Big Mistake

[DonCisco]

Ok, here it goes. I am a fairly new reefer, so at the beginning I was relying on the LFS for information, suggestions etc.
Well, I went to a Pet Store/LFS here in SI. Explained to them, what I had... 12G Aquapod with 54total Watts of CF lighting. That it was a relatively new reef, etc.
Well, the ppl from the LFS sold me 2 fish for my lil tank.
A YELLOW TANG (yup all you advanced guys must be gasping) and
Here is the 'piece de resistance' They sold me a GREEN MANDARIN.
After that I came back home, started looking up info on my new lil friends, and yes, they were ALL wrong. Went back to the LFS the next day, and NO, they would not take them back (even though I bought them less than 24 hrs before). Went to what is now my regular LFS, Reef Fantasy, here in SI. And the owner took my tang in exchange for a wrasse. But didn't want the Mandarin. So for the last month, I have been babysitting the guy.
Luckily I was able to train him to eat regular foods (mysis, cyclopeeze, daphnia, tubifex worms) pretty much I make him a lil food cocktail.
The question is, can anyone recomend a good copepod suplier either in the area or online?
I got a small 2.5 gal tank that I prepared to culture the pods.

Any info on proper 'pod culture is greatly appreciated.

FYI, my lil mandarin is thin, but is starting to gain weight. The telltale line is no longer visible.

Thanks for the advice

 

[cali_reef]

Try this: http://www.reed-mariculture.com/Copepod/

 

[deelucky]

i order my pods from here look under shrimp.good prices too.there are two types so scroll down www.floridapets.com .

 

[scumonkey]

http://oceanpods.com/

 

[Patdro]

I advice and a question for you. First check this site out:
http://joshday.com/mandaringoby.htm

Now my ?, if you can were there any tricks you used to get the mandarin to eat mysis. I have had no luck getting them to eat prepared foods. I do culture pods and stock a refugium with them on a weekly basis. So far mandarin is alive and seems to be eating, but still looks very thin.

 

[DonCisco]

Well, here are the tricks that I used. At first I arranged a clump of LR debris to make a lil mound. At feeding time, I would turn off the pump, and with a pipette and air tubing target the debris mound. I leave the pumps off for 5 to 10 min, so that there is less turbulence for the mandarin.
Unfortunately, because they eat like hummingbirds, you need to feed them a lil extra, and increase the amount of unused food. (that is why I have a big cleaning crew)
I did find that site very helpful, and I have started using the Mandarin diner idea this week, so far he does go in there, but I have to shoo away some of the snails and hermits.
As for food brands (not that I think it will make much difference), I use Hakari's daphnia and tubifex worms (frozen in the lil cubes) about a 1/8-1/4 of the cube for each, a few shavings of cyclopeeze, and 1/8 of a mysis cube or marine cuisine (both are Sally's)
I usually feed my tank in the morning @ like 7am, and in the evening @ about 9pm.
I will start a copepod culture this week, and see how that goes.

One final thought, you can mix and match the daphnia, mysis and tubifex, but the one constant in the feedings that I do is the cyclopeeze.

I hope this helps, and I will try to take pics of him feeding from the Diner.

 

[DonCisco]

For everyone thanks a lot for the info
Say Hello to my lil friend! Chin Chin says hi

 

[DonCisco]

here are a few pics of the diner I made

 

[deelucky]

i hope that works for you they are such nice and colorful fish.i cant wait for the day i get mine.i started a fuge in my sump and im starting to see the pods on the walls of the fuge so im thinking maybe by mid-summer ill check on my progress before i go out and get one.good luck though,and take this time to set up a fuge and build your pod population.

 

[masterswimmer]

Cisco, great job getting him to eat frozen. That's no easy feat. Your pix are super too.

Like Dee said, start a refugium and you'll have all the pods you need. I don't buy and never have bought any pods. My mandarin is over two years old in my tank. Doesn't eat frozen, but is fat and happy. I attribute that to the fuge.

Glad to see you were responsible with the YT. Which LFS recommended the YT and mandarin to you? They are a shop that should be avoided.

Good luck and keep up the good work,
Russ

 

[DonCisco]

I know, that is why I am starting a separate tank for copepods. I set a 2.5 gallon tank with small aeration, and a small powerhead. I wish it could be a real refugium, but given the size of my tank, I think this will have to do.
I have a nice bunch of culerpa in there too, but don't know if I should put any LS in it. Suggestions?

I got the fish at Animal Kingdome's Waterworld, in the corner of Amboy and Richmond Ave, here in SI. I didn't want to say their name because I am polite. HA!!!

 

[masterswimmer]

2.5 gallons is a small refugium, but it can work. Make sure you have a decent light on it. Some people subscribe to the philosophy of reverse lighting (to that of your display tank). Others, me included, light the fuge 24/7.
Be careful with caulerpa as your macro algae nutrient export device. Caulerpa can go sexual. What this means is, after it has absorbed its capacity of nutrients (phosphates and nitrates), it can suddenly and unexpectedly release all those nutrients back into the tank in super concentrated form. This can easily and quickly cause a tank to crash. I prefer cheatomorph to the varieties of caulerpa.

I like the idea of a live sandbed in your fuge. Make sure you plumb it with ball valves and unions so that you can take it off line if anything were to go bad with the sandbed. Adds a good amount of biodiversity, IMO.

Very honorable of you to not want to name the LFS that made these poor recommendations to you. However, they'll make the same recommendations to other unsuspecting consumers as well and they don't seem to have as much a conscience as you. They should be called out on the errors of their ways.

swimmer

 

[prattreef]

Oceanpods.com We just made friends with Adelaide at MACNA. She is a real hoot. Tell her you're from Manhattn Reefs and she'll help you out.

Randy

 

[prattreef]

Oh and DonCisco, as a relative noob, very impressive work getting the mandarin to eat. Methinks you will be a very successful reefer.

Randy

 

[DonCisco]

Thanks for the compliment. After I got the mandarin I spent many many hours looking for info on the net, came up with some good ideas. The reason being that mandarins are beautiful, but not very wanted because of their finnicky eating habits. So, I guess I feel responsible, and I wanted to do anything possible to ensure that he doesn't starve. I guess he was fairly juvenile when I got him, so I was able to help him adapt to new foods. Needless to say, the first time I saw him actually gulp a mysis and not spit it out... I was ready to start jumping up and down,lol. But, truth be told, if I knew that an experienced reefer could take him to a more beneficial environment I would do it for the lil guy's sake. But in the meantime, I am starting the 'pod culture and doing what I have to do to make sure he is healthy.

 

[techreef]

Bravo on your efforts DonCisco. Awesome job. My tank is just 2 months old, and I'm fighting the urge to rush things and get a green mandarin. I'd like to give my tank 6 months before buying one. You sound like a great reefkeeper.

 

[DonCisco]

Thanks for all the advice and comments. You ppl make me feel like Sally Fields when she won her Oscar, lol.
Tech, definitely wait, give your tank enough time to get populated with 'pods, maybe even start a culture in your sump, or seed your tank with them. Because it is a real hit or miss with the training for different foods. I see my guy is no longer showing the tell tale signs of starving. But the converse is that I have to be extra vigilant about the water changes, monitoring of water conditions, etc. my filters become filthy because of the extra food that I have to add in order to keep the guy fed. Can't wait till I start my pod culture, I much rather have live bugs all over, than dead matter at the bottom of my tank. But, the lil guy still keeps on going.