55 corner/mandarin build help please!!

Zack K · Dec 22, 2017

Cornerboy said:
Interesting plumbing i bet!! My sump will be 16 feet away, but maybe i could do something similar. What do you think would happen if you put it in lagoon mode while it is plumbed as the return pump still?

It just slows down the tank turnover rate. Mine is about 20/hr during the day and 2/hr at night.

Cornerboy · Dec 22, 2017

Kamden Uelton said:
"I'd like to have mandarins (1m, 2f) a leopard wrasse" so you want 1 male mandarin and 2 females in a 55 gallon tank PLUS a Leopard Wrasse? You'd have to have a lot of copepods to keep those alive.

They, copepods, were going to be the first thing i add and i plan to keep adding. Do you think a 30 gal cheato refugium, 3" of sand, and 75 lbs of pukani COULD be enough habitat to sustain the pods if the mandarins wont take other food? I may not end up with 3, but id like to have 2.

Kamden Uelton · Dec 22, 2017

The thing with leopard wrasse is that they constantly scan the rocks for pods all the time, 24/7 in my 30g tank thats has a host of pod eaters (mimic filefish, hectors goby, blue stripe pipefish) I added a leopard wrasse and I QUICKLY saw a decline in health from my Pipefish and Goby, Pipefish looked more like a skeleton and goby had a shrunken belly. and that was a week after adding the wrasse I ended up getting rid of it and spent $100 of copepods to replenish the population.

With a fuge full of macro algae and pod homes you could keep them all together but make sure you NEVER vacuum the sand as the sand is full of copepods and worms that the Leopards and Mandarin feed on when you vacuum the sand it's like throwing away food in the fridge. Feeding Phytoplankton is a good pod food so I recommend you feed a small amount each day when starting out to seed your tank

Good luck with your tank make sure to keep up with updates.

Cornerboy · Dec 22, 2017

Kamden Uelton said:
The thing with leopard wrasse is that they constantly scan the rocks for pods all the time, 24/7 in my 30g tank thats has a host of pod eaters (mimic filefish, hectors goby, blue stripe pipefish) I added a leopard wrasse and I QUICKLY saw a decline in health from my Pipefish and Goby, Pipefish looked more like a skeleton and goby had a shrunken belly. and that was a week after adding the wrasse I ended up getting rid of it and spent $100 of copepods to replenish the population.

With a fuge full of macro algae and pod homes you could keep them all together but make sure you NEVER vacuum the sand as the sand is full of copepods and worms that the Leopards and Mandarin feed on when you vacuum the sand it's like throwing away food in the fridge. Feeding Phytoplankton is a good pod food so I recommend you feed a small amount each day when starting out to seed your tank

Good luck with your tank make sure to keep up with updates.

Great tip on the sand. Thanks!! I didn't know the leopard was that voracious and eater. I tried to make lots of tiny little caves that only the mandarins could get into but we'll see how that works out. Thanks again for the advice!!

Kamden Uelton · Dec 22, 2017

oh and to keep the sand from forming Hydrogen Sulfide bubbles add a Sand Sifting Sea Cucumber!

Cornerboy · Dec 22, 2017

I was hoping to add a sea cucumber. I didn't know there was actually going to be a good reason to. Great news!! Thanks again

Zack K · Dec 23, 2017

Kamden Uelton said:
oh and to keep the sand from forming Hydrogen Sulfide bubbles add a Sand Sifting Sea Cucumber!

Either a cucumber or Goby. I chose the goby just because I don’t trust cucumbers. Last thing I want is a dead cucumber in the back of my tank.

Cornerboy · Dec 23, 2017

Zack Klabunde said:
Either a cucumber or Goby. I chose the goby just because I don’t trust cucumbers. Last thing I want is a dead cucumber in the back of my tank.

I'm afraid of the Cucumber too but I'dto but I've loved them from afar for quite some time. I may not go that direction. Did you mean an engineer goby or a sand sifter? I'm already going to get a pistol shrimp Yoshi goby pair and was thinking about getting a lawn mower but I am wide open for advice when it comes to the additional Supporting Cast. Thanks for the input!!

