225 large enough for mandarins and pipefish?

[leveldrummer]

Im going to be setting up a 225 in the future, id love to be able to house a pair of mandarins, and a pair of pipe fish, but since they will be competing with food, will a tank this large support a pod population strong enough to keep them all together without having to buy extra pods or get them to eat frozen?

I know this depends greatly on amount of live rock. I plan to have it aquascaped as the average tank, not a wall of rock, but not 2 bonsai trees either.

also intending on having a 20gallon fuge for macro and pod production.

 

[MikeandNicole]

The size is fine but as you alluded to it will be your pod population. You need to have the tank setup for a while before I would add. I setup a 205 and we have a lone blue stripe pipefish in there right now (searching for a mate). We have had the tank up and running since november and we do not have anything else that is a straight pod eater. We culture our own tigger pods and have some nice pourus rock work setup for them. We want mandarins too, but we are waiting for now.

 

[o2manyfish]

I don't think you will have too much of a problem. I had a 125 with a wall of rock and supported pipes and mandarins.

Keeping lots of rubble rock in your refuge will give you more space for farming pods.

Dave B

 

[snorvich]

I agree. You can increase your copepod capacity by having "pod piles" which are small rock rubble piles.

 

[namxas]

While the fishes are in QT, try to get them weaned onto prepared foods...mysis, ova, cyclopeeze, etc.

I kept a pair of Janss' pipes with a mandy for a lot of years, but both species were weaned so they weren't 100% reliant on pods.

Which pipes are you considering?

 

[Borchers]

I kept a pair of Mandarines and a melanarus wrasse in my 120.. All 3 eating the same pods and I still had enough to maintain perfect health and size. My Mandarines began spawning which was a sign that they were well fed. Adding a pair of pipe fish to the mix in your 220 should not be an issue. Having a good sump and rubble rock will help.

 

[leveldrummer]

While the fishes are in QT, try to get them weaned onto prepared foods...mysis, ova, cyclopeeze, etc.

I kept a pair of Janss' pipes with a mandy for a lot of years, but both species were weaned so they weren't 100% reliant on pods.

Which pipes are you considering?

I really dont like trying to get fish that feed mostly on pods onto frozen foods, it never has worked for me long term, id rather have a tank that can support them properly.

 

[nonimmigrant]

I really dont like trying to get fish that feed mostly on pods onto frozen foods, it never has worked for me long term, id rather have a tank that can support them properly.

You'll be fine and IMO having both pipes and mandarins in our 350g DT with 20+ fish they adapt. My mandarin started eating pellets a year in the tank (that was 6yrs ago) and my Janss pair started taking mysids on their own in QT rather easily. I'd recommend that you also buy a bag of live mysids from LA and seed your sump as well. If you have ample rock work they'll breed like nuts and give you a more than ample food source

Good luck.

 

[leveldrummer]

You'll be fine and IMO having both pipes and mandarins in our 350g DT with 20+ fish they adapt. My mandarin started eating pellets a year in the tank (that was 6yrs ago) and my Janss pair started taking mysids on their own in QT rather easily. I'd recommend that you also buy a bag of live mysids from LA and seed your sump as well. If you have ample rock work they'll breed like nuts and give you a more than ample food source

Good luck.

If they start eating other foods thats great! but I try not to buy fish that i "hope" i can get to eat prepared foods. its too risky. rather just make sure i have enough space for them. :lol2:

Thanks everyone for the tips. makes me feel better about my plans.

 

[nonimmigrant]

If they start eating other foods thats great! but I try not to buy fish that i "hope" i can get to eat prepared foods. its too risky. rather just make sure i have enough space for them. :lol2:

Thanks everyone for the tips. makes me feel better about my plans.

If you have live rock then you'll be fine. Do tho consider the live mysids suggestion. Wonderful quick producing food source.

 

[Paul B]

I have spawning mandarins and spawning pipefish in my 100 gallon

 

[MondoBongo]

While the fishes are in QT, try to get them weaned onto prepared foods...mysis, ova, cyclopeeze, etc.

I kept a pair of Janss' pipes with a mandy for a lot of years, but both species were weaned so they weren't 100% reliant on pods.

Which pipes are you considering?

The nutramar ova worked a treat for my Mandy. She would pick at frozen cyclop-eeze, occasionally pick up pellets, but she enthusiastically seeks out the ova to eat. Now that she is used to me feeding it, as soon as the pumps go off she is circling the feeding station, ready to munch.

To there OP, you can always culture pods too, and try feeding newly hatched brine as well.

 

[Ralph ATL]

The nutramar ova worked.

get the nutramar ova and both hikari & pe Mysis and (I rinse in ro in advance & add a couple of drops of Selcon and freeze & refrigerate). This way you have 2 different sizes of Mysis...

restock pods at reefs2go....

 

[rssjsb]

If they start eating other foods thats great! but I try not to buy fish that i "hope" i can get to eat prepared foods. its too risky. rather just make sure i have enough space for them. :lol2:

This is the right attitude. In a tank that size, you should be fine as long as it's been running for awhile.

 

[Thepopo]

I have 2 mandarins in a 35 along with a clown. Its been a year and they are as fat as whales. It all depends on your setup. I go skimmer less. Its worked out for me