{"title":"Live Copepods \u0026 Amphipods","description":"\u003cp\u003eLive copepods are one of the key elements to a healthy and stable reef tank. Copepods eat enormous amounts of detritus and nuisance algae, getting into the tiny cracks and crevices where ordinary clean-up crew can't reach. They also serve as a highly nutritious food for your coral and fish - especially mandarin gobies or dragonettes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen you buy copepods or buy amphipods from Dinkins Aquatic Gardens, you give your reef tank a major biodiversity boost, and you'll get our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/dinkins-delivery-guarantee\" title=\"Live Delivery Guarantee\"\u003eDinkins Delivery Guarantee\u003c\/a\u003e on every order.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow many copepods do I need to buy? How often should I add copepods to my reef tank? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/what-size-should-i-buy\" title=\"Guide for buying live copepods for a mandarin or reef tank\"\u003eCheck out our guide for buying copepods here\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"tisbe-copepods","title":"Live Tisbe Copepods (Single Species)","description":"\u003cp\u003eLive copepods are a fantastic way of adding biodiversity to your reef aquarium. They serve as members of your cleanup crew, eating detritus and improving water quality. In addition, their small size makes them excellent at getting into the tiniest crevices in your live rock and eating waste inaccessible to snails or crabs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePods are also the only food some picky fish will eat; examples include mandarins, pipefish, and some wrasses. These fish generally won't eat anything but live food, and copepods are their preferred menu item! Your corals also love to eat copepods, which helps them gain the nutrients they need to grow and maintain optimum health.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTisbe copepods are the smallest of the three types of copepods we stock. Tisbe pods are nocturnal, which helps protect them from predation (allowing them to build a robust, self-sustaining colony in your tank). Adults of this species prefer to live in your live rock and on your glass, eating detritus all night. Mandarins, in particular, love to eat Tisbe pods. Live copepods are a great natural reef aquarium food for your fish and corals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuy With Confidence\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eShopping for live goods online can be stressful, but we use best-in-industry \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/shipping-for-survival\"\u003eshipping practices\u003c\/a\u003e such as biodegradable styrofoam boxes, checking your weather and including heat\/ice packs as needed, and sending all orders with UPS two day shipping. If anything goes wrong, we have your back with our completely hassle-free, no-questions-asked \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/dinkins-delivery-guarantee\"\u003eDinkins Delivery Guarantee\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eDon't take our word for it - check out our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/judgeme_reviews\"\u003ereviews section\u003c\/a\u003e to see what other reefers are saying!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dinkins Aquatic Gardens","offers":[{"title":"16 Ounces","offer_id":48284823617636,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"32 Ounces","offer_id":48284823650404,"sku":null,"price":59.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Half Gallon (Equals 4 Bottles)","offer_id":48284823683172,"sku":null,"price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"One Gallon (Equals 8 Bottles)","offer_id":48284823715940,"sku":null,"price":169.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0778\/5018\/1732\/files\/live-tisbe-copepods-single-species-9292487.png?v=1780011043"},{"product_id":"reef-snacklebox-copepod-blend","title":"Reef Snacklebox - Three Species Blend of Live Copepods","description":"\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Reef Snacklebox is a dense blend of three species of live copepods to feed your fish and corals while also providing balance and stability to your reef. The live copepods included in each Reef Snacklebox - Tisbe, Apocyclops, and Tigriopus - eat nuisance algae and detritus. In certain cases, they are even known to consume other harmful microfauna (Tisbe copepods can eat certain strains of harmful dinoflagellates).\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003eLive copepods are incredibly small but pack a significant punch. The Reef Snacklebox, when combined with our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/products\/live-phytoplankton-blend\"\u003elive phytoplankton\u003c\/a\u003e, creates the basis for your reef's food chain. Your reef requires a strong foundation of live copepods and other microfauna in order to be stable, healthy, and vibrant over the long term. Biodiversity is key to successful reefing, and the Reef Snacklebox is a crucial component.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAs tiny as they are, live copepods are also powerful members of your clean-up crew. Their small size enables them to reach the tiny crevices in your rock that snails and urchins can't get to. They eat leftover fish food, detritus, and algae that settle in those spaces, which in turn contributes to lower nutrients in your reef tank.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003eLive copepods such as the ones found in our Reef Snacklebox are also necessary to keep certain types of fish such as mandarin gobies, dragonettes, and pipefish.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuy With Confidence\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eShopping for live goods online can be stressful, but we use best-in-industry \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/shipping-for-survival\"\u003eshipping practices\u003c\/a\u003e such as biodegradable styrofoam boxes, checking your weather and including heat\/ice packs as needed, and sending all orders with UPS two day shipping. If anything goes wrong, we have your back with our completely hassle-free, no-questions-asked \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/dinkins-delivery-guarantee\"\u003eDinkins Delivery Guarantee\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eDon't take our word for it - check out our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/judgeme_reviews\"\u003ereviews section\u003c\/a\u003e to see what other reefers are saying!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Dinkins Aquatic Gardens","offers":[{"title":"16 Ounce Bottle","offer_id":48284823879780,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"32 Ounces (Two Bottles)","offer_id":48284823912548,"sku":null,"price":69.