Product Care Guides

Microworms

Works for all saltwater and freshwater copepod bottles — 5-species blends, Tisbe, Tig, Apo, Mandarin Mix, freshwater pods, XL pods.

1. Open the cap as soon as you receive the bottle. Let the copepods breathe for 1–2 hours at room temperature. This gives them fresh oxygen after transit.
2. Check your pods. Place a flashlight under or behind the bottle. You’ll see tiny white specks — those are your copepods. Different sizes mean different species. Larger ones tend to settle at the bottom; smaller ones may swim mid-bottle.
3. Prepare your tank. Turn off your return pump, protein skimmer, powerheads, and UV sterilizer. This prevents pods from getting killed by equipment before they can find hiding spots.
4. Gently swirl the bottle to resuspend the pods, then pour into your tank — near live rock, your refugium, or areas with good hiding spots. For best results, add pods at night when fish are less active.
5. Leave equipment off for 30–60 minutes so the copepods can settle in.
6. Feed your pods. Dose live phytoplankton regularly (2–3 times per week) to keep your copepod population growing. For freshwater pods, use freshwater phytoplankton.

Pro tip: If you have a refugium with chaeto, pour some pods directly into the refugium. This gives them a safe breeding ground away from fish. A Pod Hotel also gives pods a safe place to breed in your display tank.

Saltwater bundles: 5-Species + Phyto · Mandarin Starter Kit · Refugium Starter Kit · Ultimate Cleanup Crew

Freshwater bundles: FW Copepods + Phyto · FW Copepods + Daphnia Mix · Ecosystem Starter Pack

Works for all freshwater daphnia cultures.

1. Open the cap and let the culture breathe for 1–2 hours at room temperature.
2. Gently swirl the bottle — daphnia settle to the bottom during shipping. You should see them swimming once resuspended.
3. Adding to your tank: Turn off filters and pumps, pour in the culture, and leave equipment off for 30–60 minutes.
4. Feeding a colony: If you’re maintaining a daphnia culture rather than feeding them directly to fish, dose freshwater phytoplankton or chlorella every 2–3 days. Daphnia are filter feeders and need green water to thrive.
5. Don’t refrigerate. Daphnia are active swimmers and do best at room temperature.

Best for: Fish fry, bettas, tetras, guppies, goldfish, koi ponds, axolotls, reptiles.

Feed with: Freshwater Phytoplankton (32oz) · Freshwater Phyto (16oz) · Chlorella Culture

Grow your own green water: Algae Thrive · FW Phyto Culture Kit · Chlorella Culture Kit

Bundles: Daphnia + Phyto Bundle · Freshwater Ecosystem Starter Pack

Works for freshwater rotifer cultures (8oz).

1. Open cap and let breathe for 1–2 hours at room temperature.
2. Gently swirl to resuspend — rotifers are microscopic, so you may need a magnifying glass or strong light to see them.
3. Adding to tank: Turn off filters and pumps, pour in, leave equipment off for 30–60 minutes.
4. Maintaining a culture: Dose freshwater phytoplankton every 2–3 days. Rotifers consume phyto rapidly and populations can crash without regular feeding.

Best for: Extremely small fry (clownfish larvae, freshwater fry in the first days of life), coral feeding.

Feed with: Freshwater Phytoplankton (32oz) · FW Phyto (16oz) · Chlorella Culture

Shop: Freshwater Rotifers (8oz)

Works for freshwater microworm cultures (8oz).

Microworms are tiny nematodes — a great first food for fish fry. They’re one of the easiest live foods to culture at home.

1. Open cap and let breathe at room temperature.
2. To feed fish: Scoop worms from the culture surface and rinse briefly in fresh water before adding to your tank.
3. Maintaining the culture: Keep at room temperature with the lid loosely on. Microworm cultures are self-sustaining for several weeks. When the culture starts to smell sour or slow down, start a new one by transferring a spoonful to fresh medium.

Best for: Fish fry of all kinds, nano fish, and small freshwater species.

Shop: Freshwater Microworms (8oz)

Bundles: Ecosystem Starter Pack