Green Mandarin Dragonette
- Thread starter KirstenB
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Depends on how thick of pods you have. Usually it depends on rockwork and substrate, having a starting population and maturity. I have a 65 w/ green dragonette, always had a wrasse with it and when i clean filter pick off about 30+pods that are big enough to easily see.
I set up my tank, stocked w/ pods and restock probably twice a year when i get down to about 10 bugs per filter cleaning. If you have a fuge it supposedly helps alot. I have a long rubble pile of smaller rocks behind the display which supposedly helps.
I set up my tank, stocked w/ pods and restock probably twice a year when i get down to about 10 bugs per filter cleaning. If you have a fuge it supposedly helps alot. I have a long rubble pile of smaller rocks behind the display which supposedly helps.
Ty. Now I'm concerned lol about my Dragonette. My tank is 2 years old. Started with Life rock...no live rock and corals were dipped before put into the tank. My LFS said that there would still be cops in the tank but did send me home with a few bottles of cops which i dumped in the tank. They were very very tiny n red. Said if I bought those monthly that that would be enough for him. I cannot see these copes in the tank. Is he going to starve? 
Keesers
Captain Saltwater Pants
Algae barn sells copods for pretty good price plus they are clean. I seeded my tank with them and just get more on a two month schedule. Two year old tank should have a ample supply of copods. Did you use life sand? Or dry? Helpful tip during moonlight on your light use a flash light against the glass to see the pods. Some are big enough to see and some a lot smaller. Does your green mandarin eat frozen food? Most people say mandarins can be trained to eat frozen food and then just keep your pods up. Pods love rocks And algae to hide and reproduce.
I used life sand I believe... it had beneficial bacteria they said to start the cycle faster? Not sure if it has copepods though. I will check tonight w a flashlight and see. I cannot setup a fuge though as my skimmer takes up my sump space. I just got the Mandarin 2 days ago so not sure if he'll eat the mysis i feed the clowns n corals. I hope i can see copepods tonite. Ugh! Will my filter socks catch all these copepods too? Should i remove them??
Keesers
Captain Saltwater Pants
If it was “live sand” usually they have copods eggs in them. You can see copods durning day too I’ll post a photo of them so you know what you are looking for. Spots on glass that move not from flow but on there own. They say when you put copods in to not run skimmer for couple hours. Also add them when your fish are sleeping as to not trigger them to gobble them up before having chance to hit the rocks and sand. But they will survive the filter socks, skimmers, and water changes, some people say they won’t survive uv but I don’t have any issue with that. My watchman goby loves them. Also I have copods in my qt tank and have never been introduced other then starting tank with Dt water to start biological filter. Can you target feed mandarin to see if he eats fish food? I personally make sure fish are eating before putting in DT but if he is already in DT then try target feeding.
bluprntguy
Well-Known Member
Turn off all your pumps at night. Shine a flashlight at the bottom of the tank at the corner. You should see pods scurrying around on the glass. If you don’t, you have a major problem and the mandarin won’t have enough to eat.
I’d suggest getting some brine shrimp eggs and hatching them every couple of days to supplement regardless of your pod population. Most LFS’s have a small hatchery or the eggs that can be hatched in pretty much any container. You can also order them online. Once the eggs hatch (usually a day), squirt them right in front of the mandarin using a turkey baster. You could also try frozen baby brine shrimp and decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. Most mandarins will accept those pretty quickly. Then you can move on to cyclops and other frozen foods.
What type of pods did you buy? Most LFS’s sell tiger pods since they are larger. Those generally don’t reproduce as well in a tank. You want Tisbe or Apocyclops pods IMO. The best place I’ve found to get them is straight from reef nutrition. I’d recommend culturing them in a separate tank or bucket with some phyto. That’s the cheapest way to build a population quickly.
I’d suggest getting some brine shrimp eggs and hatching them every couple of days to supplement regardless of your pod population. Most LFS’s have a small hatchery or the eggs that can be hatched in pretty much any container. You can also order them online. Once the eggs hatch (usually a day), squirt them right in front of the mandarin using a turkey baster. You could also try frozen baby brine shrimp and decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. Most mandarins will accept those pretty quickly. Then you can move on to cyclops and other frozen foods.
