Description
Galaxy Pods: The Best Just Got Even Better
Microcrustaceans such as amphipods, isopods, and copepods are a vital component of nearly every aquatic ecosystem on Earth from marshy roadside ditches to the deepest seas. Copepods (subclass Copepoda) are especially important, as they are the most abundant animal species on the planet and are a nutritious food source for diverse marine life. Often, multiple copepod species are present in complex habitats (e.g. tropical coral reefs) with each kind occupying its own special ecological niche. Much is the same in the artificial environment of a reef aquarium, which is why Galaxy Pods is one of the most important live zooplankton products that you’ll ever use.
All five copepod species in Galaxy Pods fulfill valuable roles in captivity. Each consumes detritus and film algae, boosting the efficiency of any clean-up crew. Their tiny young make an excellent meal for zooplanktivores such as corals while the adults are eagerly snatched up by small fishes such as dragonets, seahorses, anthias, etc. Because of each species’ differences in size and habit, this product “works” better than any one or two or three of the species contained therein. As in Nature, a balanced community of copepods such as those in Galaxy Pods promotes the normal movement of nutrients and food energy across the entire food web!
We strongly suggest using Galaxy Pods with our high-quality OceanMagik live phytoplankton blend to build and maintain a robust copepod population. For a complete reef food package that supports and nutritionally enriches your pods, use the Galaxy Pods Combo Pack with Phytoplankton!
Galaxy Pods:
Galaxy Pods contains a mix of five copepods that are selected to occupy every ecologic niche in your system. This unique product completes your clean-crew crew as well as satisfies every finicky zooplanktivore (mandarin, seahorses, anthias, corals, etc.). All pods in the Galaxy Pack are 100% viable and reproduce within a captive marine environment, living through their entire lifecycle in your aquarium.
Tigriopus californicus
Loaded with amino and omega-3 fatty acids, Tigriopus copepods make a nutritious meal for the pickiest fishes. These pods occasionally inhabit the water column and jerk around when they move, making them an easy target for your critters. Females can lay hundreds of eggs during their lifecycle. These harpacticoids contribute to your clean-up crew by consuming detritus and nuisance alga in your tank.
Tisbe biminiensis
Small and hardy, these harpacticoid copepods tend to inhabit the cracks and crevasses of live rock and macroalgae. Their secretive nature helps them to maintain lasting populations in marine aquaria. Like the above, Tisbe copepods add to your clean-up crew by consuming detritus, phytoplankton, and invasive algae in your aquarium; think of these guys as the smallest mouths in your food chain.
Apocyclops panamensis
Being slightly larger than Tisbe and slightly smaller than Tigriopus, these resilient copepods round out your tank’s zooplankton size range. Apocyclops is extremely nutritious with a very high amino acid and protein content. It reproduces quickly by laying eggs every 4-6 days–about twice the rate of Tisbe and Tigriopus! This cyclopoid spends much time in the water column, providing a continuous source of nutrition for seahorses, swallowtail angelfish, etc.
Oithona colcarva
This highly adaptable pod is a cyclopoid like Apocyclops but spends even more time in the water column. Oithona also feeds on smaller particles, consuming suspended items as minute as bacteria. Its nocturnal nature helps to prevent it from being completely decimated by hungry zooplanktivores.
Euterpina acutifrons
Hailing from the order Harpacticoida, the coastal dwelling Euterpina acutifrons is a non-selective herbivore loaded with a variety of proteins and amino acids that are perfect for bolstering health and longevity of fish and corals.
