The Pod Farm

[Mekanic]

Hey, just registered here after reading this great thread. Not exactly a nano guy, have a 90g mixed reef heh.. But this has been the best thread I've ever read on pod culturing.

 

I want to get started in it, I have a 20L that I'm going to divide in half and do Tisbe and Tigger in it.

 

Can anyone point mt in the direction to get some pods to start seeding? (tank is a pod wasteland at the moment)

 

Thanks for all your hard work and great information!

 

~Rich

[altolamprologus]

Hey, just registered here after reading this great thread. Not exactly a nano guy, have a 90g mixed reef heh.. But this has been the best thread I've ever read on pod culturing.

 

I want to get started in it, I have a 20L that I'm going to divide in half and do Tisbe and Tigger in it.

 

Can anyone point mt in the direction to get some pods to start seeding? (tank is a pod wasteland at the moment)

 

Thanks for all your hard work and great information!

 

~Rich

Thanks man, that really means a lot

 

Tigger pods can usually be purchased from an aquarium store, but if yours doesn't carry them, shoot me a message and I can sell some to you if you're interested. I bought my Tisbe pods here. Normally I would offer to sell these as well, but I over harvested my cultures in April and they are now struggling to catch up again.

 

Just a few tips to help get you started: Keep the tanks bare. I know the first post says rocks and sand are ok for tisbe, but I have since found that it makes them difficult to harvest. Feed the tisbes flakes or crushed pellets and the tiggers phytoplankton. Keep the tank off the floor so it's easier to siphon the bottom every couple months. Good luck and post here if you have any other questions.

[Mekanic]

Thanks man, that really means a lot

 

Tigger pods can usually be purchased from an aquarium store, but if yours doesn't carry them, shoot me a message and I can sell some to you if you're interested. I bought my Tisbe pods here. Normally I would offer to sell these as well, but I over harvested my cultures in April and they are now struggling to catch up again.

 

Just a few tips to help get you started: Keep the tanks bare. I know the first post says rocks and sand are ok for tisbe, but I have since found that it makes them difficult to harvest. Feed the tisbes flakes or crushed pellets and the tiggers phytoplankton. Keep the tank off the floor so it's easier to siphon the bottom every couple months. Good luck and post here if you have any other questions.

 

Any recommendation on the phyto? I'm thinking about ordering from marine depot, they do not have phyto-feast just H2O Life Nanno One, never heard of it haha.

 

Sending a PM about the Tigger's, my only LFS that has refrigerated foods are all almost a year expired :/

[altolamprologus]

Any recommendation on the phyto? I'm thinking about ordering from marine depot, they do not have phyto-feast just H2O Life Nanno One, never heard of it haha.

 

Sending a PM about the Tigger's, my only LFS that has refrigerated foods are all almost a year expired :/

I primarily use phytofeast live from reed mariculture, mainly because it's super dense and you don't need to use very much of it. I also use homegrown phytoplankton whenever I can find someone selling extras.

[sillycupid]

I tried this out with my order of tisbe pods. I used two small glass bottles and added a little bit of Hikari Algae wafer to each. I poured a third of the pod bag into each bottle and dumped the rest into my refugium. After a week I did not see any movement. I considered dumping it but I kept them sitting. After three weeks I checked the bottles again and now I have more than a dozen fat tisbe pods scurrying everywhere in each bottle.

[Wizzy]

I was wondering if it would be possible/ideal to culture Tisbe pods in my 12 Gallon Nanocube?

 

It has lots of porous rock, no fish, and is about 80 degrees.

 

There are 2 sexy shrimp in there, as well as amphipods, isopods, bristle worms, asterina stars, limpets, various other species of worms, etc.

 

It is a bare bottom reef with soft coral as well as LPS.

 

I feed it regularly with a mixture of Reef Nutrition phytoplankton, cyclopeeze, mysis shrimp, Reef Cleaner's filter food, and shrimp pellets.

 

The tank is completely stock- sponges in back, removed bioballs, added heater, stock pump, stock PC lighting (soon to be upgraded to a PAR 38/going hoodless).

 

-Wizzy

[Psychosis]

Oh yea, I forgot to PM you!

 

My tank erupted with pods. Absolutely exploded. Every night I can't see a single surface with out at least a little pod activity. Bring on the Tevegae!

[altolamprologus]

I was wondering if it would be possible/ideal to culture Tisbe pods in my 12 Gallon Nanocube?

