cocopods

I was wondering how long does it take to get cocopods in a tank. And how will I know if I have any?
I have my tank up 8 months and I haven't seen any as yet.

 

If none came in on your liverock or other stuff as hitchhikers, and you haven't added any, then you may never have them. They don't just spontaneously appear. You need mommy and daddy copepods first ;D.

 

copepods come in on live rock or buy adding them manually. to get a god population it could take a couple of months or longer if predators(fish) are eating them. the best way to get them to grow is have a safe place where fish cant eat them, such as a refugium or a small stack of rocks in the tank

 

k i was thinking on the right track but I wasn't 100% sure.

 

like can you use a small boddle or a jar to breed them in

 

it would be best to have what ever you grow them in a part of your system and also they like to eat algae.

 

I just bought a bottle of them (8oz) and it was 14 bucks. It feeds my shrimp and balances the food chain in my tank, so I think it's worth it.

 

I see my at night with the tank lights off, you can see them scurring about the bottom of the the live rock and on the sand bed...

 

It takes a little while, but they'll settle down and reproduce. Pretty soon if you have no predators of them you'll have more than you know what to do with.

 

Do copepods swim? I saw tons of what I assume are copepods swimming around near the rear entrance of my mantis's den.