Hi guys and gals I was wanting to put a green mandiran in my tank but wanted to start up putting some copepods and amphipods in the tank so they could do the nasty and multiply so my mandiran has an endless supply of food. The only thing is I hear about this concept but don't know how to go about doing it, nor do I know how to get them in my tank. Any info in how to go about doing this will be appreciated [emoji12]
Copepods and amphipods
- Thread starter dcarrion144
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melypr1985
totally addicted
you can purchase live pods online and add them to your tank. You can also purchase macro algae for your refugium (pods will be living in it, even the small portion you buy). The idea behind what your planning to do, is adding pods, having a refugium where they can breed unchecked, and not having anything that will eat them while they populate. Unless you have a really large and established tank, I think you will still need to purchase live pods occasionally. Either that, or try to train them to eat frozen (no clue how to do that myself). Good luck!
Tagging along.
My own experience, so far, is that naturally sustaining numbers of copepods and amphipods in a display tank require more algae and less predation than I anticipated. My suggestion would be to make sure the pods have plenty of shelter in the form of either porus rock, or pod condos. One may have to supplement with regular additions of new pods and/or a food source that will enable the population of overcome predation. It's a balance for sure, and I confess I have not found it. I have tons of pods in my refugium, and very little in my display. My pod eaters are increasingly emaciated. Anxious to see what the experts say.
My own experience, so far, is that naturally sustaining numbers of copepods and amphipods in a display tank require more algae and less predation than I anticipated. My suggestion would be to make sure the pods have plenty of shelter in the form of either porus rock, or pod condos. One may have to supplement with regular additions of new pods and/or a food source that will enable the population of overcome predation. It's a balance for sure, and I confess I have not found it. I have tons of pods in my refugium, and very little in my display. My pod eaters are increasingly emaciated. Anxious to see what the experts say.
Feeding Mandarin's is a challenge. Typically, the larger the system the less supplementation has to be made. Moreover, a Mandarin will have to compete for the pods against other fish who are perfectly willing to eat not only pods but normal foods, like flake or frozen. If you can find a Mandarin in a LFS that has been conditioned to eat normal food, go for it. There's always brine shrimp don't forget, which are much more cost effective to breed and feed to the tank than pods. Decapsulated eggs may be even better than hatched.
If you have a sump or refugium, you might build some little pod condos - small net bags or plastic mesh full of crushed coral - and rotate them into and out of the display.
Heck, maybe Mandarins are a lot more apt to take normal foods than I realize. Again, waiting on the experts to chime in. :squigglemouth:
If you have a sump or refugium, you might build some little pod condos - small net bags or plastic mesh full of crushed coral - and rotate them into and out of the display.
Heck, maybe Mandarins are a lot more apt to take normal foods than I realize. Again, waiting on the experts to chime in. :squigglemouth:
dcarrion144
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**** cast away I was looking at YouTube to breed brine shrimp to but it seems unclear to me because I'm not sure to me if once the eggs are hatched and they breed is that it for buying eggs or will I have to keep hatching eggs over and over. I definitely would to brine shrimp if they just breed and breed. I want to defiantly try to create a never ending food supply or is that just wishful thinking.
The brine shrimp will not propagate in the tank, and have to be hatched and hatched. But, three empty pop bottles and an air pump and you can have a never ending supply - no more daily effort than feeding the tank in the first place. The never ending food supply is a tough balance. JMO
Wow! Beautiful aqua scape. You could always just follow your plan, add the pods, let them mature and breed, add the Mandarin and if it's belly hollows out supplement its diet with live brine or decapsulated eggs.
Any pods may never go completely away.
Any pods may never go completely away.
haleyf1024
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I manually pick the pods out of my filter socks and throw them back to the tank, the fish love it
Yup. I sacrifice those cause I think it's a pain to pluck them out. I rotate a bag every three or four days, and there's always a few in there.
I've thought about turning the bag inside out and dipping it in the display before I take it outside to clean. Just lazy.
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