Apocyclops copepods are the perfect live feed solution for aquarists looking to enhance the health and vibrancy of their aquatic life. Slightly larger than Tisbe copepods yet smaller than Tigriopus copepods, these medium-sized organisms are known for their characteristic jerking motion in the water column. This natural movement actively attracts smaller fish, encouraging consistent feeding behavior and ensuring optimal nutrition.

Nurtured on an 11-strain blend of phytoplankton and fed twice daily, our Apocyclops copepods are shipped with live nanoalgae in each bottle, guaranteeing they arrive in peak condition. Female Apocyclops lay eggs every 4 to 6 days, making them an excellent choice for aquarists interested in cultivating their own sustainable live feed.

Key Benefits of Apocyclops Copepods

• High Protein Content: A superior source of protein for fish, promoting growth and vitality.
• Natural Algae Control: Voracious appetites help reduce nuisance algae in reef aquariums.
• Sustainable Harvesting: Weekly harvesting is possible due to their rapid egg-laying cycle.
• Attracts Fish to Feed: Unique jerking motion stimulates natural feeding instincts.
• Optimal Shipping Conditions: Includes live nanoalgae to ensure copepods arrive healthy.

Enhance Your Reef Ecosystem

Whether you’re supporting the dietary needs of smaller fish or looking for a natural solution to algae control, Apocyclops copepods are a versatile and beneficial addition to any reef aquarium. With their ability to thrive in diverse environments and their unmatched nutritional profile, these copepods are an essential component for maintaining a balanced and thriving aquatic ecosystem.

Tisbe biminensis copepods are small, nutrient-packed organisms that serve dual purposes in your reef aquarium. Not only are they excellent live feed for fish like mandarins and gobies, but they also act as an efficient cleanup crew. These bottom-dwelling copepods love hiding in rocks, making them difficult for small to medium fish to consume quickly. Their high nutritional content, derived from live phytoplankton, ensures your aquatic life gets the best possible diet.

When culturing Tisbe pods, they thrive on phytoplankton and require consistent feeding to maintain a healthy population. Whether you’re using a small vessel like a 1-gallon mason jar or a larger setup, these copepods can be a sustainable and rewarding addition to your aquarium ecosystem.

Key Features and Benefits

• Nutritional Powerhouse: Tisbe copepods are loaded with nutrients, making them an excellent live feed for fish.
• Bottom-Dwelling Cleaners: They naturally clean your reef aquarium by consuming detritus and hiding in rocks.
• Moderate Production Cycle: Harvesting is possible every 2-3 weeks, ensuring a steady supply.
• Culturing Tips: Feed 4-5 times weekly or twice daily in smaller vessels to prevent cannibalism within the culture.
• Freshly Packed: Each 8-ounce bottle contains thousands of pods, packed fresh the week of shipping.

See Your Pods Before You Buy

We take pride in delivering the freshest Tisbe biminensis copepods. If you’d like to see this week’s harvest before placing your order, simply send us a text or email. We’ll provide a video of the bottles packed for shipping, so you know exactly what to expect.

The 3 Pod Blend is the best way to kickstart your aquarium’s ecosystem or give your copepod population a much-needed boost. This blend includes three of the most popular and effective marine copepods—Tigriopus californicus, Tisbe biminensis, and Apocyclops copepods—each offering unique benefits for your reef aquarium. Whether you’re seeding a new tank or refueling an existing one, this blend ensures a balanced and thriving environment for your aquatic life.

To maximize the reproduction and health of your copepods, we recommend feeding live phytoplankton 2-4 times a week. With proper care, your copepod populations will flourish, providing ongoing nutritional benefits for your fish and contributing to a cleaner, healthier reef.

What’s Inside the 3 Pod Blend?

