# Amphipods and Copepods



## neebs (Dec 2, 2011)

Does anyone breed Amphipods or Copepods at home?


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## J_T (Mar 25, 2011)

Nah, most wouldn't. 

But, if you get some cheato off someone selling it/giving it away, and you will get a bunch. Buying coral that is from a fresh shipment is another way to get them.

You can also buy bottles of Copepods from most stores. It'll run you $20-$25


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## neebs (Dec 2, 2011)

I wasn't sure if just chaeto would be enough to sustain a copepod population that is able to support a mandarin goby, figured that just buying the Copepods regularly would get pretty expensive.

I was thinking of taking one of the following approaches:

1. Get some cheato put it in the back of my tank...put in a bottle of Copepods, occasionally dose phytoplankton (is this necessary?). Wait until I have a noticible populations and get a mandarin goby.

2. If necessay culture my own as outlined here. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/2/breeder/

If anyone has experience with any of the above your input would be helpful.


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## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

I have wrasses and they have wiped out pretty well all my pods in my main tank.

Start a refugium. Mine is full of pods but I am not sure if there are enough there to support a mandarin. 

Make a pod hotel. What you do is either make a pile of rubble somewhere in your tank so the pods can hide in there and breed or get a fairly wide meshed bag, something like an onion bag, fill it with rubble and place it is a refugium for a few days and let it fill up. Leave it in there longer of you want them to breed, then move the bag up to your DT. The pods can hide in there and breed safe from fish.

contact juliefish. If I remember correctly she knows some people who only sell tank raised fish. I *think* she mentioned that someone had some tank raised mandarines. I bet it would be expensive, but cheaper than having to deal with constantly buying pods.


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## notclear (Nov 5, 2011)

How big is your display tank? It really depends on the size of the tank as well.

I have a 160G tank and have 3 mandarins and one of them eat roe (fish eggs) and mysis shrimps.


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## J_T (Mar 25, 2011)

Tank raised mandarins go for $100 ea when I have seen them available. They have been raised on prepared food.

Posted with my Xperia, using Tapatalk 2


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## nynick (Jul 25, 2012)

If you have enough space behind your tank, an hob refugium full of rubble and algae is an excellent way of making food for a Mandarin. Fairly easy to DIY if you are a handy person. Why hob you might ask. They have their power source before the fuge, not after and since the goby prefers live food the pods just float into the tank rather than being chopped up by a pump. Just make sure that all filtration that you might add comes before the pod farm as well. Fed a pair in my old 90 gal, fat as can be. Actually, I think it fed most of my tank


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## neebs (Dec 2, 2011)

*copepods*

I have a red sea max 250 which is essentialy a 65 gallon all in one tank. There is no chance that I can do a refugium or hang on back, as it will mess up the aesthetic. I may put chaeto in the back built in sump, but hopefully a pod hotel concept may work.

If I do a pod hotel, would i have to dose phyto?

Thanks, will also contact juliefish.


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## notclear (Nov 5, 2011)

I cultured tiger pods, very easy to do. Just salt water and once or twice a week I feed few drops of Reef Nutrition's Phyto Feast.


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## neebs (Dec 2, 2011)

Do they need light? Or can I keep them in a cabinet?


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## notclear (Nov 5, 2011)

A little bit light is required for them to get active. Just ambient light is OK, no need to particulary place a light over them.


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