What type of pods did you buy? Most LFS’s sell tiger pods since they are larger. Those generally don’t reproduce as well in a tank. You want Tisbe or Apocyclops pods IMO. The best place I’ve found to get them is straight from reef nutrition. I’d recommend culturing them in a separate tank or bucket with some phyto. That’s the cheapest way to build a population quickly.
Pod species vary drastically in size (almost invisible to much bigger), since you bought live rock they probably came in as hitchhikers. Your mandarin if farm raised would be more likely to eat frozen and if it does i wouldnt worry. You can coax them into a frozen diet, some people claim not the same nutrition, i look at it as they know of more food sources so better survival.
My sump is also too small for fuge, so i feel you pain. They have some hang on back set ups but I cant run that either. My setup is a wall of larger rocks in middle spanning most of the width, rock rubble along the back of wall & against back glass. I usually pull my filter and clip it in tank for a little, and if i see pods try brushing them off into the DT. I wouldnt worry too badly about if you see pods because they can look like a flake of dust in the aquarium. I think the rock rubble works as i was told about it by an old timer and my mandarin is always hovering that area (75% of the time i cant see him because hes in the back).
My sump is also too small for fuge, so i feel you pain. They have some hang on back set ups but I cant run that either. My setup is a wall of larger rocks in middle spanning most of the width, rock rubble along the back of wall & against back glass. I usually pull my filter and clip it in tank for a little, and if i see pods try brushing them off into the DT. I wouldnt worry too badly about if you see pods because they can look like a flake of dust in the aquarium. I think the rock rubble works as i was told about it by an old timer and my mandarin is always hovering that area (75% of the time i cant see him because hes in the back).
bluprntguy
Well-Known Member
I think she started it with Life Rock, which is a synthetic rock that’s impregnated with bacteria. It’s ridiculously named since everybody thinks you are talking about live rock.
Ya... got Life Rock. Terrible crap I do not recommend it! But I shined a flashlight in my tank... day time albeit and do not see anything at all. I'll try tonight. I would like to look into culturing my own but will need to research how. And not sure if he was farm raised... I should have asked. Hes very skittish so not sure if he'd accept my frozen mysis. Just gotta get this all figured out soon. I always research b4 buying except this time. My hubby wanted him and I want him happy...and trusted the LFS. Bbs. Back to work sigh.
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The problem is that the Mandarin will need near constant feeding even if it adapts to frozen, so someone will need to feed it almost constantly during the waking hours. Not a practical fish if you have to work a job (unless you have a massive pod population in your tank).
Omgosh. I cant see any copepods at night. I am definitely going to kill this poor fish. We named him Drogon. Sigh. I think I am going to TRY to catch him and take him back. I did research and I don't have the time or space to start up a copepod tank. And I don't have the wallet to buy soooo many bottled copepods each few weeks. My heart hurts. I just feel so sad for Drogon.
A well run 65 gal should have enough pods for 1 Mandarin if there are no other fish compete with them for food. I would avoid any wrasse of the genus Pseudocheilinus (Sixline, Fourline, or Mystery wrasse). Plankton feeders like Flasher and Fairy wrasses should be fine. Also avoid dwarf angels.
Tyvm for your post. Would there be plenty if I've never seeded the tank up until a few days ago? I have never added them before. Ty for any advice n help! Think any fairy wrasses might be ok?
bluprntguy
Well-Known Member
Well, returning him to the store is a valiant approach or see if there is someone local that has an appropriate tank.
If you choose to keep the mandarin (or can't get him out), you can feed him temporarily using live baby brine shrimp. Most fish stores sell the eggs, or you can get the hatchery and eggs from brineshrimpdirect.com. You can also pick up some frozen BABY brine shrimp and see if he eats those. They may also eat frozen cyclops. If you feed him twice a day (or three times on weekends), that should hold him over until your pod population is able to build up. I shut all my pumps off for an hour and let mine eat. They are super slow eaters and it's a bit of a commitment.
In order to increase pod population, you'll want to start dosing your tank with phytoplankton. Phytofeast is usually sold at the LFS. I usually dose this in my sump while I'm feeding the mandarin. The pods eat the phyto and it increases their numbers quickly.
I would say that is fairly a conservative approach but not excessive. I had a 6 line and flame angel with mine for a while, when they died (melted surge protector while out of town) went to potters angel and just added Lubbock wrasse. Mostly its having plenty of pods and places for them to make the fish work to find them.
