How do you raise the copepods in a refugium?

You need to grow some specific strains of phytoplankton to keep them healthy and reproducing. Copepods reproduce sexually when conditions are right. With some species of copepods you can use a concentrated phytoplankton, something like RG Complete or RotiGrow from Reed Mariculture. It’s the best on the market.

Do you need to feed copepods in refugium?

But one can keep a pretty reliable availability of pods present at all times when using a refugium. The most wonderful thing about copepods is that (at least as adults) they survive by eating unwanted stuff like film algae and detritus. As such, they may be the most important members of your clean-up crew!

How do I know if I have copepods in my tank?

A quick way to tell if you have live copepods in your aquarium is to temporarily shut off your pump and lights at night. Take a flashlight and shine it into the aquarium and if you have live copepods, you should begin to see them swimming towards the light in no time.

What do copepods need to survive?

So, copepods can indeed survive without light, but they nevertheless still require algae in their diet! Thus, if raised in total darkness, copepods need to be fed a high-quality, nutritionally balanced, algae-based diet such as OceanMagik.

Can I put copepods in my sump?

Copepods will thrive where ever there is food for them. If you have no fish that feast on them, eventually your tank will be covered and that is good. That is why people put them in sumps.

Can you put copepods in my sump?

How many copepods does a Mandarin eat?

You will see them perching on the sand and rock looking for their next meal. A healthy Mandarin Goby can eat a Copepod every 5-10 seconds during their daily routine. For Example: 60 seconds / 5-10 seconds = 6-12 Copepods eaten per minute.

How often do you feed copepods?

Feed your tank Phytoplankton Blend every two days, with the skimmer off for one hour after feeding. Add 0.1 oz of medium concentration phytoplankton per 30 gallons of water in your tank or 0.1 oz of high concentration phytoplankton per 300 gallons of water in your tank.