For initial stocking of live copepods in reef aquariums, use 1 bottle per 30 gallons of total system volume including sump and refugium. Mandarin dragonfish require higher copepod densities—stock 2-3 bottles for a 75-gallon reef tank to support their feeding habits. Copepods reproduce rapidly in established reef systems with live rock and macroalgae, creating self-sustaining populations. Maintenance dosing of live copepods every 2-3 months supports fish that eat copepods like mandarins, seahorses, and anthias.

Mixing multiple copepod species in reef tanks is highly recommended for biodiversity. Benthic copepods like Tisbe biminiensis inhabit live rock and sand beds, while free-swimming copepods like Apocyclops panamensis and Acartia tonsa populate the water column feeding corals. Harpacticoid copepods (Tisbe, Tigriopus californicus) stay in substrate, while calanoid copepods (Acartia, Parvocalanus) swim freely. Using 2-3 complementary copepod species provides comprehensive reef nutrition and establishes diverse populations throughout your marine aquarium ecosystem.

Tisbe biminiensis copepods are the best species for mandarin dragonfish because they're small harpacticoid copepods that reproduce rapidly and inhabit rockwork where mandarins hunt. Parvocalanus crassirostris is excellent for seahorses and pipefish due to its small size and free-swimming behavior. Tigriopus californicus works well for training picky eaters to frozen food because of its large size and bright orange color. For comprehensive reef feeding, combine small benthic copepods (Tisbe) with free-swimming species (Apocyclops, Acartia) to feed both fish and corals simultaneously.

PodDrop ships live copepods in actively feeding cultures with live phytoplankton, not sterile saltwater like most commercial copepod bottles. Our copepods are harvested fresh daily from our licensed Arizona aquaculture facility and arrive alive with multiple life stages—adult copepods, juveniles, and nauplii. Store-bought copepod cultures often contain dead copepods or copepods stressed from long shelf storage. Fresh live copepods establish breeding populations faster in reef tanks and refugiums compared to older bottled copepods from aquarium stores.

Copepods establish permanent self-sustaining populations in reef tanks with refugiums containing live rock, macroalgae like Chaetomorpha, and stable water parameters. Harpacticoid copepods (Tisbe, Tigriopus) reproduce every 2-3 weeks in optimal conditions. Cyclopoid copepods like Apocyclops panamensis breed continuously in refugiums with adequate phytoplankton food. Maintain copepod populations by dosing live phytoplankton weekly, avoiding copepod predators in the refugium, and providing surface area through live rock rubble. Well-maintained refugiums produce thousands of copepods monthly for continuous reef nutrition.

Live copepods ship Monday through Wednesday only from our Arizona facility to avoid weekend carrier delays. All copepod orders include insulated shipping boxes with ice packs for temperature control during 2-day transit. Orders $55+ receive free insulated 2-day shipping. We harvest copepods fresh the morning of shipment and pack them in actively feeding cultures with live phytoplankton to reduce shipping stress. Our live arrival guarantee covers any copepods that don't survive transit—contact us within 2 hours of delivery with photos for immediate replacement of dead copepods or full refund.