Copepods where do you get them?

I have heard everyone talking about what a good self sustaining food source copepods are, but where do you get them? Do they spontaneously erupt from LR or is there a method to 'seed' them?

 

Yes, they do spontenously erupt! That's one of the advantages of good live rock. They will flourish if you have some place "fishless" for them to breed, life a refugium or even an overflow with some rubble in it. You can also buy pods in a bottle from some sources, but unless you VERY sterile rock, it's a waste of money because you already have them!

 

hi copepods can be purchased for your tank or sump, www.reefworks.co.uk

hope this helps you

 

It is totally amazing how many copepods I have in both my refugiums...some of them are so big I can almost put a saddle on them and ride them... These all appeared on their own, I never introduced any myself...

 

Pods are much more afordable at seapods.com
Here in RI they are $20.00 (3 miles from seapods company so no shipping)
The ones that you can see are not copepods

 

Agreed, seapods is a good, cheap source for copepods.

As for being able to see them, not sure what you mean by that because they are visible to the naked eye.

 

Copepods tend to be under 1/10 cm in size, very hard to see
Most people confuse them with Amphipods which can reach almost 1 cm

 

Thanks to all for the replies. Guess I'll get out my microscope and go hunting! ;D

Seriously, I'll give seapods a try. I want to get a good supply going when I setup my fuge.