Pod prop questions.

[Beckmola24]

I have decided to make my Eclipse 12 into a "pod only" tank. The tank has been running for almost a year now and for 6months has been "fish free". I see pods crawling around in there but I was wondering how to make them multiply like rabbits... The main pods I see are the crawly ones that live on the glass (some of which are really large)....

I must admit, that I don't really do too much to the tank besides throw some crushed flake food in there every couple of days. What SHOULD I be doing to make this tank take off?? What can I feed these pods?? The tank has a Maxijet 900 for flow, a tiny bit of sand and about 15lbs of live rock. Any thought, opinions or advice for me?

 

[NaH2O]

Becky - see if this FAQ section helps out (from one of our sponsors...Oceanpods.com): Oceanpods FAQ. You will find tips on cultruing them and also what to feed.

 

[aquariumdebacle]

throw in flake food every day. ALL populations are regulated by their food supply. Throw in some Chaeto to harvest them by pulling it out and shakking it int a bowl or the main display.

 

[rugie]

pods

Many,many aquarists have tried to culture pods. they can be brought up to proportions that will allow for a few snacks but never great enough to provide feedings on a regular basis, they have a built in self destruct when their populations get too high. copopods abound when tanks are in a cycle mode (if live sand/rock is present) but will quickly diminish when system cleans up. gammarus & mysids can not tolerate high pollutants and will quickly die.
most of us place too much value on these little critters. for the sake of diversity they are nice to have in our tanks (and we will! provided there is more than ample live rock to nuture them) most of the so called pods sold as food, cultures etc are smoke and mirrors and a waste of money.
frozen foods are a better way to go.

 

[aquariumdebacle]

That's not to say they should not be encouraged to thrive. A good healthy pod/mysis population is the sign of a viable ecosystem. Order some from our sponsor from time to time and consider them a consumable or treat for your fish, etc. Some will survive the carnage and rise to the levels that the ecology will support. A little diversity never hurt! Remember though that they do add to the bio-load of a system. If you concentrate on feeding them you may raise nitrate levels. In a refugium setting they usually do not require extra feeding. Just the fact that they do not get predated upon allows them to get up to significant natural populations.

 

[rugie]

pods

Becky, I do not wish to belabor the point, but you would be very much further ahead to culture amphipods. they are cheaper to buy easier to maintain and provide more nutrition. the young of gammarus rival the size of copepods and have the added feature of growing ( they get to about 1/4" long) so you have an ongoing supply of various sizes of the same animal. again none of these animals reach great proportions. as I stated with ample live rock/sand they will flourish to the point of providing a snack on a regular basis. please note that "FISH DO NOT NEED THIS LIVE FOOD" there are many fine foods available for feeding fish. some need live food to a fair degree ie: the mandarins, scooters, etc but even they can be trained to accept other foods other than pods. the cost of these pods along with the high shipping is a total waste of money
as stated they do not last long in aquaria, so if you do not need your money send it on over to me and I will waste it for you.LOL Please recondsider your endeavor