Tigriopus Pods
Tigriopus Pods
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Each 16 oz. bottle contains 4,000+ copepods; half-gallons contain 16,000+, and gallons will have over 32,000 pods.
Live 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.
Pods 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.
The largest species of copepod we offer is the Tigriopus californicus. This live copepod species is a pelagic, or free-swimming, copepod. The large size and peculiar swimming motion of the Tigriopus make it easy to catch and are perfect for feeding your coral and fish. Live copepods are a great natural reef aquarium food for your fish and corals.
Satisfaction Guarantee
We'd like you to be the judge - if you aren't satisfied, email us and we'll make it right. No forms, no hoops to jump through, no fuss!
There are approximately 15 ounces of liquid in each 16-ounce Reef Snacklebox™ bottle; we intentionally leave an air pocket so the animals can breathe in transit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does phyto live in the fridge?
If kept refrigerated and gently shaken every couple of days, phyto will live for 3-4 months.
Will phyto survive shipping?
Yes! Phyto will easily survive a week or more in the mail. Just refrigerate it once you receive it to ensure maximum shelf life.
If for any reason your phyto arrives spoiled, it will have a rotten egg/sulfury smell. Just let me know and I'll replace it for free. Your satisfaction is my absolute top priority!
Is live phyto better than "preserved"?
Absolutely. Both "frozen" and "preserved" mean the phyto cells are dead. They are still nutritious, but you lose some of the benefits of having live phytoplankton.
Uneaten dead phytoplankton pollutes your tank, turning into ammonia and ultimately nitrate/phosphate. Uneaten live phytoplankton, on the other hand, continues to grow and multiply in your aquarium. As the live phyto multiplies, it actually removes excess nitrates and phosphates from your water!
Additionally, some microfauna such as rotifers are only able to use about 35% of the nutrition in "preserved" phyto, versus 100% of the nutrition in live phytoplankton.
(Source: Hoff's Phytoplankton Culture Manual, Sixth Edition)
What is phyto?
Phytoplankton is the very first link in the ocean's food chain. Corals and other microfauna such as zooplankton eat the phyto. Both corals and fish will eat the zooplankton and continue the food chain.
Adding phyto to your reef ensures maximum diversity of life, and replicates the conditions found on natural coral reefs.
How much live phyto should I dose?
My suggestion is to start with 5 mL of live phyto per 10 gallons of tank volume, dosed daily. After two weeks, increase that to 10 mL per 10 gallons, dosed daily.