Cultivating Pods Without A Fuge Or Sump

[jonnyf84]

Hi all, first the basics,

125L tank,
24KG live rock,
Roughly 40 times turn over per hour,
1200 L per hour of that comes from a 20L capacity external filter with nothing in it but a few chunks of live rock,
V2 600 skimmer,
Established for 7 months,
Stocking: 1 lemon peel, 2 small regal damsels, 1 medium percula, 1 blood shrimp, 1 small sand sifter and from today, 3 turbos,
full of various softies,
3/4 - 1 inch sand bed (originally dry coral sand).

I'd like to start a pod population, i thought they would have established themselves by now after adding a small amount a couple of months ago but there's no visible signs so i'm guessing they'r all mince meat by now unless living secretly in the rock or sand bed.

I really want to avoid adding a fuge or sump if possible, would there be any way of successfully having a steady population either in the filter or the main tank?

Any ideas would be much appreciated,


Jonny.

 

[ben1987]

You can do it in just an normal container or large drink bottle.

you just need phyto, pods, air pump and container.

Mix some fresh salt water up...add the pods and dose with phyto so theres a green tinge to the water. keep adding a few drops of phyto to maintain colour and have the air pump on really gentle. 1 bubble every sec or so. Needs some light too, so either on a window ledge or something. usually a container is best with a larger footprint rather than hight

 

[jonnyf84]

thanks for that, so no heater and no sand or rock? I didn't know it was that easy. If possible though i would like to cultivate them in the tank so there's a steady stream, even better in my filter - would this be possible?

 

[jonnyf84]

If possible though i would like to cultivate them in the tank so there's a steady stream, even better in my filter - would this be possible?

bump

 

[lewiss]

Yes it is absolutely possible. This is what I did and I have huge pods that breed regularly. Build a mound that no fish can get into, and place a prawn under it. Buy some pods, put them onto the mound of rocks and some in the filter.

Watch your levels with te prawn, if things start to go bad, water change and change the prawn. I use a dead gonipora skeleton to protect my pods. If you can get something with small holes in then that should protect them. I didn't see my pods at first but everytime I clean the filter there's large adult pods in there.

Thats my experience anyway but Donya might be able to assist more as she knows all sorts about this type of thing!!

Sorry if this is short and doesn't make sence, just finished work at 2am, supposed to finish at 10pm!! And very tired!!

 

[jonnyf84]

Much appreciated thanks, i can definitely get a dead skeleton from work, just a matter of time, not to keen on putting a dead prawn in there though, i might just put a couple of skeletons in the filter as enough food should pass through for them. thanks again.

 

[lewiss]

Hahaha, well i dont blame you but as long as the prawn doesnt rot then you'll be fine. You can put the skeleton in the main tank -thats were mine is. My dead skeleton is that of a gonipora.