• Tigriopus californicus:
  Large red copepods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, perfect for picky eaters like butterflyfish and mandarin gobies. Known for their jerking motion that stimulates feeding, these pods can double or triple in population within 5-6 weeks of regular feeding.
• Tisbe biminensis:
  Small, bottom-dwelling copepods that act as a natural cleanup crew, consuming detritus and hiding in rocks. They are highly nutritious and ideal for smaller fish. Harvesting can begin within 2-3 weeks of culturing.
• Apocyclops copepods:
  Medium-sized copepods known for their jerking motion in the water column, enticing smaller fish to feed. These copepods reproduce rapidly, with females laying eggs every 4-6 days, making weekly harvesting possible.

Key Benefits

• Balanced Ecosystem: A mix of copepod species ensures a diverse and thriving aquarium environment.
• Nutritional Powerhouse: Loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and other essential nutrients for fish.
• Natural Algae Control: Tisbe and Apocyclops copepods help reduce nuisance algae.
• Sustainable Culturing: Easily culture your pods in a 1-gallon vessel or larger for a continuous supply.
• High-Density Bottles: Packed with pods, ensuring you’re buying live copepods, not just water.

Bottle Sizes and Aquarium Coverage

• 8 oz: Seeds 30-50 gallon aquariums.
• 16 oz: Seeds 60-120 gallon aquariums.
• 32 oz: Seeds 120-220 gallon aquariums.
• 64 oz: Seeds 230-400 gallon aquariums.

Culturing Tips

If culturing these pods together, Apocyclops may eventually dominate due to their faster reproduction rate. Ensure regular feeding of live phytoplankton to maintain a healthy and balanced culture.

The 2 Pod Blend is the perfect choice for seeding your aquarium or replenishing your copepod population. This blend includes Tisbe biminensis and Apocyclops copepods, two complementary species that contribute to a healthy and thriving reef ecosystem. Whether you’re looking for a natural cleanup crew or a nutrient-rich live feed for your fish, this blend has you covered.

Culturing these pods together is simple and rewarding. However, over time, Apocyclops may dominate the culture due to their faster reproduction rate. To maintain a balanced population, we recommend regular feeding of live phytoplankton 3-5 times per week.

What’s Inside the 2 Pod Blend?

• Tisbe biminensis:
  Small, bottom-dwelling copepods that are excellent as a cleanup crew. They consume detritus and hide in rocks, making them hard for small to medium fish to eat. Tisbe copepods are highly nutritious when fed live phytoplankton and can be harvested in 2-3 weeks when culturing.
• Apocyclops copepods:
  Medium-sized copepods that are slightly larger than Tisbe. They exhibit a jerking motion in the water column, enticing smaller fish to feed. Apocyclops reproduce rapidly, with females laying eggs every 4-6 days, allowing for weekly harvesting.

Key Benefits

• Nutritional Powerhouse: Both species are rich in nutrients, ideal for fish like mandarins and other smaller species.
• Natural Algae Control: Tisbe copepods help reduce nuisance algae while acting as a cleanup crew.
• Easy Culturing: Apocyclops reproduce quickly, ensuring a sustainable live feed supply.
• Balanced Ecosystem: A mix of bottom-dwelling and free-swimming copepods supports a healthy aquarium environment.

Culturing Tips

When culturing these pods together in a 1-gallon vessel or larger, Apocyclops will eventually dominate due to their faster reproduction rate. Ensure consistent feeding of live phytoplankton to maintain a thriving culture.

Brine shrimp grow fast and will reach adults within 2 weeks of arriving. We use Brine Shrimp Direct EZ shell hatch eggs, meaning you won’t have to worry about shells in the bottle or about your fish getting shells stuck in their digestive tract. 

Chlorella vulgaris is a fast-growing, nutrient-dense microalgae that is ideal for culturing and supporting the nutritional needs of your reef aquarium. With spherical cells ranging from 2-10µm in diameter, this non-motile strain thrives with minimal care, requiring only a light source and CO2 to multiply rapidly. Its rich nutritional profile makes it an excellent choice for sustaining copepod cultures and enriching your reef ecosystem.

To achieve a dense, vitamin-loaded culture, we recommend feeding Chlorella vulgaris with FAF F/2 or Fritz F/2 nutrients. Our recommended feeding regimen includes 2ml of each part of Fritz F/2 or 5ml of Florida Aqua Farms F/2. This ensures your culture remains healthy, vibrant, and packed with essential nutrients.

