In our oceans copepods constitute the largest part of zooplankton and are a natural food for many marine fish and even whales so have great importance in the food chain. It is estimated that there are around 13,000 species of copepods and they can be found in salt and freshwater and even in damp areas and moss.
This natural and nutritious food is a firm favourite of virtually all marine aquarium fish. Copepods can also scavenge any food that is left and eat algae so have additional benefits and are often kept in the aquarium or refugium as part of the ecosystem. Around 0.5 - 1.0 mm in size they can be fed to fry and small fish when brine shrimp are considered too large.
Storage and useage
Marine Copepods keep well provided they are kept cool. Best kept unopened in the refrigerator in the bag they come in until use. If stored properly they should keep for a week or more.
They can be added to the aquarium complete with the water they are supplied in or you can filter them through a net and add just the animals. Ensure the net size is sufficiently small not to let the copepods through! Only feed to marine fish.