Refugium/Sump: how to kickstart? copepods critters

[utdrmac]

hey guys. i've had this 80gal system for over a year now. been running with sump/refugium for about 10months. live sand bed, lots of LR and alge in there.

I'd like to get some Mandrin Goby's but I read they live on 'critters' alone. I've been told that if I have a large population of 'critters' I should see them on the glass of my main tank and all over the LR as little white spots.

I don't see any. In fact, I have to strain my eyes on the sump to see a few 'critters' climbing over the alge.

How can I encourage the critters to breed? How can I seed the critter farm so that I have more to breed from?

Thanks,
Matthew

[hawaiian_boi]

IPSF.COM....THEY HAVE FREE SHIPPING ALSO...I GOT TONS OF STUFF FOR MY REFUGIUM AND THE POD BREEDING KIT IS JUST WHAT YOU NEED

[mikeatjac]

Your refg should be full of pods by now, but I don't think an 80 gallon tank will supply the food food for a mandarin.

[utdrmac]

hmm..everywhere I've read says i only need a 50gal tank to produce enough food for a mandarin. i was trying to be prepared.

[kau_cinta_ku]

if you had your fuge up for a year you should have plenty. (as long as their is nothing else in the tank eating them) however i would buy some and just let them breed on their own for a while.

[utdrmac]

i dont ever "see" any in the main tank and i've been told that i should be able to. little white specks crawling all over..as described to me.

unless mandarin's eat baby snails, i'd have better kickstart this thing.

[kau_cinta_ku]

when do you look for them? if you look at night with a flashlight and red lense you should see a bunch. during the day you don't see to much.

[schristi69]

Look for places wehre detritus has built up, like around the rocks or in the corners. Yse a magnifying glass and you shoul dsee them swarming all over the stuff.

[Adambalding]

What is the ideal conditions for pods to reproduce? More plants and which kind, or tons of rock?

[chocolateblnt]

www.ipsf.com ... buy a pod racer kit from them :strooper: why worry and scratch your head if you have enough pods ... if you don't see them at night with your red light crawling all over then you might not have many!

[billybob2092]

Just fo to the LFS and buy $5-10 worth of Chaeto to stick in your fuge. All of the LFS around our area that have the macro, have it full of critters!