Reef Nutrition's popular Tigger-Pods® (live Tigriopus californicus copepods) are cultured using our own nutritious marine algae in our biosecure facility. Tigger-Pods are attractive large red copepods that swim upwards with a stimulating, jerky swimming motion which is attractive to both fish and people. Finicky fish love them!
Tigger-Pods are perfect for culturing and restocking reeftanks & refugiums, as well as an excellent feed for fish, including mandarins and pipefish. They breed rapidly producing hundreds of eggs per female.
Tigger-Pods are great for...
- Propagation
- Increasing Bio-Diversity
- Restocking of Reef Refugiums
Care and Feeding
Copepods are relatively easy to care for and maintain. They feed primarily on microalgae and can be fed our phytoplankton-based product blends such as Phyto-Feast.
Copepods can live in your main tank, your refugium, or in a separate dedicated system. In your main tank, they will be eaten and depleted by your fish and corals. In your refugium they will thrive since there are no predators. Pods from your refugium can be periodically harvest and fed to your main tank.
Copepods like to remain inconspicuous, so they will prefer an environment with nooks and crannies. In your main tank they will hide in your live rock and gravel. In your refugium they will hide in your macroalgae and other plants.
Directions for Feeding while in the 6 oz bottle
If you are going to keep them in the bottles for an extended period, remove the lid to increase oxygen in the water and put them in a refrigerator between 34 and 40 F. At this temperature their metabolism will slow, and they require very little oxygen or food. Alternatively, store the bottle in a cool place with the lid removed and feed them 1 drop of Phyto-Feast every other day. This method is for short-term because of waste build-up in the bottle.
Directions for Feeding in a refugium
Add 1 TSP (5mls) of Phyto-Feast per 25 gallons of refugium water. For example: a 100 gallon refugium will receive 4 TSP (20mls). The uneaten algae will make its way up to the display where it will be available to zooplankton and other filter-feeders. Some customer feed this way every day, some feed more infrequently.
Longer Term Storage
Tigger-Pods can be stored in a refrigerator (33-42°F / 1-5°C) to slow down their metabolic processes, which will increase store shelf life.
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