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Half Gallon (Equals 4 Bottles)","offer_id":48284823945316,"sku":null,"price":99.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gallon (Equals 8 Bottles)","offer_id":48284823978084,"sku":null,"price":169.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0778\/5018\/1732\/files\/reef-snacklebox-three-species-blend-of-copepods-6442707.png?v=1780011064"},{"product_id":"amphipods","title":"Live Marine Amphipods","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEach order of amphipods contains roughly 75 amphipods. We no longer use the filter floss pictured in our image - each jar will contain one or more reef-safe nylon sponges.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLarger than copepods, amphipods are voracious detritovores - eating fish waste, leftover food, and some forms of nuisance algae. Due to their smaller size, they can easily get into hard-to-reach areas that your snails, urchins, and crabs can't reach. Amphipods can easily fit in the crevices of your rock, behind your corals, and in every nook and cranny. In fact, amphipods are benthic - meaning they live almost exclusively on surfaces. They spend nearly 24 hours a day crawling on your sand and rocks, eating all the stuff you don't want to be there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen it comes to picky fish and seahorses - amphipods are a favorite! Amphipods are large enough to easily see and hunt, and amphipods are highly nutritious. Finally, amphipods are a great boost to biodiversity. It's always a good idea to put as many species of helpful creatures in your tank as possible in order to consume resources that could otherwise be used by harmful pests. Amphipods fill this role beautifully, especially when combined with our other products.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote on Shipping\/Acclimation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmphipods are shipped in jars containing a reef-safe nylon sponge. Amphipods are strongly \"benthic,\" meaning they prefer a surface to cling to and they tend to burrow deep inside the sponge during shipping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe suggest adding all the water in the jar, and placing the sponge in the sump or tank for a couple days. After a couple days, the amphipods will have migrated out of the sponge in search of food, and it can be removed if you'd like.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease note that we intentionally fill the amphipod jars only about 1\/3 of the way full with water. If part or all of the sponge is out of the water, it's perfectly fine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuy With Confidence\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eShopping for live goods online can be stressful, but we have use best-in-industry \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/shipping-for-survival\"\u003eshipping practices\u003c\/a\u003e such as biodegradable styrofoam boxes, checking your weather and including heat\/ice packs as needed, and sending all orders with UPS two day shipping. If anything goes wrong, we have your back with our completely hassle-free, no-questions-asked \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/dinkins-delivery-guarantee\"\u003eDinkins Delivery Guarantee\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eDon't take our word for it - check out our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/judgeme_reviews\"\u003ereviews section\u003c\/a\u003e to see what other reefers are saying!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dinkins Aquatic Gardens","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48284824174692,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0778\/5018\/1732\/files\/live-marine-amphipods-7387592.png?v=1780443847"},{"product_id":"tigriopus-copepods","title":"Live Tigriopus Copepods (Single Species)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn most cases, we recommend customers purchase the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/products\/reef-snacklebox-copepod-blend\" title=\"Snacklebox three species blend of live copepods\"\u003eReef Snacklebox\u003c\/a\u003e as that provides maximum biodiversity and best meets the needs of most customers.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe largest species of copepod we offer is the Tigriopus californicus. Because they are large and like to bounce up and down off the substrate in your tank, Tigriopus easily get the attention of the fish in your tank. Because they tend to be hunted fairly quickly, Tigriopus don't tend to reproduce as well in your tank as our other copepods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are looking to seed your tank and increase biodiversity, we normally suggest the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/products\/reef-snacklebox-copepod-blend\" title=\"Snacklebox three species blend of live copepods\"\u003eReef Snacklebox™\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/products\/reef-snacklebox-copepod-rotifer-blend\"\u003e.\u003c\/a\u003e The Reef Snacklebox™ is an excellent way to prepare your tank for a mandarin, boost your cleanup crew, or fight nuisance algae, cyano, and dinos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, if you're wanting to periodically give your fish and corals a highly nutritious treat, Tigriopus pods are ideal!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuy With Confidence\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eShopping for live goods online can be stressful, but we use best-in-industry \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/shipping-for-survival\"\u003eshipping practices\u003c\/a\u003e such as biodegradable styrofoam boxes, checking your weather and including heat\/ice packs as needed, and sending all orders with UPS two day shipping. If anything goes wrong, we have your back with our completely hassle-free, no-questions-asked \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/dinkins-delivery-guarantee\"\u003eDinkins Delivery Guarantee\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eDon't take our word for it - check out our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/judgeme_reviews\"\u003ereviews section\u003c\/a\u003e to see what other reefers are saying!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dinkins Aquatic Gardens","offers":[{"title":"16 Ounces","offer_id":48284824207460,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"32 Ounces","offer_id":48284824240228,"sku":null,"price":59.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Half gallon (Equals 4 Bottles)","offer_id":48284824272996,"sku":null,"price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"One Gallon (Equals 8 Bottles)","offer_id":48284824305764,"sku":null,"price":169.