Adding/Storing Copepods

Copepods will not thrive in the small bottles that they are shipped in - the density is too high.  They also will not do very well if refrigerated.  Therefore, it is best to add them to the system or transfer them to a larger vessel as soon as possible.  To do so, open the shipping bottle and allow 20-30 minutes for the temperature to equalize.  Then transfer the pods from the bottle.

If adding the pods to a system, it is best to do so after lights are off.  If possible turn off the protein skimmer and minimize flow for 5-10 minutes.  If the system has a refugium, add most of the pods to the refugium where they can multiply and establish a population.  They can easily travel through the return pump without injury.

Creating some "pod piles" in the display tank will help protect the pods from predation.  A pod pile is a pile of small rocks that create an area (in the center of the pile) that cannot be reached by pod-hunting fish.  In a system with heavy predation, it may be necessary to occasionally add to the pod population with additional pods, but pod piles will help preserve the population.

If the pods will not be added to the system right away, they should be transferred to a larger vessel - possibly a partially-filled 5-gallon bucket.  An airline bubbling a couple of bubbles per second will be helpful.  They will also need some food.  Live phytoplankton is ideal, but dead phyto can be used as long as the water does not foul.  Add enough to tint the water.  If well maintained, the copepods will begin to grow and reproduce.