Feeding phytoplankton question

[Oilers]

I've just picked up some copepods at a local LFS today and was told that I need to feed the copepods phytoplankton as well. I have read that I need to turn off my return pump and skimmer during feeding. Is that true? Also, how much do I need to feed? I was told to feed 3 times a week at about 5 mL for every 10 gallons. I just need some confirmation if that's correct since I don't want to overfeed which can cause an algae bloom in my tank. Thanks a bunch.

[asylumdown]

Are you trying to culture the copepods, or did you just add them to your tank?

I never do anything to feed the pods in my tank other than feed the fish, and my system is crawling with at least 5 species of them. Phyto is something that some people swear by, but I don't think there's a hard and fast rule for x ml to x gallons. It depends on what in your tank is consuming it, and the cell density of you phyto solution.

But if you're feeding that tank anything else, the phyto might not be necessary at all. I've always seen pods as something that develops inevitably in a system whether you want them or not. Even if you start with all marco rock and sterile sand, the first piece of LPS or SPS with base rock you add to your tank is going to bring them in with it.

[Oilers]

Are you trying to culture the copepods, or did you just add them to your tank?

I never do anything to feed the pods in my tank other than feed the fish, and my system is crawling with at least 5 species of them. Phyto is something that some people swear by, but I don't think there's a hard and fast rule for x ml to x gallons. It depends on what in your tank is consuming it, and the cell density of you phyto solution.

But if you're feeding that tank anything else, the phyto might not be necessary at all. I've always seen pods as something that develops inevitably in a system whether you want them or not. Even if you start with all marco rock and sterile sand, the first piece of LPS or SPS with base rock you add to your tank is going to bring them in with it.

I just want to add copepods to the tank so the mandarin I just picked up wouldn't starve but I was told that the copepods need food as well; hence the phyto. I have never used phyto before but I've read that it also provides some other benefits so I thought I try it out.
I have no idea what the cell density of my phyto solution is. Maybe I should ask Ken at BWA since that's where I got the culture from.

[asylumdown]

They might not know, the reason I mentioned cell density is that not all phyto solutions are created equal, and not every drop is going to have the same amount of phyto in it. How dark is the solution when you mix it up? I've seen some phyto solutions that look like green water that you can still see through, and others that look almost black when you shake it up. The darker the solution, the more algal cells in suspension.

With a mandarin, long term success will hinge on you getting it to eat frozen foods, the sooner the better.

[somewherebeyondthesea]

I would try Red Coral they have high density phyto and they sell tigger pods if you want to start a colony for your mandarin. I put a tigger bottle about once every 1-2 months to keep my mandarin hunting. :biggrin:

[denny_CC]

youve been told right , basically if you add all the bottle at once you are feeding your corals and fish , if you want to raise them youll need to do it outside of the display , so a fuge or sump area.

dose the pods, feed live phyto immediately afterwards, then feed phyto when ights out again.

i feed 2 oz a day , 1 in the morn and 1 at night.


i dont agree that keeping a mandarin longterm is based on getting it to eat frozen , they starve long before " long term " kicks in, keeping a mandarin longterm is making sure it has enough food be it live or prepared....either way long term is eating period, whatever you need to do.


fwiw i have 3 mandarins in a 75g cube i dose pods and feed live phyto daily.....if you keep up with it your tank is going to be riddled with pods of different types, not only the ones you dose as phyto feeds them all....sponges and coral too!!

[Oilers]

They might not know, the reason I mentioned cell density is that not all phyto solutions are created equal, and not every drop is going to have the same amount of phyto in it. How dark is the solution when you mix it up? I've seen some phyto solutions that look like green water that you can still see through, and others that look almost black when you shake it up. The darker the solution, the more algal cells in suspension.

With a mandarin, long term success will hinge on you getting it to eat frozen foods, the sooner the better.

The solution is green but you can still see through.

[Oilers]

youve been told right , basically if you add all the bottle at once you are feeding your corals and fish , if you want to raise them youll need to do it outside of the display , so a fuge or sump area.

dose the pods, feed live phyto immediately afterwards, then feed phyto when ights out again.

i feed 2 oz a day , 1 in the morn and 1 at night.


i dont agree that keeping a mandarin longterm is based on getting it to eat frozen , they starve long before " long term " kicks in, keeping a mandarin longterm is making sure it has enough food be it live or prepared....either way long term is eating period, whatever you need to do.


fwiw i have 3 mandarins in a 75g cube i dose pods and feed live phyto daily.....if you keep up with it your tank is going to be riddled with pods of different types, not only the ones you dose as phyto feeds them all....sponges and coral too!!

Thanks for the info. Denny. Did you get my last PM about the package? I haven't heard back from you or Dawn so I am wondering if we still have a deal or not.

[daniella3d]

They do need phyto to thrive. After I started to feed live phyto a few times per week to feed my clams, I saw a huge bloom on the copepods population. They were all over my glass and before that I could not see any on my glass. So yes I think it makes a big difference.

I just want to add copepods to the tank so the mandarin I just picked up wouldn't starve but I was told that the copepods need food as well; hence the phyto. I have never used phyto before but I've read that it also provides some other benefits so I thought I try it out.
I have no idea what the cell density of my phyto solution is. Maybe I should ask Ken at BWA since that's where I got the culture from.

[asylumdown]

hmmm, you're all making me want to dose phyto again.

[kien]

In four years of running my tank I have never dosed phyto. I seem to be able to maintain an adequate pod population to feed my three pipefish and mandarin as that is all they have ever eaten for the past two years that I've owned them. I also do not have a 'fuge. Just lots of porous live rock where I can see them congregate at night. Anyway, just sharing my experience with pods and pod eaters :-)

[91Atrac]

I like dosing or feeding the tank with it. Haven't seen any troubles from it either. Won't sps pick them from the water? Chalices and such like that wouldn't mind it either. To small maybe?