Kamden Uelton · Dec 23, 2017

don't get sand sifter goby as they also eat pods in the sand, the cucumber is the best bet

Cornerboy · Dec 23, 2017

Thanks Kamden!!

Zack K · Dec 23, 2017

They do eat pods on the sand but I have A diamond goby and a Mandarin and still see pods everywhere. Actively searching for a male for my female Mandarin at the moment

Cornerboy · Dec 23, 2017

Those are pretty. What all else do you have in your tank with your mandarin? What size tank? Thanks Zack!!

Zack K · Dec 23, 2017

Cornerboy said:
Those are pretty. What all else do you have in your tank with your mandarin? What size tank? Thanks Zack!!

Here is my Build thread if you want to read through it. Lots of good information from a lot of people IMO.

Zacks 65 gallon Corner Reef

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php...p?threads/Zacks-65-gallon-Corner-Reef.296423/

Cornerboy · Dec 23, 2017

Those are pretty. What all else do you have in your tank with your mandarin? What size tank? Thanks

Zack Klabunde said:
Here is my Build thread if you want to read through it. Lots of good information from a lot of people IMO.

Zacks 65 gallon Corner Reef

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php...p?threads/Zacks-65-gallon-Corner-Reef.296423/

I tried the link, but the thread wasn't available ;-(

Kamden Uelton · Dec 24, 2017

Zack Klabunde said:
They do eat pods on the sand but I have A diamond goby and a Mandarin and still see pods everywhere. Actively searching for a male for my female Mandarin at the moment

yeah but the thing is he's going to have 3 mandarins and a leopard wrasse... plus a diamond goby?? That won't work some fish would die if he went that route thats why I recommended a sea cucumber for cleaning the sand as they don't consume pods they consume dying and rotting material within the sandbed.

YellowFinsReef · Dec 24, 2017

Here's my experience. I am currently keeping 6 tamarin wrasses, 2 leopards, and 2 mandarin fish together (and at one point, a diamond goby which has been moved to the 180G), which they all compete for those organisms. All these fish are in my 40-something gallon growout tank. Mine do just fine. I don't have a refugium and I replenish every month with tisbe pods. ALL of my fish, except for mandarins have been weaned onto pellets. Recently, I've been able to wean both my mandarins onto PE mysis. So basically, there is a way to work it out, but just remember, it'll cost you some money and heartbreaks until you've finally find that balance. What worked in my tank may not work in yours and vice versa.

Zack K · Dec 24, 2017

Kamden Uelton said:
yeah but the thing is he's going to have 3 mandarins and a leopard wrasse... plus a diamond goby?? That won't work some fish would die if he went that route thats why I recommended a sea cucumber for cleaning the sand as they don't consume pods they consume dying and rotting material within the sandbed.

3 Mandarin’s are a No go as you can’t do that without fighting. He changed that to a pair.
The leopard will put a lot of stress on the pods. If he goes this route I would recommend a cucumber

Their are a lot of beautiful wrasses out their. If you change you mind I am a big fan of Gobies. This is just my opinion.

Cornerboy · Dec 24, 2017

YellowFinsReef said:
Here's my experience. I am currently keeping 6 tamarin wrasses, 2 leopards, and 2 mandarin fish together (and at one point, a diamond goby which has been moved to the 180G), which they all compete for those organisms. All these fish are in my 40-something gallon growout tank. Mine do just fine. I don't have a refugium and I replenish every month with tisbe pods. ALL of my fish, except for mandarins have been weaned onto pellets. Recently, I've been able to wean both my mandarins onto PE mysis. So basically, there is a way to work it out, but just remember, it'll cost you some money and heartbreaks until you've finally find that balance. What worked in my tank may not work in yours and vice versa.

Wow!! You have all that in a 40ish? I had no idea that woul be possible.