I’m sure you’re familiar with the saying, “it’s the little things that matter.” While we typically assign this to behaviors of others, when it comes to reefing, this statement carries a different tune.
It’s easy to get caught up in the bigger elements of reefing. From choosing the perfect tank to ensuring your filtration system is optimized for your unique microcosm, many novice reefers focus on the bigger picture. While it’s important to understand how these bigger devices and overarching concepts impact the health of your aquarium, most are nothing more than the stage in which the performance is played.
If this is true, then who are the actors in this production?
Author:
As a lifelong aquarist, Yuliya has an endless curiosity about our underwater universe. After graduating with a bachelor’s in Environmental Engineering, she transformed her passion into a successful career. While working at the Institute of Environmental Protection in Moscow, her passion for saltwater and reef aquariums only increased. Moving to the United States in 2013, Yuliya embarked on another impactful journey by sharing her unprecedented experience for all aquarium hobbyists ... Read More.
Interestingly, the stars of this show aren’t the coral or various pieces of equipment needed to establish a healthy tank. While you may think that your SPS coral, aquascaping design or the newly installed skimmer take front-and-center, the real celebrities aren’t what you see.
Life in your aquarium is smaller than you realize.
Several weeks ago, I was speaking with a group of novice aquarists. While they had a solid understanding of major reefing topics, they seemed more concerned about the bigger elements of reef keeping. Subjects like lighting, coral species and substrate materials dominated the conversation. Each of these topics are important to understand, absolutely, but within this conversation I noticed a trend.
Reefers are easily distracted by the larger components of building their microcosm.
Unfortunately, getting caught up in these overarching subjects leaves little room for just that: the little elements of marine life.
Here’s something you must always remember:
Life begins at the microscopic level. Even the largest of filtration systems are used to maintain this invisible balance tank life requires to flourish. So while it’s easy to get caught up in the high-tech gadgets and visually stunning growth of coral, as soon as you take your mind off the unseen universe within your tank, you’re putting all your hard work at risk of failing.
From nutrient export methods to choosing the best reef salt mix for your tank, the most impactful components of reef keeping tend to focus on the smallest of elements. After all, our goal as reefers is to replicate the brilliance of natural reefs, which as you know, is rich in both visible and microscopic life.
Whether you’re simply thinking about starting a journey in reef keeping or have already taken the steps to establish a tank, now’s the time to readjust your focus. Although there’s literally hundreds of topics that align with this subject matter, let’s start with one of my personal favorites: copepods.
Defining Copepods: What Are They?
Without a doubt, copepods are some of the most intriguing crustaceans you’ll never see. Throughout the years working with both fresh and saltwater aquariums, this is one of the few planktonic critters found in almost all types of salinities.
Essentially, copepods are tiny crustaceans found in almost any location where there’s water. From the deepest corners of our oceans to the highest mountain lakes, this critter is literally everywhere. In the saltwater world, copepods play a direct role in the overall aquatic food chain.
In the wild, such as in natural coral reef colonies, copepods impact the local inhabitants by ensuring the food chain remains strong for both small and large creatures. Since copepods live their entire life in the water column, they’re an essential food source for marine inhabitants, such as coral and fish.
Copepods, which is a generic term used to describe this incredibly large family, feed on a variety of food sources, but are quite fond of microalgae. This, as it turns out, is exactly why corals and other invertebrates find copepods to be so delicious.
As these nearly invisible crustaceans feed on microalgae, they become rich with its fatty acids. Along with being a widespread food source, copepods provide a steady source of essential fatty acids for corals, invertebrates and fishes like the mandarin goby. Think of copepods as an easy way to boost coral and fish nutrition. And when I say easy, just wait until we discuss just how easy copepod seeding is for any tank.
In fact, many reefers feel copepods is the ultimate feeding hack. And in many ways, I don’t disagree.
Cornucopia of Copepods - My Favorite Types.
Considering these minuscule crustaceans live basically anywhere there’s water, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s more than handful of species/types. However, only a select few are recommended for your reef tank. Let’s take a brief look at some of the most common copepod species used in reef keeping. Keep in mind, this isn’t a conclusive list.
Tigriopus Californicus.
When brainstorming this list, I decided to stick with the copepod species I currently use and personally recommend. As mentioned above, this isn’t a conclusive list. But if you’re new to the realm of copepods, the species included in this list are considered the hardiest and easiest to control.
Topping this list is a Harpacticoid Copepod, Tigriopus californicus. Most commonly found in supralittoral tide pools in along the Pacific coastline, T. californicus exist in areas that are traditionally inhospitable for most marine life. What this means for the aquarist is a hardy copepod species. Due to its resilience, this species is fairly sturdy against water parameter shifts and other stressful aquatic situations.
Because of its incredible adaptability to its surroundings, even less-than-perfect aquarium chemistry balance won’t have a detrimental impact on its population. Ultimately, this means not having to worry about accidentally killing your entire copepods population.
Personally, my go-to source for T. californicus copepods is Polyp Lab. What I appreciate about this supplier is their dedication to swift and stable aquarium seeding. While larger than other copepods, Polyp Lab chose this size to increase the likelihood of creating a self-sustaining population. I definitely recommend checking out this supplier.
