Finally Seeing Copepods

[Rcpilot]

I knew I had copepods because I bought some really nice cured rock from a local reefer a little while back. But, I hadn't seen any until recently. A few weeks ago, I saw a few in my refugium.

Today, the walls of my refugium are just covered in copepods.

So, will they get blown out of the refugium and into the tank? I know most fish will eat them.

Do I want to stir the water in my refugium? Or slosh the cheato around to knock them loose and hopefully get a few of them into the overflow where they will end up in the tank?

Or, just let them be?
Will they eventually get into the overflow on the refugium and get "naturally" deposited into the tank over time?

Edit:
I got fresh coraline growth too. Spotted it on my skimmer plumbing and on one of my rocks. It's pinkish/purple in color and crusty like hard water stains that won't rub off.

[Bifferwine]

The pods will eventually spill over into your main tank on their own. Make sure that you have any filter sponges or pads removed from your return pump. Those pads are designed to trap any large particles trying to pass through, and will trap any copepods headed up to your tank.

[Rcpilot]

No sponges in the way. It's a HOB refugium. The powerhead pulls water from the tank and into the refugium. It's a simple overflow back into the tank. Nothing stopping those little copepods from entering the overflow and taking the slide to their death.

Thanks

[fishbait]

congrats on having bugs in your tank! (to a non-reefer this would sound like an extrememly strange conversation, huh) if you are seeing them in youre fuge than you can bet your last dollar that they are in the tank too. it's the only way they could have gotten into the fuge, unless you bought some live pods and dumped them in.

[Rcpilot]

Nope, I know they were hitching on some live rock I bought from a local reefer. So, you are right, they came from the tank. Thats the only way they could have got in there. I'm surprised they made it past the powerhead impellor. That must be sorta like a high-speed revolving door.

[fishbait]

hehe. those little buggers are sneaky. heck, i thought some we on the kitchen table the other night. flipped on the lights, found out my daughter just left a cookie on the table, it was only piss ants!

[hibye]

wont the pump spin the prepeller and kill the bugs

[d.french]

nope, hang on fuge are awesome for pods, i got one, the best way to get a bunch is go to a buddy's house or local reefer and get some chaeto from his fuge and you will have tons more like copepods, isopods, amphipods, mini starfish, mini brittle starfish. I could seed a tank with lots, especially spaghetti worms, bristle worms, going to get some stomatella snails tonight from a buddies house they breed alot in tanks and are great to have.

[hibye]

i breed cops,brine,and feather dusters in mine its a crappy in tank though from drfoster and smith

[d.french]

my hang on fuge has tons of small feather dusters, i could grab out hundreds to seed another fuge with, good natural filter feeders, natural filters the best.