Seeding pods

msujohn · Mar 26, 2018

i have a 90 gallon reef that has been up for 3 years. I want to add a mandarin in near future. I don’t notice any pods in tank currently. I don’t use cheato either. I do have a 8*4*4 ceramic block in sump. Will the pods reproduce in it? Do I just buy live pods from my lfs? I do have a melanrus wrasse in tank and I do think he eats pods.

eatbreakfast · Mar 26, 2018

A melanurus will eat pods, but a 3yr old 90g should produce enough for a mandarin and a melanurus, barring any other significant pod eaters.

msujohn · Mar 26, 2018

My concern is that I don’t seem to see any pods in tank currently? Arepods that small that I won’t see them?

Zazzy · Mar 26, 2018

They live in the live rock and the babies you won't see, most will look like smaller then microbubbles. If you shine a flashlight at live rock you might see rolly Polly looking bugs moving along the rock. Those are the adults

eatbreakfast · Mar 26, 2018

They usually aren't too visible during the day. At night they can be seen as tiny specs just above the sand line.

msujohn · Mar 26, 2018

eatbreakfast said:
They usually aren't too visible during the day. At night they can be seen as tiny specs just above the sand line.

Ok, I’ll probably add some more live pods just to make sure. I know these are finicky fish.

Chef Tommy · Mar 26, 2018

I added pods during a fallow period and they exploded after 3 weeks. I was dosing phytoplankton as well. I stopped dosing the phyto after running out 4 weeks ago and have noticed fewer pods in the tank. However, there are still many in the tank. I had the best luck with the following;

https://reefnutrition.com/tigger_pods.php