Lazy’s Pod Porridge

[lazylivin]

Culturing Tisbe Reef Pods using Pod Porridge

Items needed

• 5g Bucket
• Saltwater
• Tisbe Pods (available from Lazys Coral House)
• Pod Porridge (available from Lazys Coral House)
• Sieve (available from Lazys Coral House)

Water:

Any marine salt mix is fine to use. I recommend using salinity from 1.016 to 1.026. Usually start with lower salinity knowing that water will evaporate over a couple weeks raising salinity. Tip: Avoid using water from your reef tank to culture pods. It has lots of organisms that can compete for food. 

Preparation

Fill a 5g bucket approximately ¾ of the way full of saltwater and add Tisbe Pods. If you would like to add aeration you can but not required. If you do, avoid using an air stone that creates fine bubbles which can damage the pod. Larger bubbles at a slower rate is best.

Temperature:

Tisbe Pods can survive in temperatures from 35F – 105F. For culturing purposes room temperature is fine. No need to add a heater.

Feeding:

This is the most critical item to be successful. The better the food the denser the population, leading to sensationally higher harvest numbers. I use Lazy’s Pod Porridge. It is a complete food mix which will result in incredibly high yields. You can use phytoplankton however in my experience it does not perform as well. Pod Porridge is powder form. A pinch of the powder can be placed in a small mixing container with lid. Add a little water and shake vigorously. Pour the mix into the 5g bucket. Feed 1x-3x a week.

Harvesting:

Harvesting Pods is easy. Simply pour the water from the 5g bucket through an artemia sieve. I like to use a small pitcher to scoop water from the bucket and slowly pour through the sieve over the sink. Note the bottom of the bucket will have the highest density of pods. Frequently the last 32oz of water will contain the majority of the pods.