Copepods

[stefday]

Hi,

I seem to have lots of little white insects in my nano tank which I am told might be copeods. I am not using this tank at the moment and it only has a couple of pieces of live rock and a soft coral whilst I concentrate on my new tank.

If they are copepods how can I encourage them to grow and multiply?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[seffieuk]

oh excellent - pour pyhto in the tank until it turns the colour of weak tea - even better, put it in front of a window and let the algae grow

Seffie x

 

[stefday]

Sorry but not sure what phyto is. Is it the same as red plankton?

 

[seffieuk]

phytoplankton, you can buy a culture off ebay for a few pounds - if you keep the tank close to a window that has sunlight coming through it you will have your own grown soon (start of with the bottle one though)

Seffie x

 

[stefday]

Thanks.

Do you need to turn the pumps and skimmer off?

 

[seffieuk]

Thanks.

Do you need to turn the pumps and skimmer off?

Yes you will need to turn the skimmer off but not the pumps

Seffie x

 

[nano_reef_ubergeek]

can the plankton live in the tank... even with the powerhead on?

 

[seffieuk]

can the plankton live in the tank... even with the powerhead on?

I know some people turn off the powerheads, you are right, but i always leave mine on and never had a problem. I had the same thing in a 180 that I was storing live rock in - put my culture of copods and rotifers in, put in the phyto, kept the powerheads running - I had two and was rewarded with loads of the little things

Seffie x

ps would of course be differnt if you were just running a small culture in a confined space, you then would most defo not run a powerhead

 

[nano_reef_ubergeek]

well ... I only have a 10 gallon tank. I want something in the tank that will help clean up the water .... I don't know if copepods will help do that or not .... will they eat the phytoplankton?

All of the parameters are ok and I have a 3 by 4 inch patch of hairline algae (one inch long), but the water is starting to get greenish and more cloudy.

I'm hoping to have a true eco system in my tank -- where ideally I would not be filtering the water and the fish would be eating plankton or shrimp, but I'm becoming more nervous about the cloudy water. I'm almost ready to throw in the towel and buy a hang on back filter.

 

[seffieuk]

well ... I only have a 10 gallon tank. I want something in the tank that will help clean up the water .... I don't know if copepods will help do that or not .... will they eat the phytoplankton?

yes and rotifers

All of the parameters are ok and I have a 3 by 4 inch patch of hairline algae (one inch long), but the water is starting to get greenish and more cloudy.

Have you though about putting some competing algae in like chaeto?

I'm hoping to have a true eco system in my tank -- where ideally I would not be filtering the water and the fish would be eating plankton or shrimp, but I'm becoming more nervous about the cloudy water. I'm almost ready to throw in the towel and buy a hang on back filter.

I think its a really interesting experiment - far too early to throw in the towel yet :good)

The water is turning green because of algae, the copepods and rots will eat some of that. You say your stats are good - would you mind sharing them as I'm really interested in your experiment. Could you also tell me what else and how much you have in the tank, also lighting?

So your plan is a small fish and shrimp, maybe a goby/shrimp combo - that really is the only option if you want a fish

are you using a powerhead or another method of moving the water?

Seffie x

 

[nano_reef_ubergeek]

well .... I panicked and bought a filter .... but after the water gets cleaned up, I'm going to try again and do without one. I called the aquarium that I go to and they do have copepods .... so I can try putting those in my tank after the water turns green.

I never thought about putting in competing algae ... I was thinking of getting an emerald crab .... but that was just an idea for something to eat the hairline algae. I will probably just put in some competing algae like you suggest.

It's a ten gallon tank (38 liter) and I have a juvenile domino damsel. He's a cute little critter, quite brave and enduring a lot of changes since I put him in the tank. The aquarium gave him to me to start the tank and I guess I will be taking him back in two weeks. I'm not sure what I'm going to get to replace him with.

I can keep you updated here, though it will probably be a week before I try to add the copepods. (So you think that they can eat the water borne algae?)

I am using a powerhead (koralia nano) to move the water. My lighting is a 6500k 26 watt fluorescent bulb which I'm probably going to stick with. I have a 40 watt 10000k, 460nM Current USA fixture (50/50) that I ordered on line that I'm going to try for a few days just to see how things look. I'm reluctant to keep it since I'm not sure I'm want to have coral in my tank.

 

[seffieuk]

well .... I panicked and bought a filter .... but after the water gets cleaned up, I'm going to try again and do without one. I called the aquarium that I go to and they do have copepods .... so I can try putting those in my tank after the water turns green.

ok

I never thought about putting in competing algae ... I was thinking of getting an emerald crab .... but that was just an idea for something to eat the hairline algae. I will probably just put in some competing algae like you suggest.

tank is rather small for an emerald crab - ask the lfs if they would loan you one

It's a ten gallon tank (38 liter) and I have a juvenile domino damsel. He's a cute little critter, quite brave and enduring a lot of changes since I put him in the tank. The aquarium gave him to me to start the tank and I guess I will be taking him back in two weeks. I'm not sure what I'm going to get to replace him with.

blooming lfs - most cycle a tank fishless now, its an old fashioned way and crual - be care careful if their advice, might be the 'old' way!

I can keep you updated here, though it will probably be a week before I try to add the copepods. (So you think that they can eat the water borne algae?)

ok

I am using a powerhead (koralia nano) to move the water. My lighting is a 6500k 26 watt fluorescent bulb which I'm probably going to stick with. I have a 40 watt 10000k, 460nM Current USA fixture (50/50) that I ordered on line that I'm going to try for a few days just to see how things look. I'm reluctant to keep it since I'm not sure I'm want to have coral in my tank.

keep us updated

Seffie x

 

[nano_reef_ubergeek]

Here are two photos:

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[seffieuk]

Stef - sorry for thread hi jack



NRU

You have a lot of hair algae?

Seffie x

 

[nano_reef_ubergeek]

well, maybe it is getting out of hand. I will ask the LFS about loaning me the emerald crab.

I did cycle the tank before I added the domino ... it ran for two weeks with just the live rock. The people at the aquarium thought that I needed a hardy fish like a clown fish or a damsel for my first fish.

The water is still kind of cloudy even with the filter running. The interesting thing about the filter is that the nitrates have started to go up a little bit (from 5ppm to 7.5 ppm) after having been stable for more than a week's time.