Key Features and Benefits

• Nutrient-Dense: High in protein, fats, and essential nutrients, including chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-b.
• Rich in Vitamins: Contains vital vitamins such as A, B1, and B3, promoting overall reef health.
• Rapid Growth: Multiplies quickly with minimal care, requiring only light and CO2.
• Ideal for Culturing: Perfect for sustaining copepod cultures and enriching reef aquariums.
• Recommended Feeding: Use FAF F/2 or Fritz F/2 for a dense, nutrient-rich culture.

How to Use

For optimal results, feed your Chlorella culture:

• Fritz F/2: 2ml of each part per culture.
• Florida Aqua Farms F/2: 5ml per culture.

Boost Your Reef Ecosystem

Chlorella vulgaris is an essential addition for aquarists looking to enhance the nutritional profile of their reef aquarium. Its rapid growth, minimal care requirements, and high nutrient content make it a staple for culturing and supporting a thriving aquatic environment.

Porphyridium cruentum is a bright pink-red microalgae that is both hardy and easy to grow, making it an excellent choice for aquarists and aquaculture enthusiasts. Known for its unique fatty acids, lipids, and polysaccharides, this strain is highly valued for its ability to enhance the red coloration in filter feeders such as marine rotifers and copepods. Its high concentration of phycoerythrin and zeaxanthin (carotenoids) makes it a powerhouse for color enhancement and overall health.

To maintain a thriving culture, higher airflow is critical to prevent clumping and culture crashes. This strain thrives at 1.023 salinity and performs exceptionally well when fed Fritz F/2 fertilizer. Its resilience and nutrient density make it a staple in the aquaculture community.

Key Features and Benefits

• Rich in Color-Enhancing Pigments: Contains phycoerythrin, zeaxanthin, and chlorophyll for vibrant red coloration.
• Nutrient-Dense: High in ALA (Alpha-linolenic acid), EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid), and sulphated polysaccharides.
• Antioxidant-Rich: Packed with antioxidants to support overall health in aquaculture systems.
• Hardy and Easy to Grow: Thrives with proper airflow and regular feeding, making it suitable for beginners and experts alike.
• Aquaculture Applications: Ideal for boosting red colors in filter feeders like rotifers and copepods.

Culturing Recommendations

• Salinity: Maintain at 1.023 for optimal growth.
• Fertilizer: Feed 2ml of each part of Fritz F/2 fertilizer per culture volume.
• Airflow: Ensure higher airflow to prevent cell clumping and culture crashes.
• Shipping: This strain ships well with UPS 2-day delivery, ensuring it arrives in excellent condition.

Bring Vibrancy to Your Reef

Porphyridium cruentum is more than just a red algae—it’s a nutrient-packed, color-enhancing powerhouse for your aquaculture needs. Its unique properties, including sulphated polysaccharides and high antioxidant content, make it a valuable addition to any reef aquarium or aquaculture system.

Rhodomonas lens is a highly sought-after strain of phytoplankton, known for its ability to enhance the vibrant colors of corals and fish. Packed with phycoerythrin, this strain is a staple for aquarists looking to intensify the hues of their reef inhabitants. When fed to live feed such as rotifers, brine shrimp, and copepods, Rhodomonas lens delivers unmatched nutritional and pigment-boosting benefits.

To ensure the best results, this strain requires immediate attention upon arrival. We recommend setting up your culture the same day it arrives to activate our 3-day guarantee. Proper lighting and nutrient management are critical to maintaining the red pigmentation and avoiding stress-induced color changes.

Key Features and Benefits

• Color-Enhancing Pigments: Contains phycoerythrin, which intensifies the natural coloration of corals, fish, and live feed.
• Nutrient-Rich: Ideal for enriching rotifers, brine shrimp, and copepods.
• Lighting Recommendations: Thrives under 6k light with supplemental blue and red spectrum lighting.
• Stress Sensitivity: Without proper nitrogen or care, the strain may shift from red to green. The green version is carbohydrate-rich but lacks the desired pigments.
• Backup Storage: Keep an extra bottle in the fridge as a precaution to maintain a stable supply.

