock and a better skimmer. One or the other.

 

[Damsel13]

I have no algae to speak of....except for different colors of coraline(sp) and a bubble here or there.

 

[Damsel13]

Ok, I need more rock. One more question. Is a large (for a 55gal.) piece of rock the best way to go? Since I have access to a FS near Los Angeles Airport I can get a 5-6 lb. rock for $5 a pound, or are smaller pieces more beneficial?

 

[surf_buddy]

Ok, I need more rock. One more question. Is a large (for a 55gal.) piece of rock the best way to go? Since I have access to a FS near Los Angeles Airport I can get a 5-6 lb. rock for $5 a pound, or are smaller pieces more beneficial?

I hope it ok to jump in here, but I have had success with rubble rock in a refrigum to make a home for pods, and if that is not an option pile the rubble in the corners at the back of the tank. Feed with micro plankton a couple times a week as directed. If you have a large rock that is very porious (sp?) then that might work well also. Good luck

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Ok, I need more rock. One more question. Is a large (for a 55gal.) piece of rock the best way to go? Since I have access to a FS near Los Angeles Airport I can get a 5-6 lb. rock for $5 a pound, or are smaller pieces more beneficial?

If the same price per pound, larger pieces are more valuable in the resale market. The more open and porous the better. Think holy and twisted lava looking in lieu of solid boulders. One can often get rubble for really cheap as in $2.00 a pound. As far as pods go, rock is rock. As far as filtration goes, the better the porosity and thus surface area, the better the filtration.

 

[krisfal]

Ok, I need more rock. One more question. Is a large (for a 55gal.) piece of rock the best way to go? Since I have access to a FS near Los Angeles Airport I can get a 5-6 lb. rock for $5 a pound, or are smaller pieces more beneficial?

I prefer larger pieces as they are easier to stack and still leave openings/caves etc. I switched out a lot of my little pieces for 4 large pieces. When I was using the smaller pieces I found that by the time I safely stacked it ther were not many openings between the rocks.

 

[westOhooligan]

I prefer larger pieces as they are easier to stack and still leave openings/caves etc. I switched out a lot of my little pieces for 4 large pieces. When I was using the smaller pieces I found that by the time I safely stacked it ther were not many openings between the rocks.

That's completely opposite of what I found! I have a really cool formation with my smaller rocks, but I can't get too high without a precarious stack. I could glue them, but I'm thinking of switching to some larger pieces.

I think we successfully hijacked this thread...

 

[Almondsaz]

Damsel: have you checked your phosphate levels lately? When mine went out of wack the root cause turned to be the phosphate. And you did also mention the bubbles (assume bubble algae). Worth a check...my LFS has a colorometer which is the most accurate. The salifert is an indicator but not always spot on.

 

[Damsel13]

Am back after a couple of weeks away. . Enjoyed reading all the info on this thread. Will do a 10% water change today and look into some sort of phosphate remover. A temp. pad probably. Will do water tests before and after the water change.

 

[Almondsaz]

Damsel: I don't use the pads for phosphate removal, I personally use PhosBan from Two Little Fishes. It is available most places and Marine Depot has it ($14.99) It is great becuase it has a media bag in the container and contains a 150g of synthetic ferric oxide hydroxide. It lasts for several months. I have been pleased with the results.

Do avoid the aluminum (white granule) products for marine application - that is what I have been advised by my local reef store and on another forum. Hope that helps.

 

[dnjan]

I do have some mechanical (water polishing pads) filtration that help/harm but major filtration is live rock.

Your mechanical filtration may be removing some of the phytoplankton and zooplankton suspended in the water column, which in turn could be starving the pods you want to flourish.

 

[Adam Black]

Has anyone ever bought the bags that sell on ebay of copods?

 

[Almondsaz]

Has anyone ever bought the bags that sell on ebay of copods?

I have purchased from Piece-of-the-reef on ebay and their pods were good. Come to you in a piece of filter floss and then they scatter when you put it in the fuge. Very reasonable pricing.

 

[Adam Black]

Do you have a link?