Rotifers and copepods

So, I was reading about rotifers and copepods, both as live food for fish and as a component of live sand and as a part of the cleanup crew of the tank. I was reading on here about how people culture them outside of their tank, and also in refugiums (refugia?), which is interesting in and of itself, but if one just adds rotifers and pods to their tank, will they multiply (and do cleaning duties, get eaten, and so on) on their own or will they suffer a mass extinction and have to be replenished regularly?

I don't have anything in the tank that I specifically feel needs copepods or rotifers for food, yet, but the way it sounds is like having them living in your tank makes your tank one step closer to be a complete ecosystem. Am I right in this?

I'm not quite ready to add a refugium this early in the game - I don't even know where I would put one if I did (do those hang on ones work well?) - though the idea does sound nice.

 

They are almost the start of the food chain.I have cultured rotifers before and see almost no use for them in a tank but maybe for the occasional feeding.The rots flurish in a low salanity 1.017 and typical reef is 1.025. Any swing in salanity greater than .007 will kill them instantly-osmotic shock. Copepods are better for an aquarium system because almost every fish will see them as a food source.As far as cleaning goes I wouldn't count on it.Good luck

 

Ok. I was reading a few articles saying that pods ate tiny particles of algae and food waste that were trapped in sand that the normal cleanup crew missed. Apparently those articles were all mistaken?

 

I by no means am saying they are mistaken.The amount that you would have to have to see a noticable difference would be incredible.The copepods will arrive on live rock and start to populate the tank as long as they have no major predators in there.To me from my experience rotifers would just be treat for the tank from time to time not worth culturing for.

 

Oh, I wasn't actually looking for a noticeable difference, that's what the snails are for. Just thought it would be nice to have something for the fish to scavenge for and allow them to use their natural instincts to nibble on that I didn't have to feed. ;D