 

It has lots of porous rock, no fish, and is about 80 degrees.

 

There are 2 sexy shrimp in there, as well as amphipods, isopods, bristle worms, asterina stars, limpets, various other species of worms, etc.

 

It is a bare bottom reef with soft coral as well as LPS.

 

I feed it regularly with a mixture of DT's phytoplankton, cyclopeeze, mysis shrimp, Reef Cleaner's filter food, and shrimp pellets.

 

The tank is completely stock- sponges in back, removed bioballs, added heater, stock pump, stock PC lighting (soon to be upgraded to a PAR 38/going hoodless).

 

-Wizzy

A culture is a bare container used for the sole purpose of breeding a specific species. A tank full of stuff that are going to eat the pods is not a culture. You can, however, add some pods in there and they will reproduce, but you won't quite be able to harvest them for use in a another tank.

 

Oh yea, I forgot to PM you!

 

My tank erupted with pods. Absolutely exploded. Every night I can't see a single surface with out at least a little pod activity. Bring on the Tevegae!

I told you they were in the bag I'm glad they're doing well. Please feel free to spam my inbox with pics of the T. tevegae when you get them

[Wizzy]

A culture is a bare container used for the sole purpose of breeding a specific species. A tank full of stuff that are going to eat the pods is not a culture. You can, however, add some pods in there and they will reproduce, but you won't quite be able to harvest them for use in a another tank.

 

Which of the creatures in my tank would eat the pods?

 

(just wondering)

 

Thanks- Wizzy

[metrokat]

Added a nice sized piece of nori to the culture yesterday, it is gone today! Are they that hungry or simply that many?! I think I need to harvest tonight and replenish the salt water.

 

I ran out of phyto so I've been putting in live micro algae from algagen. The water is a very pale green but there is chaeto in there and i put in an algae wafer today.

 

We shall see how fast they decimate the wafer.

[altolamprologus]

Which of the creatures in my tank would eat the pods?

 

(just wondering)

 

Thanks- Wizzy

All corals, amphipods, isopods, possibly some worms...

 

Added a nice sized piece of nori to the culture yesterday, it is gone today! Are they that hungry or simply that many?! I think I need to harvest tonight and replenish the salt water.

 

I ran out of phyto so I've been putting in live micro algae from algagen. The water is a very pale green but there is chaeto in there and i put in an algae wafer today.

 

We shall see how fast they decimate the wafer.

They can eat a lot when enough food is available. It sounds like you have the quite the population in there.

 

P.S. Micro algae is phyto

[metrokat]

They can eat a lot when enough food is available. It sounds like you have the quite the population in there.

 

P.S. Micro algae is phyto

 

I know I know, I meant Phyto the 'brand'. Maybe it's me but both the live and dead phyto from reef nutrition was very soupy and made the water cloudy green. I got live phyto from a private seller and from algagen and it is very light but bright green. I'm not sure what the difference between the densities means but the water is much less green since the 'phyto' brand ran out.

 

I;m not sure this made sense. Tired.

[Wizzy]

I found out that I have a few copepods already in my Nanocube.

 

There's not enough to scoop out with a net (i.e. no swarms), but I want to try and get some for a small water bottle culture.

 

Any ideas how to attract them to a place in my tank and get enough out to start a small culture?

 

-Wizzy

[altolamprologus]

I found out that I have a few copepods already in my Nanocube.

 

There's not enough to scoop out with a net (i.e. no swarms), but I want to try and get some for a small water bottle culture.

 

Any ideas how to attract them to a place in my tank and get enough out to start a small culture?

 

-Wizzy

I recommend buying a starter culture, but if you insist on trying the pods in your tanks, there's two ways you can do it:

 

1. Use a turkey baster to suck pods of the glass. If you let film algae build up on a section of the glass, you will be able to get more pods. These will be a species of harpacticoid copepod, which are the easiest to culture.

 

2. The ones that create swarms are calanoid copepods. They are usually attracted to light so a flashlight directed into a low flow area for several minutes will usually bring them out. Then use a turkey baster or siphon to suck them out. I attempted to culture calanoids in the same way as harpacticoids once and it failed. They need an airline in the water and a steady source of micro algae. Marinebreeder.org has a good thread on culture protocol for calanoids

[Wizzy]

I recommend buying a starter culture, but if you insist on trying the pods in your tanks, there's two ways you can do it:

 

1. Use a turkey baster to suck pods of the glass. If you let film algae build up on a section of the glass, you will be able to get more pods. These will be a species of harpacticoid copepod, which are the easiest to culture.

