Help with finding copepods for sale...
 

Hey guys, anyone have any leads to where I could get some copepods in Vancouver or within Canada without paying crazy shipping prices, I dont mind paying for shipping but I would rather not pay $20-$30 for the copepods and another $40-$50 for shipping.

I would suggest this:

See if any LFS will give you some... A good way is to put a container (like an old 35mm container) into their big tank of LIVE ROCK, with a piece of mysis or shrimp in it. It will attract the pods, after some time, you just reach in and put the top on it, then pull it out. You should have lots... I have done this in the past, and know it works.

Check the J&L live food section :

Reef Nutrition Tigger-Pods Live Copepods - 6oz.

I have tried those before but tigger pods dont last a day in the tank without being eaten or dying. Last time I got the tigger pods from JL, my cardinal ate them all before the night was over. I want to seed my new tank and fuge so that I could get another mandarin and I need some that are able to hide to reproduce.

Why do you want them? most of those for sale are tiger pods which do not survive long in aquarium. They get eated by the fish and coral and unlike the usual copepods they are mostly free swimming so they get swaped in the pump or get cought by corals or fish. YOur best bet is to buy some cheato and have a refugium, then you'll have tons of pods in no time. Or put some liverock crumples in one side of your aquarium so they have shelter.

Pods need algae to thrive and a too clean aquarium does not have much food for them.

The best thing for a mandarin is to give it some back up food. TRy to buy a live white worms culture. My mandarins love white worms big time. I give mine some fish roe and some live white worms each day. I have been feeding this for 1 year and half to my mandarin and for 8 months to my copperband butterfly. They are fat and healthy.

The best way to help the pod population to survive and thrive is to feed them with something like DT live phytoplankton. They need phytoplankton to survive. People using a lot of GFO and having no algae at all usualy have a very low pod population unless they supply them with phyto.

What is the size your tank?

Your best option is to buy a live rock form a reefer that is teeming with pods or set up a refugium yourself

homegrownreef.com. in propigation section. Web site is a bit screwy to navigate. They are out of calgary. I think they were a sponsor a while ago. $20 +15 shipping 1 bottle. I haven't tried them so its not a recomendation but it may be what your looking for. Or see if your local store can get some DTs live copepods.

Right now my female mandarin which I got 4-5 months ago is in my 29g but it is trained to eat blood worms. I just picked up a fat male mandarin and I hope its going to learn from the female but until it does, I want to make sure it has enough copepods to eat. I also have a 72g with a 20g sump and fuge but its still fairly new (1 month) and only has 40lbs of live sand and about 90lbs cured rock in it right now but I dont see the pods on the glass like I do on my 29g yet.

Thanks, Ill check them out...

Anyone else have a lead on getting these? I have emailed and pm'ed a few ppl with no success so far...