--- product_id: 33991314 title: "Live Copepods :: Tigriopus californicus Copepods :: Clean Your Tank :: Mandarin & Finicky Fish Food (6,000+ Pods)" brand: "algaebarn" price: "VT22010" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 category: "Algae Barn" url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/33991314-live-copepods-tigriopus-californicus-copepods-clean-your-tank-mandarin-finicky store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # Premium live food for finicky marine species 6,000+ live Tigriopus copepods Natural tank cleaning via detritus consumption Live Copepods :: Tigriopus californicus Copepods :: Clean Your Tank :: Mandarin & Finicky Fish Food (6,000+ Pods) **Brand:** algaebarn **Price:** VT22010 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🦐 Feed the FOMO: Your reef’s secret weapon for a cleaner, healthier, and more vibrant tank! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Live Copepods :: Tigriopus californicus Copepods :: Clean Your Tank :: Mandarin & Finicky Fish Food (6,000+ Pods) by algaebarn - **How much does it cost?** VT22010 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/33991314-live-copepods-tigriopus-californicus-copepods-clean-your-tank-mandarin-finicky) ## Best For - algaebarn enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted algaebarn brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Multi-Stage Life Cycle Boost:** Includes copepods from nauplii to adults, supporting sustained population growth and continuous tank ecosystem balance. - • **100% Alive On Arrival Guarantee:** Confidence in quality with live, active copepods delivered safely using insulated packaging and heat pads. - • **Aquarium’s Natural Clean-Up Crew:** Harness 6,000+ live copepods to naturally consume waste and invasive algae, keeping your tank pristine without chemicals. - • **Elevate Your Reef’s Biodiversity:** Introduce a thriving microfauna community that enhances natural aquarium dynamics and impresses fellow reef enthusiasts. - • **Tailored Nutrition for Picky Eaters:** Perfectly sized live food for mandarins, seahorses, wrasses, and delicate corals, ensuring vibrant health and natural feeding behavior. ## Overview AlgaeBarn Live Copepods (Tigriopus californicus) deliver over 6,000 live, multi-stage copepods that serve as premium natural food for finicky marine fish and invertebrates while actively cleaning your saltwater aquarium by consuming detritus and algae. This product supports biodiversity, promotes natural feeding behaviors, and arrives with a 100% alive guarantee, making it an essential addition for professional reef keepers seeking a thriving, balanced ecosystem. ## Description This product contains live Tigriopus copepods in a range of life stages, from nauplii to adults. Copepods of smaller sizes may be difficult to see upon arrival. Including multiple life stages is typical for introducing copepods into marine aquariums. Adult copepods are often consumed more quickly by fish, while smaller individuals may move into rockwork, macroalgae, and other areas of the aquarium where they feed on available organic material. This product includes an estimated 5,280+ live Tigriopus californicus copepods. These copepods are aquacultured and commonly used in marine aquariums and refugiums. They can serve as a live food source for a variety of fish and invertebrates, including mandarins, seahorses, anthias, wrasses, SPS, LPS and NPS corals, clams, and other filter-feeding organisms. Tigriopus copepods may contribute to the biodiversity of marine aquariums and support natural feeding behaviors in reef-associated species. They are intended for use in saltwater aquariums as part of regular aquarium husbandry practices. Review: Very Happy, Tank Raised Mandarin eating them along with frozen food. Great results! - I live in North Western NY so weather is cold so I was concerned about the shipment but they shipped the product in insulation and a hand-warmer heat pad in the box kept it at a reasonable temperature. They are hard to see being so tiny but on inspection they were swimming around still. Good quality container and shipping method. I requested and they shipped it out same day also so it would I would receive it before the weekend (office tank so no one is there to collect mail on weekends to bring it in out of the cold), received it in about two days. Very pleased with product and service. Hard to see the Copepods but my Green Mandarin Dragonet seems to be eating little things I cannot see. BTW, side note: anyone looking to get a Mandarin I would advise first spiking tank with Copepods weeks before and also buy a CAPTIVE BORN AND RAISED ON FROZEN OR PELLET FOOD that is fed to them using a Turkey Baster. They are maybe $10 to $20 more expensive than wild ones. Mine was $39 versus $29 for wild one. WELL WORTH IT! They look the same! Another benefit is tank raised do not hide like the wild ones so they are much more visible. The wild one I had in the past was always hiding in caves and between live rock. The wild ones are very very hard to train to eat frozen or pellet if at all making a large tank (50+) with established Copepods a must! Mine captive raised does very well in only a 30 gallon because I am supplementing diet with frozen food. He is nice and fat as they should be. You need to use turkey baster if you have faster tank mates. Other faster fish like Dwarf Angels