Mandarin

[Chucky]

There were some customers in the store last weekend, who want to find a way to grow more copepods; since their Mandarin seems to be eatnig all that's available very quick. I suggested that they insert a breeding trap sideways; it has slats to allow water flow, you can put in a bunch of niserts that increase the surface area, and it is clear plastic, so you should be able to see the copepods pretty quick.

Any other ideas on how to accomplish this?

 

[SnowManSnow]

lots of ppl grow them in their sumps.. or even a HOT fuge.

 

[scuba_steve]

Chucky,

could please expand on what you said. I don't understand what you're talking about. I've waited 18 months to put in a mandarin. so anything that would help me feed it would be helpful.

thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Mandarins need an incredible amount of pods to survive, so only large, mature tanks have any hope of accomodating one successfully.

 

[ChrisRD]

I agree the tank needs to be mature (and sizeable) so it has a large pod population, and as mentioned above, having a large sump or refugium where pods can multiply in safety is probably the best long term food supply. Not sure what success people have had feeding Cyclopeeze to them, but it's a copepod that's available in freeze-dried or frozen forms (I prefer the frozen).

 

[Anonymous]

Chucky,

could please expand on what you said. I don't understand what you're talking about. I've waited 18 months to put in a mandarin. so anything that would help me feed it would be helpful.

thanks

I think he's looking for a way to let the 'pods reproduce in the tank without being preyed upon. I have a pile of rubble in my sump and have tons' o 'pods in the main tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Chucky,

could please expand on what you said. I don't understand what you're talking about. I've waited 18 months to put in a mandarin. so anything that would help me feed it would be helpful.

thanks

Steve, pretty much anyway you can create little nooks in your tank that the fish cannot get into will help your pod population. They need safe places to hang out and breed without all getting eaten. Chucky is doing this by placing a breeding cage (I think these are used for freshwater mostly) in his tank in a way that it keeps the fish out of a small area, kind of a small internal refugium.

 

[Bojangles]

I agree hook up a back pack refug filled with LR or somehow create an in tank refug.

 

[scuba_steve]

Do you put LR in the breeding cage? What all would you put in it? Also how deep does it sit? I don't think you would want it too high so you wouldn't have to worry about water changes dropping the water level of the cage.

Anyone have any other input?

 

[Chucky]

Yes, the customers put in live rox chips, and they were supposed to put it on the floor of their tank. I can't remember what size, I think it's 75 gal. They don't have a sump either...we recommend live rox straight in the tank with a skimmer and some power heads.
Very few of our customers actually opt for a sump.

I hope their mandarin will wind up living, because I don't know well a tiny breeding trap can give them enough surface.

I remember when I started my 10 gal nano, that within days I had 'pods covering the glasses - then they seemed to vanish when I brought in the hermits and now I'll only find a few here or there on the glass. I suppose they're a very tasty food supply for many other critturs.