Whoa! Pods by the thousands,

Indermark · #1 03/14/2007, 11:48 PM

I set up my 75gallon tank about a month ago and added some live rock I purchased at Gateway Aquatics, a LFS in Saint Louis. I got my rock and it smelt like it came from a septic tank. I like the rock and it has already lowered my nitrates but was disappointed because I didn't really get any tube worms and pods. Well I got some snails and added them about 3 days ago from gateway aquatics. Last night I thought I would throw in two small pellets for the Nassarius snails that I got to stir the sand bed. I came back an hour later and noticed that there were pods everywhere it was insane There were so many on the food and on the glass, I was amazed. I am happy I have so many because I really want to keep a dragonet, There is plenty of algae in the tank how can I keep the copepod population in high numbers? If I have tons which I'm sure I do should I still wait a year or so until I add a dragonet?

Ryan

alan214 · #2 03/14/2007, 11:51 PM

Yes, I'd wait at least 6 months. Do you have any wrasses in your tank that might keep the pod population in check?

Indermark · #3 03/14/2007, 11:58 PM

I don't have any fish because I just set it up and i'm trying to take it slow its my first big tank and i'm still looking for some supplies for it like powerheads and more live rock. I only have 66 lbs so far.

Ryan

davidryder · #4 03/15/2007, 01:14 AM

I commend you for waiting. I think the six month mark would be safe for a dragonnet.

BrianCM · #5 03/15/2007, 01:18 AM

u r more patient then i am. Thats good.

Paliya · #6 03/15/2007, 11:21 AM

I think the pod population will naturally decline as this mini-cycle progresses and the available food is eaten up by other stuff living in your rock & sand. Everything stabilizes over time, as you probably know.

That being said, I can think of some stuff that might help to keep the pod population high. When you begin to notice their numbers declining, you could start dosing phyoplankton at night. This should help maintain the population - but this may or may not have a detrimental effect on your water quality (depending on your existing bio-load). You could also extract some of the pods and start a pod culture.

And even if you do nothing, as long as you have 75ish lbs of liverock in your display tank (and no other pod-hunting fish), your pod population should be high enough to sustain a dragonet anyway.

Good luck!
-P

Indermark · #7 03/15/2007, 11:43 AM

I really want to get a scooter "blenny" and another type of dragonet, Synchiropus splendidus (green mandarin). or maybe a Synchiropus picturatus (Target mandarin). I'm sure my live rock is still slowly curing and I have just enough bacteria in there to keep it in check but all the parameters are good so far. I was dumping in more than the recommended dose of Seachems stability in hopes to speed up the cycle and get rid of the smell. I was suprised to see it took my tank less than a week to stabilize. I really do think Seachems stability helped.

Ryan

tkeracer619 · #8 03/15/2007, 12:22 PM

Don't put a manderin in that tank or any kind of dragonet.

It is not ready and won't be for quite a while. Also Manderins can demolish a pop population in a 150 gallon tank fast if its not matured properly. The pods in your 75 would probably go away in a matter of days if you add a manderin, then the manderin would starve to death over the next month or two.

rustybucket145 · #9 03/15/2007, 12:36 PM

The pod population will regulate itself. You will have somewhat of a 'die off' probably within a few weeks. The population will then stabilize. Now would be a GREAT time for you to add a fuge if you don't have one........

Indermark · #10 03/15/2007, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tkeracer619
Don't put a manderin in that tank or any kind of dragonet.

It is not ready and won't be for quite a while. Also Manderins can demolish a pop population in a 150 gallon tank fast if its not matured properly. The pods in your 75 would probably go away in a matter of days if you add a manderin, then the manderin would starve to death over the next month or two.

you might have skimmed (no pun intended) over my first post but I'm not getting one anytime soon. I'm looking at maybe 6months to a year from now when I know that population is still active and the tank is aged a bit.

I was just looking at the tank earlier and every side of the glass has pods all over the glass. its insane how many there are. There is a huge amount of them where the pellets I dropped in at stayed. I guess they are still feeding off small particles of the food. I was looking at them with a small magnifying glass thats about 1 inch in diameter and I tried counting them and ended up stopping at 100. I must have a rock that was loaded. I don't think I have any other hitchhikers besides the pods. I was hoping for some worms and such. I have been looking really late at night and not finding anything yet.

Ryan

tkeracer619 · #11 03/15/2007, 03:36 PM

Ah I had read it but misunderstood your last post.

Thanks for correcting my misread.

Now that I finally have a manderin I know why they are so often doomed. When people are over who havent seen that fish before its like they are almost mystified. If that happens in a fish store it often ends in a purchase.

I think I'll go clean my skimmer now since you mentioned it

poissonist · #12 03/15/2007, 03:44 PM

Why don't you feed your mandarin with artemia nauplies?
it work good and you can keep 2 COUPLE IN AN AQUARIUM (red and splendidus for exemple)
I advise everybody never mix picturatus and splendidus!
And both couple can have babies...it is fun!

someguynamedG · #13 03/15/2007, 04:02 PM

I wouldn't worry too much that you don't see any hitchhikers right now. I havn't added any LR to my 30 gallon in nearly two years. About a year ago feather dusters, tube worms and other worms started poping up and some mussels have sruprised me as well. Some things just take a long time to start thriving and become visable.

Indermark · #14 03/17/2007, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by someguynamedG
I wouldn't worry too much that you don't see any hitchhikers right now. I havn't added any LR to my 30 gallon in nearly two years. About a year ago feather dusters, tube worms and other worms started poping up and some mussels have sruprised me as well. Some things just take a long time to start thriving and become visable.

Thats good to hear and cannot wait until more crazy things start to come out. I just found a tiny star fish in my 12 gallon nano cube today. Its got really long thin legs and a circular body. I have no clue how long its been in there but its kinda cool. Wish I would have taken a picture of it. now that i'm talking about it.

Ryan

uscharalph · #15 03/18/2007, 01:35 AM

Patience will pay off.

Medaka · #16 03/18/2007, 01:51 AM

Pods love phytoplankton.
And seem to love nesting in chaetomorpha.

I always take a little chaeto out and shake it in a bowl and I end up with hundreds/thousands of pods in it.

Sierra6 · #17 03/18/2007, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Why don't you feed your mandarin with artemia nauplies?
it work good and you can keep 2 COUPLE IN AN AQUARIUM (red and splendidus for exemple)
I advise everybody never mix picturatus and splendidus!
And both couple can have babies...it is fun!

Poissanist,

Have you had success with breeding them?

Paula

Snowboarda42 · #18 03/18/2007, 07:25 PM

Easy recipe for pods o plenty:

I claim zero credit for this because I got the idea from another site

Go to walmart/bed bath and beyond and buy a clear shower soap holder with holes in the side. They range between $4-$6.

If you buy it from walmart, don't buy anything else (I hate walmart)

Drill a few more holes, Put some sand and chaeto in it, and call it a day. soap dish is 4-6 dollars and has suction cups on it. Point one of your powerheads at it (keep it 4" away).

It looka lika dis:

Once again, not my tank. But I hear nothing but great success with it. I already bought my soap dish too