will eat the frozen food up to quickly if you do not use a baster to place food on the sand near Mandarin and in the live rock crevices for him to hunt. I use frozen Spirulina Brine Shrimp, Blood Worms and Mysis Shrimp and he gobbles it up. The Copepods provide nice grazing food through the day between morning and evening feedings. The captive raised ones also are much less likely to die from typical aquarium water parameters found in the typical marine aquarium. Review: Alive - Feeds my mandarin ## Features - Contains Live Nutritious Tigriopus californicus Copepods - Seed Your Aquarium with a "Copepod Clean-Up Crew" & Feed Finicky Fish - Premium live food for Mandarin Dragonets, Seahorses, LPS, SPS & NPS Corals, Wrasses, Anthias, Pipefish, Clown Fish, Blennies, Clams, & other Finicky Fish & Inverts - Cleans your tank by consuming detritus, fish waste, and invasive algae naturally - 100% Alive On Arrival Guarantee. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B01GGXRSUO | | ASIN | B01GGXRSUO | | Age Range Description | Adult | | Best Sellers Rank | #71,729 in Pet Supplies ( See Top 100 in Pet Supplies ) #810 in Aquarium Fish Food | | Brand Name | AlgaeBarn | | Breed Recommendation | All Breed Sizes | | Customer Reviews | 4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (88) | | Date First Available | June 3, 2016 | | Date First Available | June 3, 2016 | | Directions | Add Tig Pods to marine aquarium | | Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No | | Manufacturer | AlgaeBarn, LLC | | Manufacturer | AlgaeBarn, LLC | | Number of Items | 2 | | Size | 16 Fl Oz (Pack of 2) | | Specific Uses for Product | Cleaning Aquariums, Finicky Fish and Invertebrate Food | | Target Audience Keyword | copepods, fish | ## Product Details - **Age Range (Description):** Adult - **Brand:** AlgaeBarn - **Flavor:** Seafood - **Item Form:** Capsule - **Specific Uses For Product:** Cleaning Aquariums, Finicky Fish and Invertebrate Food ## Images ![Live Copepods :: Tigriopus californicus Copepods :: Clean Your Tank :: Mandarin & Finicky Fish Food (6,000+ Pods) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81eF9YLoFaL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Size** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Happy, Tank Raised Mandarin eating them along with frozen food. Great results! *by K***R on January 23, 2017* I live in North Western NY so weather is cold so I was concerned about the shipment but they shipped the product in insulation and a hand-warmer heat pad in the box kept it at a reasonable temperature. They are hard to see being so tiny but on inspection they were swimming around still. Good quality container and shipping method. I requested and they shipped it out same day also so it would I would receive it before the weekend (office tank so no one is there to collect mail on weekends to bring it in out of the cold), received it in about two days. Very pleased with product and service. Hard to see the Copepods but my Green Mandarin Dragonet seems to be eating little things I cannot see. BTW, side note: anyone looking to get a Mandarin I would advise first spiking tank with Copepods weeks before and also buy a CAPTIVE BORN AND RAISED ON FROZEN OR PELLET FOOD that is fed to them using a Turkey Baster. They are maybe $10 to $20 more expensive than wild ones. Mine was $39 versus $29 for wild one. WELL WORTH IT! They look the same! Another benefit is tank raised do not hide like the wild ones so they are much more visible. The wild one I had in the past was always hiding in caves and between live rock. The wild ones are very very hard to train to eat frozen or pellet if at all making a large tank (50+) with established Copepods a must! Mine captive raised does very well in only a 30 gallon because I am supplementing diet with frozen food. He is nice and fat as they should be. You need to use turkey baster if you have faster tank mates. Other faster fish like Dwarf Angels will eat the frozen food up to quickly if you do not use a baster to place food on the sand near Mandarin and in the live rock crevices for him to hunt. I use frozen Spirulina Brine Shrimp, Blood Worms and Mysis Shrimp and he gobbles it up. The Copepods provide nice grazing food through the day between morning and evening feedings. The captive raised ones also are much less likely to die from typical aquarium water parameters found in the typical marine aquarium. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Alive *by R***K on December 16, 2025* Feeds my mandarin ### ⭐⭐⭐ OK. Not long term keepers *by J***E on February 27, 2026* OK. Great for immediate feeding, but if you want to keep them alive is their own tank it won’t happen. ## Frequently Bought Together - AlgaeBarn Tig Pods :: Live Copepods :: Tigriopus californicus Copepods :: Clean Your Tank :: Mandarin & Finicky Fish Food (6,000+ Pods) - OceanMagik Live Phytoplankton Blend - Tetra x Nanno x Iso x Thal Phyto Food for Coral and Copepod (32oz) - AlgaeBarn Live Copepods & Phytoplankton Combo Pack Tisbe & Tigriopus Pods + Live Phytoplankon (16oz) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/33991314-live-copepods-tigriopus-californicus-copepods-clean-your-tank-mandarin-finicky](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/33991314-live-copepods-tigriopus-californicus-copepods-clean-your-tank-mandarin-finicky) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-15*