chimera Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 PODS: Interesting, i didnt actually realise the size difference of pods and just how small copepods actually are... Diet: Copepods eat bacteria, diatoms, and other tiny, single-celled organisms in the water. Maxillae, maxillipeds and antennae push food towards the mandibles (jaws), which process the food. REF: http://seapods.com/ Interestingly a sponge is a breeding ground for pods. Keep one in the corner of your reef and they will breed in it. Rinse it out every couple of weeks to release the pods into the water. Might try keeping one in the fuge. DIATOMS: The skeleton of a diatom, or frustule, is made of very pure silica coated with a layer of organic material. This skeleton is divided into two parts, one of which (the epitheca) overlaps the other (the hypotheca) like the lid of a box or petri dish. Observe the diatom frustule below, in which the two halves have been pushed slightly askew ref: http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/oceanography-book/marinefoodwebs.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 well i know ive got tons of amphipods and isonpods but not sure on the copepods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puttputt Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 studied my refugium tonight and over the moon to find I've got mysid shrimp as well as amphipods and copepods. Things keep getting better and better............ I don't imagine they can get through the return pump to the display though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 I don't think I have any mysids. Quite a few amphipods though. Hard to say about the copepods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 I don't imagine they can get through the return pump to the display though? yes, but studies show over 98% are dead. still can be eaten though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostface Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 I dont imagine they would have much luck getting back through the return pump... anyone know if this is possible? I have amphipods and isopods in display tank, and have just got my hands on a decent size refugium [currently only running sump]. Wondering if there is much point trying to set it up if the pods will all get minced in the return..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Copepods will make it through without a problem. Bigger ones like amphipods would likely need a bigger pump, the spaces between the impeller will be too tight for an amphipod to be safe, I think. Something like a big spa pump impeller... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Wondering if there is much point trying to set it up if the pods will all get minced in the return..... yes still worth while as even a small percentage that survive is a good thing. consider setting up an upstream refugium instead. im planning on doing this at some stage soon: so only a portion of the water hits the refugium and the rest goes in the main tank. i will probably just use a 2 foot tank but load it with all the goodies for breeding pods (strong lighting, macro algaes, phytoplankton) not sure exactly where it will sit, to the side or on top. having planned that far yet the other good thing is it acts as a syphon break for the main tank too the hard part is working out what size piping to run to the fuge. it should be enough that water actually gets there but not too much that it interferes with the main tank flow or upsets the pods. i will then probably split my current 4 foot refugium downstairs into a macroalgae section and biological filtration (sand/lr) plus frag growout section. something like that anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 The pods will be more active in lower lighting / short photoperiod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostface Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Would like to do ref. above tank, but current setup dosent really allow for it. Next time Anyone have any thoughts on using local sand as sand base in refugium? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 yes, but studies show over 98% are dead. still can be eaten though. Complete Crap. Most of the life, if not all of it, will survive the transition throught the return pump. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puttputt Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 good to hear Pies, the main tank has lots of pods but I think the mysid came with the macro algae and would like to think some will make it through to the display. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 The pods will be more active in lower lighting / short photoperiod. on the contrary. i'll dig up a wwm article Complete Crap. Most of the life, if not all of it, will survive the transition throught the return pump. oh well, i guess its all down to what you read and what you believe. i've only read against, however here are two contradicing articles on pod survival through the return pump: For: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/amphipodfaqs.htm Against: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mandsysfaqs.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 thereefweb did a test on ehmiem, OR, IWAKI, ViaAqua etc. The results were all the same, survival rate was almost 100%. Not the most scientific test in the world, but proved that most of the life gets through alive. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 How was survival for larger stuff such as mysid shrimps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 im still not convinced on the survival. why do so many in the know highly recommend an uptream refugium over a downstream refugium? it makes sense as to why. "Many options here, but hang on is the easiest. Nope, your sump won't really substitute as a refugium, mainly because your return pump will blend all the beneficial pods on the way. Either use a small hang on model, or design a simple area which pods can breed without being subject to predation. (As I said, maybe a quart sized Rubbermaid with slits cut in the lid for circulation.)" perhaps both are true? eg: smaller pods such as copepods make it but larger pods such as amphipods/mysid etc dont? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 perhaps both are true? eg: smaller pods such as copepods make it but larger pods such as amphipods/mysid etc dont? Didn't I already say that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 How was survival for larger stuff such as mysid shrimps? From memory everything survived fine. There was a guy on the forum who sent a batch of clownfish fry (2 day, so still sac feeding) and said none suffered but it was not part of the study. Have you seen the inside of a pump? Plenty of room for pods of all sizes to fit in without getting squashed. No differed to being smacked by a wave or having a rock or something fall on you. Belive what you want in the end. I have a refugium bellow my tank, and I know it works fine. Proof is in the pudding. The top/hang on back jobbies are toys for smaller tanks when its impractical to anything else (e.g. tanks without sumps). i've seen a few tanks (angelreef being the most awesome example) who have both. But its from the 'reef nuts' who are obsessive in there setups. quoting random quotes from artciles found on-line doesn't carry much weight with me, the truth is you can search the internet to find information to support your arguement either way. However common sense is your most likley source of good advice. IMO. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 EXPERIMENT TIME: I just counted out 10 glass shrimsp from my 'bucket of shrimp'. I picked the smallest ones I could find, most between 2-3cm long. I turned the tap down on the return pump so only about 1/4 the normal amout of water is setn upstairs. Note the pump still spins at the same revoultion, just less water is being pushed through. I dumped all 10 of them in my sump, in the last compartment when the return pump sends water to the display tank upstairs. I raced upstairs to count whatever is comming out. I counted 8 live shrimps shot out of the sea swirls, alive. It is possilbe that 9 came out as I thought I saw one shoot out but got distracted by anotehr one, but confirm 8. 2 MIA, presumed alive but unhappy. Of the 8 that entered the tank, Mr Hawkfish has already eaten 4, and I think a cleaner shrimp ate one (or perhapps cleaned it a little too well). So there you have my own experiment. Your results may vary. Piezola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 Wow, I'd have thought they'd be far too big to make it through safely, reliably. Someone had a clown go through the return pump without a problem , though, don't remember where I read that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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