Can I add mandarin?

[Aquajan]

Hi,

I have a 3,1/2 week old 55g tank what is gonna be a lps tank with some zoas and maybe mushrooms..
The tank has 20kg of dead rock, 3 kg of old rock out of my refugium, 2 inch dead 1-3mm sand with a top layer of ocean direct sand.
The tank is connected to the sump of my established 2 years old reef tank.
The new tank return flows into a 16g refugium full of cheatomorpha and the fuge is connected to the sump with the return pump of the new tank (and old tank).
The tank is teeming with pods right now..
I already have the manderin for olmost a year in a 15g tank with a big bal of cheato out of the fuge to provide him with pods.
But it is really small and he is all alone

So I wonder if I still have to let the new tank run for a year..?
Or can I add the little guy right now?

 

[SillyReef]

If you see the small pods on the glass then id say go ahead.

 

[G Santana]

Should be fine as long as you have the pod population to support his appetite!!!

 

[Aquajan]

I got a atleast 10 copepods per squire inch on the glass aswell as brown flatworms and isopod munnid on the rock.
But I wonder if the pods can reproduce fast enough in the clean environment of a new tank.
And my fuge has loads of copepods, brown flatworms and isopod munnid but i always feel like there are just a few pods getting pumped to the display so not enough to satisfy the mandarins appetite.
So I do have lots of pods but I really wonder if the pod population can sustain in the new tank altough the tank and fuge it is connected to are established.

I do run 2x t5 and a ai hydra on the new tank to let coraline growth kick in.
So algae and other stuff can grow too to feed those pods.

 

[Paul B]

I would say, no. Tank is much to new. Those pods you see need more food to continue to multiply and new rock isn't up to that yet.

 

[costaricareef]

From what I understand, this tank is actually part of your 2yr old established system with refugium and pods. So it is in essence the same system. I think you will have no problem with a Mandarin. I have one in my 75gal with a refugium for about 6 months now, and he looks good, fat and happy.

 

[Aquajan]

I know for a fact that the new rock is not ready to sustain a healthy pod population.
But the system is indeed connected to a 2y old system with a fuge that is 10% of the total system volume and it is filled to the brim with cheato.
The 2y old tank is a 75g tank btw.

Maybe the real question I should be asking is:
Does a good refugium suplys the main display with plenty of pods?

 

[Aquajan]

Here some pictures of the system to clarify the situation.

1: refugium 16x16x24'' with a 16x18x13'' area for cheato.
The new tank drains in the refugium with the 2 32mm pipes hanging over the cheato.
Behind a baffle there is a drilled hole with a 32mm pipe connected to the back of the sump.

2: sump
Back of sump is drilled with the 32mm inlet pife from the fuge (behind Skimmer).
At the right there are 2 return pumps for both the old and new tank.

3: New tank with some old rock temporarily added to the scape to faster seed the new rock.

4: 2y old tank.