copepods question
 

So I was at a local fish store and see a bottle of live copepods for sale. from what I read these were good to introduce into a refugium. So I went ahead and bought some. when I got home I put the whole bottle into my refugium (which has cheato algae) but not realizing, i dont have any sort of screen or filter before my main return pump.

what is there to stop these copepods from entering my DT and then back down into my filter socks??

did I do this right or was it a complete waist?

Well, for one, why have copepods in your fuge if they can't get into the main DT? :) That's where you want them to end up to feed critters like mandarin's etc. Some people say they can't survive the trip through the pump.... I don't believe that. I think most survive the trip just fine.
As for filter socks, yup, they catch the pods. I spend probably 15 min per sock when I'm changing them out catching the little buggers and putting them back into the fuge, lol.

Absolutely, the little critters can make it though the pump just fine :wink:

you can put the pods wherever you want. The ones that survive will find holes and other such crevasses to hide and reproduce over time. If a population develops in your 'fuge it is inevitable that some of them will escape the 'fuge and enter the display tank by way of the return pump. Some pods will survive, some may not. I too have taken pods out of my filter sock and thrown them back into the return chamber of my sump and watched them get shot out of my return nozzle and then swim off, or float off if they didn't make it, or instantly get eaten.

I will have to check my socks when I change them next time. I read they will hang out in the Macro Algae and breed, is that true?

how long do they survive and are they self sustaining?

Yes, they will hang out pretty much anywhere where they won't get eaten, which includes your 'fuge with macro algae. Ultimately they should be able to sustain their population over time. There are a lot of people who don't even buy pods with their new setups and simply rely on hitchhiking pods from live rock or macro alage and that alone can produce an explosive population of pods over time.

I have no idea what the lifespan of a pod is to be honest.

i'm sure lifespan depends on tank-mates. my tank is so baren that i've got a massive pod population. i watch them play tag all the time. or maybe they're trying to eat each other i'm not sure lol.

can you even get liverock that doesn't have pods in it? I've never really gotten the idea of buying pods. unless you're taking home fresh cut frags without rubble or bases you can't avoid having these in epic numbers over time.

Best I can tell I have no pods despite buying LR from 2 stores and 2 ppl on here ... a reliable source for pods, worms, starfish etc. would be great ... I might try buying some ...

Charles

i got my copepods at Picses emporium

I can give you some live mysid and whatever copopod friends that live with them.good fuge starter,let me know,I have a bug growing tank so I can spare some.