cope pods in freshwater, problems?

[markstrimaran]

I have been reading about killing pods on salt water tanks. What about freshwater?
Also with a ufs, will the bubbles keep the cope pods away ? Vs a waterfall scrubber.
Thank for any help.

[SantaMonica]

There are not nearly as many big pods that grow in FW, so it's not really as important. The pods live in the calmer areas, of which there are many in any kind of scrubber.

[DC Steve]

Do pods grow spontaneously? Or if you want some pods do you have to buy them or get some from someone else? I would like to foster them to provide another food source for my goldfish.

[SantaMonica]

Welcome.

They grow by themselves. But to be big enough for goldfish, you'd have to grow amphipods in saltwater. Just don't use freshwater to clean the scrubber, and watch for larger things that might eat the amphipods, like fireworms.

[DC Steve]

I just got a HOG 1x for a 40 gallon tank with two 5-inch (with fins) goldfish. It has a coarse sand substrate with cryptocorynes, which they harass but don't kill. I also have two HOB filters with biological media. If things work they way I anticipate, I'll probably get another UAS and ditch the HOBs. When I start getting a good growth of hair algae, can I just feed it back to the fish, pods and all? Would that defeat the whole purpose of the scrubber?

[DC Steve]

Also, I'm going away for a week. I'm giving them a large vacation feeder block, but they will not be getting the over-indulgence in Repashy Soilent Green they usually get. Will this reduction in nutrients set back the HOG 1x?

[markstrimaran]

Do pods grow spontaneously? Or if you want some pods do you have to buy them or get some from someone else? I would like to foster them to provide another food source for my goldfish.

Trisops, will get 1.5" in fresh water, it's living fossil, that can be cultured from dry eggs. Probable not very practical.
I have a lot of bugs in my tank, from importing hitchhicker, from local river sand, and lake rocks.

[SantaMonica]

Growth from a scrubber can certainly be fed. Many fish learn how to pull the growth out of the holes, and of course you could enlarge the holes to increase that. And ammonia created by them goes back into new growth. At some point though you need to harvest, unless the goal is self-feeding.

[DC Steve]

Many thanks, SantaMonica.

Steve

[markstrimaran]

Trying to Id, Freshwater micro bugs, about the size of an aphid. This is the juvenile. The adult can fly, but they can only go a few inches at a time. Water skipping is what it appears.