copepods vs. amphipods...help please =)

alright so I decided to take the route of the bucket-o-pods from packleader and try to get a culture going so I can seed my tank w/ copepods....i ordered the copepods from piece-of-the-reef from ebay and I can say I am quite satisfied except I'm not sure where are the copepods are at cause I know I can usually spot them. In a thread i read last week i think I remember someone commenting that amphipods predate on copepods? Is this true?! cause i see plenty of amphipods in the bucket....also another quick ?...will tigger pods live in saltwater tanks cause I hear some people say the water is to warm & they will only live a couple days while others say they have seen tiggerpods in the tank even a few weeks after seeding...anyone got any good answers to these ?s

 

Copepods are very small. While not doubting your eyes, I know I have to be looking under magnification to spot most copes. Piece of the reef includes multiple species of both, which is really nice. All are tropical species, and having the multiple species increases the chance that one or more will constantly be going through a breeding "bloom".
As for tiger pods. Well. I would stick with what you currently have

 

There are amphipods that prey on copepods, they also make great food for the tank. I have read that Tiger pods can be dangerous, not sure myself as O haven't had an issue getting pods to thrive in my tanks.

 

alright...thanks guys...karma for both =)

 

i have tigger copepods in my tank i got a bottle of about 3000 to put in my tank
i see no problem with them they seem to act like normal copepods they are just red which makes them easier to spot (way easier compared to a couple regular pods mixed in)

they do fine in warm water, they will live for awhile unless eaten by fish
they live twice as long at fridge temp though but i dont worry about it because they breed like crazy

 

alright thanks...i may have to give tigger pods a shot & just see what happens to make a call for myself

 

Do be careful with Piece of the Reef's bag of pods. They do have isopods in their culture, as well as copepods and amphipods. When I bought a fuge pod starter kit from them, I found some huge isopods (they looks like rollie pollies) with the usual amphipods. I also received a couple porcelin crabs and a bivalve as well. I pulled out all the huge amphipods, crabs and clam but left all the isopods in a container to die. It wasn't worth the risk of having parasitic isopods in my tank.