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0778\/5018\/1732\/files\/live-tigriopus-copepods-single-species-3551633.png?v=1780011032"},{"product_id":"apocyclops-copepods","title":"Live Apocyclops Copepods (Single Species)","description":"\u003cp\u003eLive Copepods are a fantastic way of adding biodiversity to your reef aquarium. They serve as members of your cleanup crew, eating detritus and improving water quality. In addition, their small size makes them excellent at getting into the tiniest crevices in your live rock and eating waste inaccessible to snails or crabs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePods are also the only food some picky fish will eat; examples include mandarins, pipefish, and some wrasses. These fish generally won't eat anything but live food, and copepods are their preferred menu item! Your corals also love to eat copepods, which helps them gain the nutrients they need to grow and maintain optimum health.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApocylops are a little bit smaller and harder for fish to catch than Tigriopus. Combined with the fact that it is a prolific breeder, it is easier for Apocyclops to begin a self-sustaining colony in your tank. Young Apocyclops prefer to live in your rocks and eat detritus; as they grow into adults, they become free-swimming and make an excellent target for fish and corals. Apocyclops are prolific breeders and will quickly form a self-sustaining colony in your tank. Live copepods are a great natural reef aquarium food for your fish and corals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuy With Confidence\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eShopping for live goods online can be stressful, but we use best-in-industry \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/shipping-for-survival\"\u003eshipping practices\u003c\/a\u003e such as biodegradable styrofoam boxes, checking your weather and including heat\/ice packs as needed, and sending all orders with UPS two day shipping. If anything goes wrong, we have your back with our completely hassle-free, no-questions-asked \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/dinkins-delivery-guarantee\"\u003eDinkins Delivery Guarantee\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eDon't take our word for it - check out our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/judgeme_reviews\"\u003ereviews section\u003c\/a\u003e to see what other reefers are saying!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dinkins Aquatic Gardens","offers":[{"title":"16 Ounces","offer_id":48284824338532,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"32 Ounces","offer_id":48284824371300,"sku":null,"price":59.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Half Gallon (Equals 4 Bottles)","offer_id":48284824404068,"sku":null,"price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"One Gallon (Equals 8 Bottles)","offer_id":48284824436836,"sku":null,"price":169.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0778\/5018\/1732\/files\/live-apocyclops-copepods-single-species-4825424.png?v=1779936611"},{"product_id":"build-your-own-snacklebasket","title":"Reef Snacklebasket - Create Your Own Mix-and-Match Combo Pack","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eBuild your own custom bundle and enjoy deep discounts on Dinkins Aquatic Gardens' flagship products. You can mix and match any combination of:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/products\/reef-snacklebox-copepod-blend\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReef Snacklebox\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e is a three species blend of live Apocyclops, Tisbe, and Tigriopus copepods which feeds your fish\/corals and serves as a micro cleanup crew for your reef.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/products\/live-phytoplankton-blend\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLive Phytoplankton\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e is a six species blend of green, brown, and red phytoplankton to enhance the vitality of your corals, filter feeders, and microfauna (such as copepods). Phytoplankton is also an excellent supplemental food for corals, enhancing their coloration and polyp extension.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/products\/snacklerock\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCycled \u0026amp; Seeded Snacklerock\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e is a great way to add biodiversity in your tank, since this live rock rubble has already been cycled with beneficial bacteria and seeded with live copepods. It provides a large amount of surface area for additional colonization.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/products\/clean-chaeto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClean Chaeto\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e comes seeded with copepods and amphipods, but is otherwise clean and is grown in closed systems which are free of pests. The specific variety of chaetomorpha we sell is unusually forgiving and easy-to-grow. Chaeto provides an absolutely ideal habitat for your smallest reef creatures, especially your pods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/products\/amphipods\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLive Marine Amphipods\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e eat a tremendous amount of detritus and algae, and provide some of the best nutrition available to your fish and corals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuy With Confidence\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eShopping for live goods online can be stressful, but we use best-in-industry \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/shipping-for-survival\"\u003eshipping practices\u003c\/a\u003e such as biodegradable styrofoam boxes, checking your weather and including heat\/ice packs as needed, and sending all orders with UPS two day shipping. If anything goes wrong, we have your back with our completely hassle-free, no-questions-asked \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/dinkins-delivery-guarantee\"\u003eDinkins Delivery Guarantee\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003eDon't take our word for it - check out our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/pages\/judgeme_reviews\"\u003ereviews section\u003c\/a\u003e to see what other reefers are saying!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fast Bundle","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48288613728356,"sku":"b1c7a089-83ce-4952-a936-83dec84473cc","price":88.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0778\/5018\/1732\/files\/reef-snacklebasket-create-your-own-mix-and-match-combo-pack-1504142.png?v=1780443847"}],"url":"https:\/\/dinkinsaquaticgardens.com\/collections\/live-copepods-amphipods.oembed","provider":"Dinkins Aquatic Gardens ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}