Will a mandarin eat these?

[tidefanjam]

I’m covered up with these copepods, some are a bit large, will a mandarin eat them?

 

[code4]

Are these photos taken in the dark? Awesome. And Mandarins can eat pretty large bits of food. Much larger than these pods.

 

[mike werner]

I’m covered up with these copepods, some are a bit large, will a mandarin eat them?

pods are like pizza everybody eats them.wish I had this much pizza in my tank

 

[tidefanjam]

Are these photos taken in the dark? Awesome. And Mandarins can eat pretty large bits of food. Much larger than these pods.

No. My lights are on, one of the shots is under a ledge in a shadow

 

[code4]

Nice, I have 4 mandarins. One of my favorite fish. A Mandarin will decimate a pod population really quickly. I use Paul B's feeder to make sure they eat every day. Over time all my mandarins started to eat anything I put in the tank. Good luck.

Shelley

 

[code4]

I should clarify, the 4 I have are in two tanks and are paired.

Shelley

 

[Jesterrace]

@ The OP, how big is your tank? Mandarins can decimate pod populations very quickly and then will starve if they don't adapt to other food OR if they get beaten to the food by other fish (which they almost always will).

 

[DSC reef]

Those look like amphipods, never seen our mandarins eat one.

 

[tidefanjam]

@ The OP, how big is your tank? Mandarins can decimate pod populations very quickly and then will starve if they don't adapt to other food OR if they get beaten to the food by other fish (which they almost always will).

It’s s 65, with a 20 sump/refuge

 

[tidefanjam]

Those look like amphipods, never seem our mandarins eat one.

I believe they are amphipods, I also have the smaller copepods, I wasn’t sure if the mandarins would eat the amphipods or not.

 

[DSC reef]

I believe they are amphipods, I also have the smaller copepods, I wasn’t sure if the mandarins would eat the amphipods or not.

I've seen a coral grab an amphipod before but nothing else, I just consider them a good member of the clean up crew. The thing to remember is that one mandarin will wipe out a healthy copepod population in your size tank in less than a week. 4 mandarins, even with a fuge won't fare well IMO. They take a very long time to starve. We have pods we add every few months along with many other foods like reef nutrition and LRS and pellets that our pair of mandarins eat but there fed multiple times a day.

 

[Claus84]

I believe they are amphipods, I also have the smaller copepods, I wasn’t sure if the mandarins would eat the amphipods or not.

I think amphipods are a bit quick for the average mandarin, at least I haven't seen mine eat them

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

They eat the small ones. The babies. Mine does anyway.
You can hear em crunch.

A mandrian can be a big step. Scooter blenny, wrasses and such are likely a much better fish to do the job.

 

[Yati]

At that size a mandarin may not eat those amphipods but its not to say they don't. We dont see what goes on behind all the rock work we just see our mandarins kinda picking at the rocks.. but if the amphipods you have procreate I'm sure they become food for you mandarins.

 

[code4]

I've seen a coral grab an amphipod before but nothing else, I just consider them a good member of the clean up crew. The thing to remember is that one mandarin will wipe out a healthy copepod population in your size tank in less than a week. 4 mandarins, even with a fuge won't fare well IMO. They take a very long time to starve. We have pods we add every few months along with many other foods like reef nutrition and LRS and pellets that our pair of mandarins eat but there fed multiple times a day.

Just to clarify my 4 mandarins are in two separate systems. One pair I have had for years. Yes they decimate pod populations. Which is why I use Paul B's feeder daily. They are in an older red sea 65 gallon tank. I spot feed them also. Amazing the size of black worms they will eat. The female swims right up to my turkey baster to get her share.

 

[code4]

They eat the small ones. The babies. Mine does anyway.
You can hear em crunch.

A mandrian can be a big step. Scooter blenny, wrasses and such are likely a much better fish to do the job.

Lol, heard them crunch? I might be strange but that makes me smile.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Lol, head them crunch? I might be strange but that makes me smile.

He also taps on the glass at 7:10 pm if he doesn’t see me open the fridge.
(He can see the clock from the tank)

 

[code4]

Muahaha, my Fiona is not that smart. But she does watch me pour the BBS into the feeder. They are smarter than one would think. ;Smuggrin

 

[cracker]

one can hear crushing the shells, I love it. Wonder if some are more crunchy than others?