How Best to Increase Biodiversity?

I want to improve the biodiversity in my and my wife's tanks. They are both bare bottom and neither of us really wants more rock though we can add some rock or rubble to the sumps. An recommendations for the best way to give things a good burst of life?

 

bagged or packaged pods? just look up copepods tiger's and the other pods and google search it youll find vendors

 

Get some chaeto, it is usually full of little goodies, you just can not see them initially.

 

Thanks guys... pods are a good start and chaeto sounds promising, but I'm curious how much bang I'll get for the effort. I'm trying to add as big a variety of stuff as I can with as little permanent addition as possible. Whats a good source for well colonized chaeto for instance?

 

What kind of diversity? Small critters or bigger ones?

 

Small critters mainly. I've got a really nice clear tank going, but I feel like its very sterile. I'm not seeing the little stuff that appears. I think I went with too little live rock to start things up, but I don't want to just dump a bunch of rock in the tank. I'm looking for either a) the most bang for my buck on adding a little bit of rubble/grunge/mud etc., or b) a non-rock alternative.

 

Why don't you look at places like IPSF.com or Inlandaquatics.com

Another thought. Do you have a friend close-by with a {well-established} properly kept reef tank? Borrow one of their rocks for a month and then give it back.

 

great idea . maybee do a rock swap with a buddy i was amazed how well that works its hard to find a local who dont use tons of madications arround here thats my only worry you would have to do that with someone you trust . this just dont sound right lol

 

Do you have a refugium? If so, get chaeto algae from various established tanks.
My other recommendation was going to be IPSF.com. They have "sand starter" and plankton kits with all kinds of goodies in them. Not sure if garf.org still sells garf grunge or not, but it also has little critters.

We also got a diverse assortment of critters just from buying corals.

 

I like the barrowing the friends rock idea. Some pics of the tanks might help us.