Copepods

Copepods are small freshwater microcrustaceans that make a great live food for small fish, fish fry and other organisms.  Copepods are used as a food source in freshwater aquariums, outdoor ponds, lakes or for fish breeding. Copepods have multiple different stages in their life and therefore have variations in their size and look depending on what stage of life they are in.  Therefore copepods are a great live fish feeds for fish fry, fish fingerlings, finicky eaters and smaller fish. They are also algae, bacterivores and detritivores and will help provide clearer bodies of water, such as ponds and lakes, by consuming phytoplankton and then reproducing to feed the food chain.

Hydralife Institute only grows our copepods from the best quality live foods to ensure the copepods provide the highest level of nutrition to your fish and add excellent biodiversity to your aquariums, ponds or lakes. Our indoor facility provides great care and respect for our products while ensuring all products are pathogen free and in excellent health.

Copepods are a great addition to outdoor ponds as they will feed off of water borne phytoplankton and therefore improve your water clarity. Copepods also reproduce easily which provides your fish and other organisms with a sustainable food source, especially if your fish breed.  The nutrition copepods receive from feeding on phytoplankton is passed up the food chain, when copepods are consumed by fish or invertebrates.  

Based on the smaller size of copepods and their many life stages, they are excellent when used in fish breeding operations. Their swimming motion and small size entices natural fish feeding, hunting and exercise for fish fry, fish fingerlings and other small fish. Copepods are high in protein and other minerals which are valuable to the development of fish during the early stages of their life.

Overall, copepods make feeding your freshwater aquarium and pond fish exciting and while being an excellent source of nutrition.  They are also a great addition for many reasons, both as a sustainable food source and for algae mitigation, to enhance your ponds, lakes and waterways' biodiversity and provide natural management to the aquatic ecosystem.