Copepods

Another Newbie Question: Are copepods the tiny white barnacle looking
things that coat the rocks, etc? (That's what the guy that I bought the
tank from told me.)

Then I'm looking at this:

http://www.reed-mariculture.com/copepod/

And, they appear to be a free floating insect like creatures.

Reason I ask is that my Mandarin Dragonnet isn't looking very good. (It
was also beaten up by a damsil). As far as I can tell, all the white
crustations on the rocks (which it was eating) are gone.

--Kurt

KurtG wrote:

Another Newbie Question: Are copepods the tiny white barnacle looking
things that coat the rocks, etc? (That's what the guy that I bought the
tank from told me.)

They could be, if they move.

Then I'm looking at this:

http://www.reed-mariculture.com/copepod/

And, they appear to be a free floating insect like creatures.

They walk on the rocks.

Reason I ask is that my Mandarin Dragonnet isn't looking very good. (It
was also beaten up by a damsil). As far as I can tell, all the white
crustations on the rocks (which it was eating) are gone.

You need a refugium to keep them supplied.

Mike

wrote:
They could be, if they move.

Definitely not then. These are calcified to the rocks.

Hm, I wonder what other mis-information I accepted without questioning.
No wonder he wanted to sell his tank. I know he added a trigger to a
reef tank and ended up with limited live stock.

btw, I was able to get the mandarin to eat frozen brine shrimp. Poor
thing must be starved. It should hold him for a few days until the
copepods show up.

--Kurt

I have had 2 mandarin dragon without a happy ending.
The first one I added too soon for pods to develop.
The second one also die even when there were what I think was a substancial
population of pods.
(Now I have pods running free at nightime on my tank. Somehow my other fish
doesn't seem to eat them).

That fish needs special care when it come to eating and usually finish
starving themselves. They are known to be very picky eaters, wanting only
live food, however, you can try pellets, put them on a container where
bigger fish can't eat it first.
(I read that either on Melev or Don Geddis website, he was able to feed his
dragon this way)

It worths a shot.

Sometimes, as we learn, mistakes are made, unfortunately at others
expense(fish). And everyone here have had some losses.

Good Luck.

Ruben


"KurtG" wrote in message
...

Another Newbie Question: Are copepods the tiny white barnacle looking
things that coat the rocks, etc? (That's what the guy that I bought the
tank from told me.)

Then I'm looking at this:

http://www.reed-mariculture.com/copepod/

And, they appear to be a free floating insect like creatures.

Reason I ask is that my Mandarin Dragonnet isn't looking very good. (It
was also beaten up by a damsil). As far as I can tell, all the white
crustations on the rocks (which it was eating) are gone.

--Kurt

Copepods are in a subclass of its own. They vary in shapes and forms but
most of them are not easily seen with the bare eye.
There are also Amphipods and Isopods which occur in great numbers in
aquariums and are, in most of the cases, beneficial.
No, if it can be easily seen moving, there is a 99% chances they are not
copepods.
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/crust/amphigal.html
http://www.tolweb.org/Isopoda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copepod
iy

"KurtG" wrote in message
...

Another Newbie Question: Are copepods the tiny white barnacle looking
things that coat the rocks, etc? (That's what the guy that I bought the
tank from told me.)

Then I'm looking at this:

http://www.reed-mariculture.com/copepod/

And, they appear to be a free floating insect like creatures.

Reason I ask is that my Mandarin Dragonnet isn't looking very good. (It
was also beaten up by a damsil). As far as I can tell, all the white
crustations on the rocks (which it was eating) are gone.

--Kurt

KurtG wrote:

btw, I was able to get the mandarin to eat frozen brine shrimp. Poor
thing must be starved. It should hold him for a few days until the
copepods show up.

I ordered some from
http://www.inverts.com/Merchant2/mer...Store_Code=CRA

$17.50 for a 4 oz. bottle, plus $15.00 shipping.

My situation is a bit different. I thought I had enough pods established, so I
ordered a Mandarin. My wife works near the store, so I sent her down to pick it
up when it came in. The store owner was on the phone, the kid bagging fish put
two in the bag, and Elisabeth didn't know any better. So I ordered some pods and
hope they'll co-exist ok. So far, one stays on the left end of the tank, and the
other one tends to roam. There are brief fireworks when he/she roams over to the
left end (which is to be expected). Neither one seems to be losing or gaining
weight.

George Patterson
Forgive your enemies. But always remember who they are.

Inabón Yunes wrote:
Copepods are in a subclass of its own. They vary in shapes and forms but
most of them are not easily seen with the bare eye.

Wilkepedia says they run 1 to 2 mm in size. That's easily visible with the bare
eye, but you *would* need a microscope to see all the little appendages and be
sure it's a copepod.

George Patterson
Forgive your enemies. But always remember who they are.

Your gonna be surprised at how many pods a mandarinis capable of
eating in short order.

I have a mandarin in a 10 gal tank by itself. Yep thats not a typo
either and its been in there for over a year now and doing fine. Its
never been fed anything that I put into the tank like brine etc on a
routine basis. On occasion I may add some brine shrimp and I have seen
it pursue them, but its main diet has been copepods. Unfortunately
the majority of mandarins die within a short period of time from
starvation. I have thought about putting this guy in a larger tank for
some time now, but its doing just fine for over a year so why mess
with it.


On Sun, 17 Dec 2006 21:55:03 -0500, KurtG
wrote:

wrote:
They could be, if they move.

Definitely not then. These are calcified to the rocks.

Hm, I wonder what other mis-information I accepted without questioning.
No wonder he wanted to sell his tank. I know he added a trigger to a
reef tank and ended up with limited live stock.

btw, I was able to get the mandarin to eat frozen brine shrimp. Poor
thing must be starved. It should hold him for a few days until the
copepods show up.

--Kurt



-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!

Tristan wrote:
Your gonna be surprised at how many pods a mandarinis capable of
eating in short order.

I have a mandarin in a 10 gal tank by itself. Yep thats not a typo
either and its been in there for over a year now and doing fine. Its
never been fed anything that I put into the tank like brine etc on a
routine basis.

That's great news for me, if I understand you correctly. Your 10 gallon tank
maintains an adequate supply of copepods for one mandarin? Then my 125 gallon
with ~130 pounds of live rock should be capable of supporting two. Is there
anything special you're doing, other than having a bunch of live rock in there?

George Patterson
Forgive your enemies. But always remember who they are.

Tristan wrote:
Unfortunately
the majority of mandarins die within a short period of time from
starvation.

Not on my watch. g