Why do we need Copepods in a reef tank setup?
Copepods are a critical component of any reef and marine tank setup. Just about every inhabitant in a reef setup will look/hunt for pods. They provide protein/lipids to fish/coral that off the shelf flake food just cannot compete with. Copepods not only feed your fish and coral but they take care of the dirt work. Copepods will feed on algae, detritus, and general waste which helps convert nitrates and phosphates into positive energy within your reef system. Here at Florida Reef Labs we have perfected our culture processes with these live foods so we could make them readily available through subscription or individual purchases and even provide fast, safe and guaranteed shipping!
When do you need to dose copepods?
You can Never have too many copepods in your tank, there is always room for more! Copepods self-regulate populations so if they did manage to get to plague proportions they would die off until only a stable population remains, or they are consumed by inhabitants so WIN WIN. You should add them early in any reef setup (as soon as the tank is stable and has cycled) before too much life is present in a new build so they can establish their own “communities”. These guys are work horses, they will feed on film algae and other algae growth 24/7.
How do we keep Copepod populations healthy?
Dosing phytoplankton 2-3 times a week will help keep your copepods highly nutritious. You also always want a high nutrient system as coral benefit from that but also your copepods do as well as they will be working on the waste/food that gets into the small places and not taken away by mechanical filtration.
by Florida Reef Labs
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