Raising Pods in New Tank

retiredsailor · Jul 11, 2015

I'm setting up a Red Sea Max 130D (34 gallons). I want to seed it with Pods before I introduce any fish or inverts. Right now the tank is dry and dissembled. But I finally have all my sand & dry rock for it. I understand cycling and actually have a lot of patience (which is completely unlike me). I plan on putting a dead shrimp in the tank to move the cycle along. At what point can I introduce pods? Also, what should I feed them? Phytoplankton?

I am hoping to introduce dragonets of some type, maybe a Red Mandarin and/or Red Scooter Dragonet. Its my hypothesis that adding the pods right from the start, without any predators, will enable me to establish a healthy population. I've never dealt with pods before. Will this work?

Thanks for any help. I really appreciate it.

ian

Stephanie11 · Jul 11, 2015

34 gallons with no fish will surely increase pods when the tank is cycled. I wouldn't recommend a mandrin. You want a bigger tank with lost of live rock and a fuge. Put it this way. I have a 125 g with 40 sump and a fuge. 2 mandarins destroyed the population in the display. I trained 1 to eat prepared foods. The other no so much. I'm constantly buying new pods for them. Shaking off cheato in the dt. They are not skinny, but not fat either. FYI.

jeffp1 · Jul 11, 2015

After the tank cycles, put the pods in. I raise them in a 10 gal. tank to feed my Mandarin and have to change water when Ammonia starts to show up. Stephanie11 is right about the Mandarin cleaning up the pods. I feed my pods Phyto. and put a little flake food in once a week.

big deddy · Jul 11, 2015

If you have pods in your fuge and run light a lot does this effect how the behave/ reproduce?

jeffp1 · Jul 11, 2015

A local reefer I know has a refugium full of chateo and it looks like there are a million pods in it. He runs a 120 watt CFL bulb rated at 6500K 16 hrs. a day. I run an 18 inch fluorescent rated at 6500k bulb on my 10 gal. Pod Tank that also has some chateo in it. It also is on a timer for 16hrs.

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big deddy · Jul 11, 2015

Well I have been leaving my light"6500k" on 24/7. I have only had my sump and fuge going about 10 days. I did seed fuge with quite a few pods. Also the chateo I have had some in it when I picked it up. Also have live sand and a little live rock. Stir reading as what to keep in it. I have a green mandrian and I buy pods for him. Hoping someday I will have enough to only add some here and there.

haleyf1024 · Jul 11, 2015

You will want macro algae and probably a little bit of actual live rock to start your population. I had a biocube with enough pods to keep my mandarin looking obese/pregnant lol. I also fed them DTs. If you want to jumpstart them now, I ordered mine off of Reefs2Go, they are cheap and some of the pods are gigantic. Although there are some bad reviews for that website, I have never had an issue with their pods and macro algae. My sump has light on 12 hours (8 PM to 8 AM.) and is full of them.

big deddy · Jul 11, 2015

Thanks. I will check out reefs2Go. Probably cheaper than what I am buying them for.

ArcKatana · Jul 11, 2015

An easier way - get some live rock rubble from somewhere (preferably from a tank that has been up 6+ months), and put that into your tank. You'll have a pod (tisbe more than likely) explosion in five to eight days. Throw some pellets in there for them to eat every two or three days and you're good.

I did a combination of rubble and some macro algae (caluerpa) and here is the result of my process with the mandarins (whom are spawning nightly for me)

Fat momma:

jeffp1 · Jul 11, 2015

Check out algae barn for your pods. I bought some from reefs2go but better price at algae barn. I started my phyto culture with their Ocean Magic and is working great.

haleyf1024 · Jul 11, 2015

jeffp1 said:
Check out algae barn for your pods. I bought some from reefs2go but better price at algae barn. I started my phyto culture with their Ocean Magic and is working great.

Wow this is the first time I heard about that site. Those prices are amazing! Never thought I would find a better price than reefs2go. If only I had known when I was seeding [emoji20]

retiredsailor · Jul 11, 2015

Thank you all for your advice. I would love to get a Mandarin but not when I know I won't be able to accommodate it's needs. Is a Red Scooter Dragonet as finicky as a Mandarin?

Regardless, I think I will still try to get a strong population of pods in the tank. The other future inhabitants can snack on them.