What do mysis and copepods eat

[trillyen]

ok my ranks are now getting to the point where I got all kinds of mysis which are my favorite kind of pods I love the way they look like there floating over the sand in my deep sand bed

And the other littele things that look kinda like a centipede or a little rolly polly bug

What do they eat?? Is there anything I can feed them to keep the alive

Ive seem freeze dried mysis that are humongus compared to how big they get in my tank

Why don't they get that big in captivity???

Or will they???

 

[mmkeeper]

The Mysis you buy frozen are a freshwater shrimp. Mysids are what you are growing.

 

[trillyen]

ohh ok i see

they kinda look similar though i thought

kewl!!!

thanks

 

[quibrzif]

You can feed them whatever you have - flakes, dried crustaceans, frozen stuff, smallest zooplankton for invertebrates - only make it smaller before feeding and feed in small quantities. Worked for me.

 

[trillyen]

cool thanks I'll feed them some zooplankton

 

[NaH2O]

I wouldn't try and target feed them anything. You'll only be increasing your nutrient inputs. Enjoy them for what they are. They will always be there, and you will see their populations wax and wan with the available food sources. Unless you are actively setting up a culturing system or you have a mandarin that is looking thin, I wouldn't worry about trying to "grow" them. They should always be present in your system (unless you have treated your tank with interceptor for red bugs).

Here's your homework assignment

Pods - Delicious and Nutritious by Adelaide Rhodes

You Can't Tell Your "Pods" Without A Program...by Ron Shimek.

Bitty Bugs: Copepods in the Reef Aquarium by Ronald L. Shimek

Pills, Parasites, and Predators; Isopods in the Reef Aquarium by Ronald L. Shimek

Amphipods by Ron Shimek

Cirolanid Isopods by Keith Clarke and Ron Shimek

Cirolanid Isopod Capture Techniques, Feeding Habits and Mortality Testing by Brian Plankis

Copepod Culture by Frank Marini and Dwayne Sapp

 

[burning2nd]

you dont need to feed any of your clean up crew, or pritty much anything else that is in your tank (that you didnt add) except for desirable hitch hikers (clams exc exc)


the micro life in your tank needs a healthy tank to feed from,

in short