Tisbe Biminiensis.
Also categorized as a harpacticoid copepod, T. biminiensis is another ideal copepod for any reef aquarium. In the wild, this species populates tropical and subtropical regions. As an epifaunal crustacean, meaning it prefers living on the surface of stones, macroalgae and sediment, they tend to form massive colonies.
Found in such dense populations, it’s no surprise this species is the primary food source for many tropical fish and coral. What I really enjoy about this species is how productive they are. Within a controlled environment, like an aquarium, it’s not impossible to achieve staggering densities of 20,000 copepods per liter of water. While their lifespan is surprisingly quick, they make up for that in their population density.
For the aquarist, T. biminiensis is, in many ways, the ideal food source. We’re always looking for the cheapest, easiest and least impactful on water parameters food sources. When you consider the nutritional profile, seamless population growth and maintenance ease, this copepod species is an obvious choice.
So, where do source this species? You guessed it, Polyp Lab wins again. Their T. biminiensis cultures are, in my opinion, some of the best in the marketplace. Like their other products, inoculating your reef aquarium or refugium is a breeze. As the smallest copepods found in most reef tanks, they’re ideal for SPS corals. However, we’ve found that fish, such as mandarins and dragonettes, love to get their fill on these invisible crustaceans.
Cultivating Your Private Biome - Refugium and Copepods.
In many ways, a refugium is the life source for a reef aquarium. It’s easy to toss this “tank-within-a-tank” concept as nothing more than a way boost microorganism life. But if you really think about their purpose, or more importantly, their potential, it’s easy to see why so many aquarists contribute their overall success to this life-rich tank.
When it comes to copepods, your refugium plays an important role.
One of the biggest concerns when it comes to growing your own food sources is having a growing population literally consumed faster than it expands. However, by leveraging the separate growing room offered by a refugium, copepod populations can explode without the threat of being over-consumed. Essentially, think of a refugium as a dedicated grow room.
Since the refugium and display tank are connected, as the copepod population rises, they literally overflow into the display tank.
This offers a steady incoming supply of copepods for inhabitants to consume, while simultaneously reducing the frequency of copepod seeding. After all, the population will never fully be consumed.
If you aren’t already, I highly recommend installing and leveraging the potential of a refugium or a chaeto reactor.
What About the Chaeto? Our Preferred Copepods Housing Hack.
Before moving forward, I think it’s beyond important to talk about our dear friend, the chaeto reactor.
This goes without saying, refugium tanks are really cool and serve a distinct purpose in reef keeping. However, for the sake of transparency, our systems leverage a different tool. While there’s nothing wrong with using a refugium, obviously, in my opinion the chaeto reactor is ideal for growing a healthy copepod population.
There’s two reasons why I prefer this setup over a refugium:
Much easier to setup and maintain.
The interior container, where the macro algae grows, is the perfect living quarters for pods.
Okay, so the first reason is purely subjective toward those who already use a chaeto reactor. FYI, if you’re looking for an awesome reactor, I recommend checking out the Pax-Bellum ARID N18, it’s seriously cool.
The main reason you should consider this setup is because of its ease. Since copepods enjoy feasting on algae, what better place to house this tiny population than in a dedicated algae grow container? Not only does this encourage healthy reproduction levels, but as water flows from the reactor and into the display tank, copepods happily tag along.
Copepod Curiosities - Quick Tips for Success.
While I could go on about the benefits and unique characteristics of copepods, there’s enough of that online. At this point, you’re probably ready to begin your copepod adventure. Even though copepods are some of the easiest natural, living reef tank food sources, it’s not error-proof.
Here’s a brief collection of tips and hacks to help you get started:
Build a Refugium Condo. Okay, maybe not a giant condo, but most of the issues reefers face when trying to establish a copepod population are circumvented with a refugium. Notably, copepods grow best with ample algae access, but too much algae is a no-no for a display tank. A refugium gives copepods all the nutrients they require, which include algae and detritus, without compromising your display tank.
As soon as you receive your copepods, divide them between your refugium and display tank. Improve their chances of survival by placing a few crushed fish pellets or phytoplankton in their new home. If the copepods were refrigerated during shipping, don’t introduce them into your refugium until they’ve thawed and have reached room temperature. Be aware, if they were frozen it may take a little while for these little critters to reanimate.
If using a culturing container, be sure to regularly feed copepods with free-swimming phytoplankton and microalgae. Because the copepod species you’ll likely use prefer tropical waters, be sure that your culturing container temperature stays between 22-27 degrees Celsius.
Supercharging Coral Feeding - Copepods Final Thoughts.
As a reefer, it’s my job to not only ensure corals and fish have a solid foundation to grow, but that their nutritional requirements are met. While this is easier than ever before, thanks to advancements in food sources and supplements, there are some elements even modern technology can’t beat. Few topics reflect this as clearly as copepods.
What’s your experience with copepods? Are you just now starting to learn about this natural food source or have you been a fan for years? Head on over to our Facebook page and leave us a comment or send us a message with your thoughts and questions. As always,
Happy Reefing!
by Yuliya Ivanova for ReefHacks.
Featured photo by Kat Masback / CC BY-SA 2.0