Spotted Mandarin care!

[Benny Gyger]

So I recently received a free green spotted mandarin who's really cool. My Reef tank has been running for coming up on a year and it's 120gallon . I see copepods barely but havnt been looking until I received the mandarin yesterday. I bought a 3000+ package or apocalypse copepods from algae barn. Should I add them to my display or take a 10 gallon tank and breed them then add a cup every few weeks. The guy I got him from said just add a bag of pods and they will reproduce and keep him fed. After much review I've read that one mandarin will wip a bag of pods out before they can reproduce!! Advice please!? I've heard some people say mandarins wipe out pod populations in small tanks and I may be ok cause I have a lot of rock and space.

 

[RJ Harris]

I would dump some in the the display after lights out then I would dump some in your sump and then culture the left overs. I have a breeding pair of green Mandy's in my 125 and I never add pods but mine also eat frozen when I feed but they primarily eat pods. My sump is full so they eventually make it to my display.

 

[Benny Gyger]

I would dump some in the the display after lights out then I would dump some in your sump and then culture the left overs. I have a breeding pair of green Mandy's in my 125 and I never add pods but mine also eat frozen when I feed but they primarily eat pods. My sump is full so they eventually make it to my display.

Cool thanks. Any tips on how to culture them? I see him hopping around nipping at the rocks. Not sure if he's eating pods or looking for them? Hard to tell

 

[RJ Harris]

He could be doing both. Your gonna need some green water and your pods. And a light or put it in a window. But honestly if you put them in your sump and you can see some in your tank already I would imagine you'd be fine. I only see pods once in awhile on my glass but both are mine are fat as can be

 

[RJ Harris]

 

[fishbox]

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/263752/

 

[eatbreakfast]

As long as the tank is 6months+, then you don't need to add pods. The population will be able to support itself in that size tank.

 

[AlexG]

As long as the tank is 6months+, then you don't need to add pods. The population will be able to support itself in that size tank.

I agree the tank should have a large enough population of pods to sustain a mandarin. Adding more pods cant hurt but should not be necessary. The best way to tell if the mandarin is getting enough food is to monitor their belly. If the belly is not shrunken into the body they should be getting enough to eat. I will note that many mandarins come in really skinny so it is important to monitor that the fish is eating and gaining weight overtime.