I want to use my spare Eclipse 6 tank for raising pods, brine, and mysis. Would it be alright to use the stock 12w bulb or should I get a better bulb? I plan to use a L/S bed with Chaeto.

Cloob...

I have NO problems growing caulerpa under the "stock bulbs". I do have one tank that also has Chaeto in it so I added a simple "clip lamp" type desk lamp with a 45W bulb to it. It seems that the Chaeto needed more light then the Caulerpa-weed :)

I any case, the ONLY thing(s) in the tank that need decent lighting are the macro algaes. Otherwise, I also have a dark refugium filled with rubble and sorts that hosts GAZILLIONS of pods.

Dave

Oh... and for what it's worth. I have found that you really need to set up individual systems for each type of culture you need. Many of these "bugs" you list will prey upon each other until, in the end, there is just a smallish population of just one type (typically gammarus amphipods). Mysis, for instance, will even eat their own!!

I have one tank for gammarus, one for munnid isopods, and another for mysid. The mysid is tough. Unless you have multiple tanks, and a largish operation, you reach a "maximum capacity" where the population just stops growing and they "cull" each other out. Some folks siphon babies from the system to start multiple cultures.

D

Thanks for the advice, The pods are the main thing I'm after to feed my twin spot goby. Right now I'm seeing if he will survive on Cyclopeeze. Some people have said there pod tanks do really well with the mysis and brine since the pods will eat them.