 

2. The ones that create swarms are calanoid copepods. They are usually attracted to light so a flashlight directed into a low flow area for several minutes will usually bring them out. Then use a turkey baster or siphon to suck them out. I attempted to culture calanoids in the same way as harpacticoids once and it failed. They need an airline in the water and a steady source of micro algae. Marinebreeder.org has a good thread on culture protocol for calanoids

 

Thank you Alto, I was planning to buy a starter culture of Tisbe but I thought I might as well try culturing what I already have first.

 

So, assuming there isn't a way to identify the specific species of copepod I have, I should make sure my setup has low flow and phytoplankton/crushed flake or pellet food?

 

How many copepods do you think I will need to start my culture?

 

I will check out Marinebreeder as well.

 

Thanks- Wizzy

[altolamprologus]

Thank you Alto, I was planning to buy a starter culture of Tisbe but I thought I might as well try culturing what I already have first.

 

So, assuming there isn't a way to identify the specific species of copepod I have, I should make sure my setup has low flow and phytoplankton/crushed flake or pellet food?

 

How many copepods do you think I will need to start my culture?

 

I will check out Marinebreeder as well.

 

Thanks- Wizzy

All calanoids have the same culture protocol so a slow bubble from an airline and some phytoplankton should be fine. A couple dozen pods is all you really need to start the culture, though it will be a slow start. You can always throw in more later on

[Wizzy]

All calanoids have the same culture protocol so a slow bubble from an airline and some phytoplankton should be fine. A couple dozen pods is all you really need to start the culture, though it will be a slow start. You can always throw in more later on

 

Sounds good.

 

What's your opinion on a low-flow pump- around 50-70 gph.

 

This would be in a 5 gallon bucket w/one large piece of dry rock.

 

It would just be easier for me than settting up an airline.

 

-Wizzy

[altolamprologus]

Sounds good.

 

What's your opinion on a low-flow pump- around 50-70 gph.

 

This would be in a 5 gallon bucket w/one large piece of dry rock.

 

It would just be easier for me than settting up an airline.

 

-Wizzy

Yeah that would be fine

 

Leave out the rock though

[Wizzy]

Yeah that would be fine

 

Leave out the rock though

 

Awesome

 

Oh and how often do I need to perform partial water changes?

 

And how much food do I need to put in daily?

 

Like a couple crushed pellets and a few drops of phyto.... ?

[altolamprologus]

Awesome

 

Oh and how often do I need to perform partial water changes?

 

And how much food do I need to put in daily?

 

Like a couple crushed pellets and a few drops of phyto.... ?

I only do water changes when I harvest the pods. It ends up being about once or twice a month and that seems to work.

 

Just add enough phyto to keep the water slightly green. I add phyto twice a week. Skip the pellets, they're messy and calanoids prefer phyto

[Wizzy]

I only do water changes when I harvest the pods. It ends up being about once or twice a month and that seems to work.

 

Just add enough phyto to keep the water slightly green. I add phyto twice a week. Skip the pellets, they're messy and calanoids prefer phyto

 

Keeping the water constantly green sounds like a lot of phyto lol.

 

Do you happen to know approx. how much that will be in a 5 gallon bucket (probably only 4 gallons full)?

 

I'm wondering if I need to start culturing my own phyto to keep costs down.

[altolamprologus]

Keeping the water constantly green sounds like a lot of phyto lol.

 

Do you happen to know approx. how much that will be in a 5 gallon bucket (probably only 4 gallons full)?

 

I'm wondering if I need to start culturing my own phyto to keep costs down.

I use reef nutrition phyto feast live and it only takes a couple dollars worth per month to feed my pod cultures. It's really dense so you only need a small squirt. It also helps if you keep a light over the bucket to the phyto can multiply. A CFL wouldn't cost too much in electricity either

[Wizzy]

I use reef nutrition phyto feast live and it only takes a couple dollars worth per month to feed my pod cultures. It's really dense so you only need a small squirt. It also helps if you keep a light over the bucket to the phyto can multiply. A CFL wouldn't cost too much in electricity either

 

Thanks for all the help Alto.

 

I will do some experimenting and see if I can get a successful culture going.

[dbmet]

Any Pictures of your setup?

d

[altolamprologus]

Any Pictures of your setup?

d

Not right now because I don't own a camera, but I was asked for pics on another site so I'll post some next time my friend comes over with her camera.