Culturing Recommendations

• Nutrients: Use Fritz F/2 two-part fertilizer for optimal growth.
• Lighting: Provide a 6k light source with blue and red spectrum for supplemental lighting.
• Environment: Maintain proper nitrogen levels and avoid stressful conditions to prevent color shifts.
• Backup Cultures: Grow 2-3 cultures simultaneously and store an extra bottle in the fridge for emergencies.

Important Shipping Information

Rhodomonas lens requires overnight shipping to ensure its viability. Set up your culture immediately upon arrival to activate our 3-day guarantee. If properly maintained, this strain will provide consistent pigment-enhancing benefits for your reef aquarium.

Nanochloropsis Japanese Chlorella is a darker, high-density strain of chlorella that offers exceptional nutritional benefits for culturing pods, rotifers, and nauplii. With spherical cells between 2-10µm in diameter, this non-motile microalgae multiplies rapidly and requires minimal care, making it an excellent choice for aquarists and aquaculture enthusiasts. Rich in protein, fats, and essential nutrients, this strain supports robust growth and colonization in live feed cultures.

When culturing rotifers, this strain has proven to deliver superior results, promoting faster growth and healthier populations. Its darker pigmentation and higher cell density provide enhanced nutritional value compared to regular chlorella strains.

Key Features and Benefits

• Nutrient-Dense: High in protein, fats, and essential nutrients, including chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-b.
• Rich in Vitamins: Contains vitamins A, B1, and B3 to support the growth of nauplii and rotifers.
• High Cell Density: Darker pigmentation and denser cells compared to standard chlorella strains.
• Rapid Growth: Multiplies quickly with minimal care, making it ideal for aquaculture systems.
• Enhanced Rotifer Growth: Promotes faster growth and colonization in rotifer cultures.

Culturing Recommendations

• Fertilizer: Feed 2ml of each part of Fritz F/2 or 5ml of Florida Aqua Farms F/2 per gallon of culture volume.
• Applications: Ideal for feeding pods, rotifers, and nauplii to sustain healthy live feed populations.
• Care Requirements: Requires minimal care for rapid multiplication and consistent results.

Boost Your Live Feed Cultures

Nanochloropsis Japanese Chlorella is a premium choice for aquarists seeking a high-density, nutrient-rich microalgae to enhance their live feed cultures. Its superior nutritional profile and ease of maintenance make it an essential addition to any aquaculture setup.

Dunaliella tertiolecta is one of the fastest and easiest phytoplankton strains to grow, making it an excellent choice for beginners. Its forgiving nature and rapid growth rate allow for high-density cultures with minimal effort. This strain thrives in various conditions and can even handle higher salinity levels as water evaporates, eliminating the need for frequent top-offs.

While Dunaliella is easy to manage, proper handling is necessary to prevent contamination of other phytoplankton strains. With its resilience and adaptability, this strain is perfect for aquarists looking to start their first phytoplankton culture.

Key Features and Benefits

• Fast Growth: One of the quickest-growing phytoplankton strains, perfect for dense cultures.
• Beginner-Friendly: Ideal for those new to culturing phytoplankton due to its forgiving nature.
• High Salinity Tolerance: Thrives in higher salinity levels, reducing the need to top off evaporated water.
• Versatile Application: A reliable option for enriching live feed like rotifers and copepods.
• Minimal Maintenance: Simple to grow and maintain, even in less-than-ideal conditions.

Culturing Recommendations

• Fertilizer: Feed 2ml of each part of Fritz F/2 per gallon of culture volume.
• Salinity: Start with a salinity of 1.023 for optimal growth.
• Care Tips: Handle carefully to avoid contaminating other phytoplankton strains.

Why Choose Dunaliella?

Dunaliella tertiolecta is the go-to phytoplankton strain for aquarists seeking a fast-growing and low-maintenance culture. Its adaptability to salinity changes and its ability to grow dense cultures make it a reliable and efficient option for supporting your aquarium’s live feed needs.