How to Cultivate Copepods & Amphipods
Copepods and amphipods are tiny crustaceans that live in all types of aquatic environments and are an important source of food for fish fry and other small water-dwelling creatures. They feed on phytoplankton and can withstand a wide range of environments, surviving in both salt and fresh water. Copepods are smaller than amphipods and are usually flat with antennae and a whip-like tail used for locomotion. Amphipods are comma shaped and are more easily seen than copepods.
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Things You'll Need
- Small fish tank
- Flexible airline tubing
- 2 gang air valve
- Acrylic lid with air tube holes
- Rigid air tubes tall enough to stick out the top of the lid
- Small air pump
- Phytoplankton
- Starter culture with copepods and amphipods
Instructions
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1
Fill the aquarium about halfway with water.
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2
Cut the flexible airline tubing into three sections, one shorter and two longer. Connect the shortest section of the airline tubing to the air pump then to the 2-gang air valve.
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3
Connect the other two lengths of flexible airline tubing to the two valves on the 2-gang air valve and then to the rigid tubes.
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4
Slide the rigid tubes into the two holes on either end of the acrylic lid.
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5
Turn on the air pump and regulate the air flow until it is bubbling gently so that the air is circulating but does not cause much agitation.
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6
Place the tank in an area where the temperature will remain fairly steady at about 70 to 75 degrees F.
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7
Add phytoplankton to the tank until the water has a green hue.
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Check the acidity or salinity of the water in the copepod/amphipod tank and make sure it matches that of the tank they will be added to as feed.
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9
Add the copepod and amphipod culture to the tank once the two tanks match.
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Feed the copepod/amphipod tank with more phytoplankton when the water starts to clear. Well-fed copepods and amphipods contain more of the fatty acids that are beneficial to fish fry.
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